Does work improve mental health in later life? A 12-year longitudinal study across social group

Social participation through work is crucial for healthy ageing, but the relationship between work and mental health remains unclear across different social groups. This study aims to investigate the relationship between work and depressive symptoms among individuals aged 50 years and above. We analyzed a nationally representative sample of 5267 participants from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging, followed from 2003 to 2015. Participants self-reported their work status (working, nonworking, or retired) and depressive mood using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale in each survey wave. We examined seven trajectories of work status and their associations with changes in depressive symptoms. Additionally, we examined the associations by gender and household income. To investigate the reciprocal relationship between work and depressive symptoms, we conducted cross-lagged autoregression analyses. The results show that transitioning from working to nonworking, compared to working in all waves, is associated with increased depressive symptoms, particularly among those with lower household income. In contrast, transitioning from not working to working is associated with reduced depressive symptoms compared to remaining not working, with a pronounced effect in women. The cross-lagged model reveals that the influence of employment status on subsequent depressive symptoms weakens as individuals age. Conversely, the influence of depressive symptoms on future employment status strengthens as participants grow older. In conclusion, participation in the workforce is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in middle and late adulthood. Integrated strategies that combine mental health support with age-friendly employment opportunities can foster both psychological well-being and sustained labor force engagement.