The Association Between Mental Health, Chronic Disease, and Retired Status Among Korean Elderly: A Cross-Sectional Study
10.47825/jkgp.2026.30.1.1
- Author:
Tae-Yoon KIM
1
;
Jung-Hyun KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Clinical Practice, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Korea
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Journal of Korean Geriatric Psychiatry
2026;30(1):1-11
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Objective:The purpose of this study was to understand whether retired status, covariates of mental health, and prevalence ofchronic disease are related, and whether the covariates of mental health show gender-specific patterns using the cross-sectionaldata.
Methods:We analyzed data of 1,664 participants aged over 65 who completed the economic status and mental health sections of the 6th-7th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2013-2017). We adjusted for covariates in regressionanalysis for complex sampling design to calculate regression coefficients and 95% confidence intervals of the link between re-tired status and mental health. We also assessed which covariates of chronic disease, health behavior, and sociodemographic factors weakened the correlation between retired status and mental health.
Results:Retired status in Korean populations has persisted to negatively impact the incidence of depressive symptoms and thoughts of suicide, even after adjusting for confounding variables. Regarding mental health, women were affected by retired status to a greater extent than men. Among covariates, health behaviors and sociodemographic factors were most affected by retired status.
Conclusion:These results imply that chronic diseases and psychological factors should be managed delicately among the retired elderly, and that there may be gender differences in retirement adaptation.
