This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Are older Australians lonelier once they retire from work? New Monash University–led research suggests that hanging up their work boots makes no measurable difference to loneliness.
The work is published in the journal Scientific Reports. Researchers tracked 7,434 Australians ages 55 to 75 across nearly two decades, using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. Johannes Kunz, from Monash University's Centre for Health Economics, said the study challenged the assumption that retirement leads to isolation.
"Many people see leaving work as a 'loneliness cliff,' where you lose colleagues, routine and identity, but our study did not find this to be the case," Kunz said. "We followed the same Australians for nearly two decades, and we found that their loneliness didn't change in the three years before retiring or in the three years after." Kunz said the findings are particularly relevant as large numbers of baby boomers are currently transitioning into retirement in many countries. The research also has implications for debates about pension ages, as Australia and other countries, such as Denmark, are raising eligibility requirements.
"There are many reasons for or against raising the retirement age; however, our results suggest that loneliness is not necessarily a consideration," Kunz said. The study found that about one in six (17.5%) older adults reported high loneliness, saying that they "often feel very lonely." Kunz said loneliness among older Australians is a serious problem and that policy efforts aimed at reducing loneliness should focus on aging more broadly rather than retirement. "We know, for example, from other work that losing a spouse has profound effects on the perception of loneliness; therefore, addressing such events and supporting a social safety net more generally is likely to be more beneficial in addressing loneliness," Kunz said.
"Loneliness tends to rise continuously from the late 60s, which suggests that later life deserves more attention. Programs are likely to work better if they support social connection throughout later life. "It doesn't seem to be the transition out of work, but rather the general effect of aging that raises loneliness as people age." The findings were consistent across a range of demographic and socioeconomic groups, including people with different incomes, levels of wealth and occupational backgrounds.
"We expected some groups to be hit harder by loneliness, such as people who are single, unwell, on lower incomes or leaving blue-collar jobs. However, none were more likely to be lonely as a result of retirement," Kunz said. "We saw the same results whether or not people had grandchildren, volunteered or belonged to clubs." Johannes S.
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