Going back to work following retirement reduced the chance of being affected by depression and improved subjective health and cognitive functions. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Dec. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent study has revealed that South Korean men are twice as likely to suffer from depression after retirement compared to women.
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) revealed on Wednesday how retirement can affect the psychological health of individuals.
The study showed that the CES-D, an index used to measure the severity of depression, was much higher among retirees than others continuing to work past their 50s and 60s, indicating that retirement raises the possibility of depression and also negatively affects one’s subjective health.
However, the negative impact on subjective health gradually disappeared as time passed.
Observing changes in psychological health and cognitive function showed that male individuals were twice as likely to suffer from depression after retirement than women.
Going back to work following retirement reduced the chance of being affected by depression and improved subjective health and cognitive functions.
“In South Korea, work represents a connection to society, and so retirement can work against creating social capital and networks for each individual,” said Lee Ah-young, a researcher at KIHASA.
“Various policies should be put in place to provide retirees with opportunities to participate in production and other social activities for their psychological health and cognitive function.”
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
