United States: In particular, the retirement period is expected to be the time when one should be able to relax and do as he or she wishes.
A Time for Relaxation or Risk?
But for many, it indicates a fast track to depression and heavy drinking, researchers found in a study published in the January 10 issue of the journal Aging and Mental Health, as reported by HealthDay.
Depression rates are higher among retirees than it is among those who are still in their working periods.
Moreover, researchers discovered that their symptoms might be getting worse due to heavy drinking.
The Need for Better Support
“Providing alternative coping mechanisms to heavy alcohol consumption for retirees is crucial,” researcher Christina Sellers, an associate professor of social work at Simmons University in Boston, said in a news release.
Retirement Linked to Increased Depression, Worsened by Heavy Drinking: Studyhttps://t.co/Nzjb30xpJU
— Health and Family (@Healthandfamili) January 14, 2025
“Addressing the combination of depressive symptoms and alcohol use among older adults is crucial too, especially considering their increased vulnerability to the negative effects of alcohol and underlying health conditions,” Sellers added.
Study Highlights Key Findings
In the study, epidemiologists based at the university worked with data provided by 27,500 US residents aged 50 and over participating in a long-term survey of their health and retirement experiences; they were asked questions about their lives every two years, on average over 14 years.
Participants completed a survey of their drinking patterns and other questions about their depressive status.

Data reveal that the elderly become more depressed than someone who still has a career, the study found.
People who binged were also likely to have more symptoms of depression than those who did not drink at all, the researchers observed. It is denoted by the consumption of five or more drinks within the same day for males and four or more for females.
But those retirement-age consumers who did not abuse the beverage had fewer symptoms than men – one to three glasses per day for women, one to four for men.
Why Retirement Can Be Stressful
Researchers said retirement entails many fears that put a person’s mental health at risk: loss of work identity, financial difficulties, changes in the daily schedule, and casual interactions with other people, among them.
However, seniors metabolize alcohol poorly compared to young people and might be under some drugs that are not compatible with drinking, more researchers stated, as reported by HealthDay.
Whereas having modesty of alcohol may make a person change his/her mood by socializing with friends, the researchers do not advise retired individuals to take a glass or two of wine in order to cope with their loss.
Leave a Reply