Socioeconomic and Psychosocial Adversity in Midlife and Depressive Symptoms Post Retirement: A 21-year Follow-up of the Whitehall II Study

Summary & key facts

Researchers followed 3,939 British civil servants from midlife into retirement (about 21 years) to see if problems in midlife predicted depressive symptoms after retirement. They measured midlife socioeconomic problems (job grade, satisfaction with standard of living) and psychosocial problems (job strain, number of close relationships), and later assessed depressive symptoms with the 20-item CES-D. After adjusting for many baseline and later health and demographic factors, each midlife adversity was linked to higher odds of depressive symptoms in retirement, but the study is observational and cannot prove cause and effect.

Key facts:

• The study sample was 3,939 people (2,789 men and 1,150 women). The mean age was 45.9 years at baseline and 67.6 years at follow-up.
• Exposures were measured in 1985–1988 and depressive symptoms were measured about 16–21 years later (CES-D assessed in 2002–2004 and 2007–2009).
• Depressive symptoms were measured with the 20-item CES-D; a total score of 16 or more was used to define depressive symptoms.
• Poor standard of living in midlife was associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms after retirement (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.66–3.39).
• Low occupational position in midlife was associated with higher odds of post-retirement depressive symptoms (adjusted OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.15–2.51).
• High job strain and having few close relationships in midlife were each associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms after retirement (high job strain: adjusted OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.09–2.14; few close relationships: adjusted OR 1.51, 95%
• The analyses adjusted for socio-demographic and health-related covariates at baseline and follow-up. The exposures were self-reported and the study design is observational, so the results show associations but do not prove that midlife adve

Topics

Employment and Welfare Studies Health disparities and outcomes Retirement, Disability, and Employment

Categories

Demography Social Sciences

Tags

Clinical psychology Cognition Demography Depression (economics) Depressive symptoms Economics Environmental health Gerontology Macroeconomics Medicine Population Psychiatry Psychology Psychosocial Socioeconomic status Sociology