TY - JOUR
T1 - The impact of transitions from employment to retirement on suicidal behaviour among older aged Australians
AU - Page, Andrew
AU - Sperandei, Sandro
AU - Spittal, Matthew J.
AU - Milner, Allison
AU - Pirkis, Jane
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Purpose: Transition from employment to retirement may be detrimental to mental health, and associated with suicidal behaviour. This study investigated the association between employment and retirement status and suicidal behaviour among older aged Australians. Methods: This study was based on the ‘45 and Up Study’, a large prospective cohort study of participants from New South Wales (Australia) aged 45ÃÂ years and older (N = 267,153), followed up over the period 2006–2018. The risk of attempted suicide and suicide was compared between categories of employment and retirement status in a series of recurrent event survival analysis models adjusting for identified time variant and invariant confounders. Results: Compared to those who were employed, the risk of attempted suicide was higher among those who were not in the labour force and not retired (predominantly those who were sick or disabled, or carers) (HR = 1.97–95% CI 1.49–2.62), those who retired involuntarily (HR = 1.35–95% CI 1.03–1.77), and to a lesser extent those unemployed (HR = 1.31–95% CI 0.89–1.92). Risk of attempted suicide among those who retired voluntarily was similar to those who remained employed (HR = 1.09–95% CI 0.82–1.45). A similar pattern was evident for suicide, with a higher risk of suicide among those who were not in the labour force or retired, and those who retired involuntarily, compared to those who remained employed; however, these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Transition from employment to retirement may be an important precipitating factor for suicidal behaviour, affected by current and previous mental health status. Services and programs facilitating continued or re-employment in older age, and adjustment to the transition from employment to retirement may prevent suicidal behaviour.
AB - Purpose: Transition from employment to retirement may be detrimental to mental health, and associated with suicidal behaviour. This study investigated the association between employment and retirement status and suicidal behaviour among older aged Australians. Methods: This study was based on the ‘45 and Up Study’, a large prospective cohort study of participants from New South Wales (Australia) aged 45ÃÂ years and older (N = 267,153), followed up over the period 2006–2018. The risk of attempted suicide and suicide was compared between categories of employment and retirement status in a series of recurrent event survival analysis models adjusting for identified time variant and invariant confounders. Results: Compared to those who were employed, the risk of attempted suicide was higher among those who were not in the labour force and not retired (predominantly those who were sick or disabled, or carers) (HR = 1.97–95% CI 1.49–2.62), those who retired involuntarily (HR = 1.35–95% CI 1.03–1.77), and to a lesser extent those unemployed (HR = 1.31–95% CI 0.89–1.92). Risk of attempted suicide among those who retired voluntarily was similar to those who remained employed (HR = 1.09–95% CI 0.82–1.45). A similar pattern was evident for suicide, with a higher risk of suicide among those who were not in the labour force or retired, and those who retired involuntarily, compared to those who remained employed; however, these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Transition from employment to retirement may be an important precipitating factor for suicidal behaviour, affected by current and previous mental health status. Services and programs facilitating continued or re-employment in older age, and adjustment to the transition from employment to retirement may prevent suicidal behaviour.
UR - https://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:61281
U2 - 10.1007/s00127-020-01947-0
DO - 10.1007/s00127-020-01947-0
M3 - Article
VL - 56
SP - 759
EP - 771
JO - Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
JF - Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
IS - 5
ER -