Diverging trajectories of depressive symptoms after retirement: the moderating role of social engagement

OBJECTIVES: Retirement marks a major life transition that can influence psychological well-being in later life. Although previous studies have examined the mental health consequences of retirement, less is known about how depressive symptoms evolve before and after retirement and whether these trajectories differ by levels of social engagement. This study investigates longitudinal changes in depressive symptoms surrounding retirement and examines whether social engagement moderates these changes. METHODS: Data were drawn from 10,233 older adults across seven waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing, yielding 53,865 person-observations. An individual-level fixed-effects event-study approach was employed to account for unobserved, time-invariant characteristics. Interaction models were used to assess whether the association between time to retirement and depressive symptoms varied by levels of informal social contact. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms showed no notable change before retirement but rose sharply afterward, which persisted for more than 4 years after retirement. However, retirement is not uniformly harmful; clear heterogeneity emerges by level of informal social engagement. Individuals with low social engagement experienced sustained increases in depressive symptoms that did not return to preretirement levels even after 4 years. In contrast, those with high social engagement exhibited only a temporary rise in depressive symptoms, primarily around the second year after retirement. DISCUSSION: Findings highlight the emotional toll of retirement and the protective role of social engagement in buffering against sustained psychological decline. Promoting opportunities for informal social connection may be critical to supporting emotional well-being during the retirement transition, particularly among those at risk of social isolation.