The older psychiatrist and retirement

To determine the clinical practices, retirement plans and post-retirement professional activities of older psychiatrists, comparing retirees with working psychiatrists.

Postal survey.

All Fellows of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists aged 55 years and over, resident in Australia or New Zealand. Of 468 eligible subjects, 281 (60%) participated.

Location and type of psychiatric practice; hours of work; retirement plans; anticipated and actual retirement criteria; anticipated and actual post-retirement professional activities; self-rated health.

Working psychiatrists comprised 79% of the sample, being significantly younger (mean 63.8 years) than retirees (mean 72.3 years, p < 0.001). Over 62% of respondents worked principally in general psychiatry. Working psychiatrists were mainly in private practice (61%) and retirees had been in public psychiatry (53%, p < 0.001). Working psychiatrists worked about 41 hours/week, 98 (49%) having reduced their hours in the previous 5 years. Retirement plans had been commenced by 124 (61%). Fatigue (27%) and memory impairment (10%) were reported as age-related changes adversely affecting work capacity, raising concerns of competence. Working psychiatrists more often anticipated deteriorating health (p < 0.001) and family/personal reasons (p < 0.01) as retirement criteria and anticipated involvement in a significantly higher number of post-retirement professional activities than retirees reported (p < 0.001). Retirees rated themselves in significantly poorer health than working psychiatrists (p < 0.001), even when age was partialed out (p < 0.001).

Most older psychiatrists gradually retire by reducing work hours and developing new interests. The majority of retirees retain involvement in professional activities, but substantially less than anticipated by those still working.