Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Before and After Retirement Based on Educational Level and Retirement Type

This study aimed to examine whether the time since retirement is associated with changes in depressive symptoms before and after retirement, using 14 years of panel data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2006-2020). A total of 11,232 person-wave observations from individuals aged 45 and older were analyzed using fixed-effects regression models. The level of depressive symptoms increased from the year before retirement, peaking around the first year after retirement, and gradually declined thereafter. This pattern was more pronounced among individuals who retired involuntarily and those with lower educational attainment. In contrast, depressive symptoms decreased within the second year of retirement among voluntary retirees. These findings suggest that retirement may be associated with psychological distress, particularly for individuals who are less prepared for post-retirement life. The results underscore the importance of developing targeted policies to support retirees' mental well-being before and after their transition out of the workforce.