Retirement may lead to a deterioration in mental health, and alcohol use may worsen the issue

Retirees show more signs of depression than those who are still working – and heavy drinking may make their symptoms worse, a new study tracking tens of thousands of over-50s in the U.S reveals.

Published in the journal Aging and Mental Health, the study, which monitored participants across a 14-year period, paints a complex picture.

For example, the team’s findings highlight the fact that binge drinking by retirees appears to increase symptoms of depression when compared to those who do not drink at all. However, those who drink in moderation appear to have fewer symptoms of depression than those who abstain completely.

Overall, the authors say it is vital that people are given support when they retire to prevent them from turning to heavy alcohol use to help them adjust to the change.

What the researchers say: “Providing alternative coping mechanisms to heavy alcohol consumption for retirees is crucial,” the lead author explained. “Addressing the combination of depressive symptoms and alcohol use among older adults is crucial, especially considering their increased vulnerability to the negative effects of alcohol and underlying health conditions.”

Studies also indicate that people drink more around the time of retirement; with baby boomers, the youngest of whom are close to retirement now, drinking more than earlier generations.  According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 20% of 60–64-year-olds in the U.S. and 11% of those aged 65 and above binge drink.

However, up until now it hasn’t been clear if mental health improves or worsens on retirement.  Nor is it known what role alcohol plays in the link between retirement and changes to mental health.

To find out more, an international team of experts carried out the first study examining the relationship between retirement, depression, and alcohol use.

They analyzed data from 27,575 participants of the Health and Retirement Study, a longitudinal study in which a nationally representative sample of men and women aged 50 and above in the U.S. are questioned about their lives every two years for an average of 14 years.

Alcohol use was measured by asking the participants if they drank alcohol and, if they did, how many drinks they typically had on days that they drank.

Symptoms of depression were measured by asking questions such as whether they had felt sad over the past week or if everything had been an effort.

Participants were identified as either not retired (this included those who were semi-retired) or retired.

The amount of alcohol consumed in retirement seemed to affect symptoms of depression. For example, retirees who reported binge drinking (this was defined as four or more drinks on the same day for women, five or more for men) had more symptoms of depression than non-drinkers. However, those who drank in moderation (one to three drinks a day for women, one to four for men) had fewer symptoms than abstainers.

The authors say that the loss of identity, economic challenges and changes to routines and social networks that can come with leaving the workforce may lead to a deterioration in mental health – and warn that some retirees may turn to alcohol to help them cope.

However, alcohol use and depression are both associated with ill health. In addition, older adults process alcohol less well than their younger counterparts, and may be taking medicines that interact with alcohol. Therefore, it is vital that retirees have access to support, other than alcohol, when they retire.

As to why moderate drinking was associated with fewer depressive symptoms in retirement, the author says this may be due to alcohol’s ability to lift mood through socialization.

However, this doesn’t mean they advocate regularly having a drink or two to adjust to retirement.  “Drinking alcohol increases the risk of falls and other injuries and can lead to dependency – and the poor health that typically comes with it,” the researchers said.

The World Health Organization has previously warned that no amount of alcohol is beneficial to health, adding that around half of alcohol-related cancers are caused by light or moderate drinking.

“There is no doubt that adjusting to retirement can be difficult for some, but turning to alcohol is not the answer.  We must find – and provide – healthier alternatives,” the researchers added.

The paper recommends that policymakers should “prioritize providing support to individuals during the retirement transition and offer interventions at various levels to manage alcohol consumption effectively”.

My take: The concept of ‘retirement’ is relatively new. Among hunter-gatherers the idea is unknown. In those societies at a certain age (somewhere between 35 and 45) a person became a member of the ‘council of elders.’ Their knowledge and their accumulated wisdom were valued and respected. They were the judges in disputes, the enforces of the rules and rituals of the band, and their advice was sought.

This need for increasing respect as we age is built into us. We want to be advisers, to be teachers, to be needed.

The issue is not alcohol. Alcoholism among the elderly is merely a symptom of a deeper malaise, which encompasses the entire system in which we undervalue and thus underuse the wisdom that comes from accumulated experience.