Retirement could lead to a deterioration in mental health, and alcohol can worsen this issue

Researchers from Universidad Mayor, in Chile , and Simmons University , in Boston , USA carried out the first study examining the relationship between retirement, depression, and alcohol use.

They analysed 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 .

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 ( 0.07 more symptoms, on average) than non-drinkers.

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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”. The study’s limitations include the inability to distinguish between semi-retirement and retirement and between voluntary and forced retirement. Additionally, the participants may not have remembered details, such as how much they drank, accurately, or under-reported them..