Gender, mental health, physical health and retirement: A prospective study of 21,608 Australians aged 55–69 years

• Retirement was associated with higher levels of physical dysfunction, for both men and women.
• Retirement was not associated with psychological distress among women.
• Retirement was found to be associated with increased psychological distress among men who have high physical dysfunction.
• Emphasis on health promotion programs may be important to prevent more rapid physical declinepost-retirement.

ObjectivesWe examined retirement transitions by gender, and different associations between retirement, physical function and mental health.MethodsData for 21,608 participants aged 55–69 from the 45 and Up Study were used. Generalised estimating equations were used to investigate longitudinal associations between retirement with psychological distress (Kessler score, K10) and physical dysfunction across two time points, by gender separately.ResultsRetirement in men was associated with a 25% relative increase in mean physical dysfunction score (p < 0.001) and a 2% relative increase in mean K10 score (p = 0.004), although men with high physical dysfunction score had a 6% increase in mean K10 score (p = 0.005) if retired. For women, retirement was associated with a 17% increase in mean physical dysfunction score (p < 0.001), with no association observed with the K10 score. Results were adjusted for demographic and health covariates.ConclusionRetirement is associated with physical dysfunction over time. Retirement is not associated with psychological distress among women, but retirement is associated with psychological distress among men who have a high level of physical dysfunction. The findings point to the importance of attending to the physical and mental health needs, around the retirement period, particularly for men with poor physical health.