Written By Mahima Sharma

As with most major life and lifestyle changes, the transition to retirement is not devoid of a number of significant accompanying anxieties, and by extension mental health challenges as well.¹ The change in structure of a work life to a more unstructured retirement can cause feelings of identity loss, confusion, and isolation to surface.² Additionally, these are compounded by concerns about stability financially and the maintenance of purpose post-retirement. Something that can alleviate a number of these concerns is part-time employment opportunities post-retirement. This not only allows for the provision of a supplementary income, but also instils a sense of purpose, a routine, and creates social interactions to boost mental well-being in the later stages of life.

Late life depression is perhaps the leading mental health concern in older adults.³ The abrupt transition between lifestyles causes a strong feeling of disjunction and displacement, leading to lowered self-belief, self-image, and a loss of identity, often building up into depression.⁴ Links of this depression to cognitive decline and dementia are evident, since depression often impacts brain function negatively, impacting memory, attention spans, and decision-making abilities.⁵ Cognitive decline causes the loss of mainly fluid intelligence,⁶ which impairs the individual’s problem solving and abstract thinking skills.⁷ Additionally, in the absence the social engagement that is provided by workplace interactions, retirees tend to find themselves increasingly isolated. This lack of social contact not only fuels depressive symptoms but also deprives the brain of essential social stimulation, which is crucial for maintaining cognitive health.⁸ With changing family structures resulting in isolation of elders due to the growth in commonality of nuclear family structures, more and more older adults are spending their days in solitude post-retirement,⁹ which further exacerbates the cognitive issues. Consequently, the interplay between late-life depression, cognitive decline, and social isolation forms a vicious cycle that tends to severely undermine quality of life in older adults after retirement. Addressing these issues requires comprehensive strategies that promote mental health, cognitive engagement, and social connectivity.

Cognitive decline as such is also a concern because being subjected to it early in retirement can significantly impact the ability of an individual to learn new skills.¹⁰ The decreased capacity of the brain to process, retain, and apply new information makes it difficult to pick up new skills after spending a long time without doing so, further deepening the cognitive weakness. Memory loss, lower processing speed, and decreased attention and concentration can hinder the daily functioning of an individual, diminish the quality of life, and reduce independence of the individual, also increasing the risk of developing more severe cognitive conditions like dementia.¹¹

Engaging in a part-time job retired person jobs offers older adults social interactions that have the potential to continue the mental stimulation previously provided by work and thus significantly enhance their mental health. ¹²A regular social contact with colleagues fosters a feeling of community and belonging, which can combat the isolation and loneliness commonly experienced during retirement. These social connections not only provide emotional support, but also increase self-esteem and promote a positive outlook on life. In addition, meaningful conversations and collaborative work environments stimulate cognitive functions, keeping the mind active and engaged. Studies have shown that such social engagements can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, leading to improved overall well-being.¹³ Thus, part-time work not only provides financial benefits but also contributes to a healthier, more fulfilling post-retirement life through enriched social interactions.¹⁴ Part time work maximises the use of crystallised intelligence, and helps to maintain the fluid intelligence- problem solving, gauging unfamiliar situations, and picking up new skills that are more easily lost in retirement.

The challenge comes down to creating vacancy for retired person and inclusion of older adults in the workplace. Casual ageism in the workplace is rampant, with around 78 percent of older employees reporting that they felt discriminated against in the workplace, ¹⁵and over 66 percent claiming that they did not feel they could be hired into a new job position.¹⁶ Increased workplace inclusion allows for the recognition and utilization of the skill set that older workers bring, leveraging it for training of other less experienced workers and enhancing knowledge sharing and innovation in the workplace. The creation of such systems, however, depend on the recognition and accommodation of the challenges that older workers face, such as creating more flexible work hours and locations, or allowing for phased retirements by creating part time positions that allow them to utilize their skills at a more limited time bound capacity.

WisdomCircle has tailor-made job opportunities for retired people who want to be meaningfully engaged post-retirement. They work exclusively with organisations that want their immense experience on board with them and understand the importance of a multigenerational workforce.

References:

¹ Schimelpfening, Nancy. “How to Get Help for Your Depression after Retirement.” Verywell Mind, 18 Dec. 2023, www.verywellmind.com/depression-after-retirement-1067239.
² Pabón-Carrasco, Manuel, et al. “Prevalence of Depression in Retirees: A Meta-Analysis.” Healthcare, vol. 8, no. 3, 4 Sept. 2020, p. 321, https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8030321.
³ Muhammad, T., and Trupti Meher. “Association of Late-Life Depression with Cognitive Impairment: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study among Older Adults in India.” BMC Geriatrics, vol. 21, no. 1, 15 June 2021, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02314-7.
⁴ Schimelpfening, Nancy. “How to Get Help for Your Depression after Retirement.” Verywell Mind, 18 Dec. 2023, www.verywellmind.com/depression-after-retirement-1067239.
⁵ Wiginton, Keri. “Physical Effects of Depression on the Brain.” WebMD, 28 July 2020, www.webmd.com/depression/depression-physical-effects-brain.
⁶Bajpai, Swati, et al. “Discrepancy in Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence: An Early Cognitive Marker of Dementia from the LASI-DAD Cohort.” Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra, vol. 12, no. 1, 2022, pp. 51–59, www.karger.com/Article/FullText/520879, https://doi.org/10.1159/000520879.
⁷ Meyer, Caitlin. “What Is Fluid Intelligence?” Thomas International, 2 Nov. 2023, www.thomas.co/resources/type/hr-blog/what-fluid- intelligence#:~:text=Fluid%20intelligence%20is%20the%20ability%20to%20to%20think%20abstractly%2C%2 0reason.
⁸ Marton, Ruchama. The Impact of Isolation on Mental Health.
⁹ Chakravorty, Swastika, et al. “Family Demography in India: Emerging Patterns and Its Challenges.” SAGE Open, vol. 11, no. 2, Apr. 2021, p. 215824402110081, https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211008178.
¹⁰ Craik, Fergus I.M., and Ellen Bialystok. “Cognition through the Lifespan: Mechanisms of Change.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 10, no. 3, Mar. 2006, pp. 131–138, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2006.01.007.
¹¹ Salthouse, Timothy. “Consequences of Age-Related Cognitive Declines.” Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 63, no. 1, 10 Jan. 2012, pp. 201–226, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100328.
¹² Lasman, David. “7 Reasons to Work Part Time in Retirement.” Senior Healthcare Team Insurance, 4 June 2021, seniorhealthcareteam.com/articles/7-reasons-to-work-part-time-in- retirement/#:~:text=A%20job%20can%20provide%20mental.
¹³ Dave, Dhaval, et al. “The Effects of Retirement on Physical and Mental Health Outcomes.” SSRN Electronic Journal, vol. 75, no. 2, 2007, www.nber.org/papers/w12123.pdf, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1024475.
¹⁴ Isabel Baumann, Ignacio Cabib, Harpa S. Eyjólfsdóttir, Neda Agahi, Part-time work and health in late careers: Evidence from a longitudinal and cross-national study, SSM – Population Health, Volume 18, 2022,101091, ISSN 2352-8273, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101091.
¹⁵ Reid, Sheldon. “Ageism and Age Discrimination – HelpGuide.org.” Https://Www.helpguide.org, 23 Feb. 2023, www.helpguide.org/articles/aging-issues/ageism-and-age-discrimination.htm.
¹⁶ “The Unretirement Uprising – 55/Redefined’s 2022 Ageism Report.” Work-Redefined.co, 2022, work- redefined.co/resources/the-unretirement-uprising-report.

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Importance of Part-Time Jobs Post-Retirement