Discussion: Retirement and Physical and Mental Well-Being
Retirement, as it is now known in developed nations-a period of time in which individuals stop working and live through savings, pensions, and social welfare programs-is a relatively new phenomenon that hardly existed before the 20th century. The Social Security Act, which created the U.S. social welfare program, became law in 1935, and at that time the retirement eligibility age, 65, outpaced the life expectancy, then only 58 (Laskow, 2014). In practice, what retirement means today for individuals continues to evolve as pension systems and social insurance programs change, workers live longer and generally enjoy better health, and workforce needs and participation from various demographic groups change. This has multiple effects on human development during this stage of the lifespan.
As people enter later adulthood, their physical and mental well-being does not fossilize; rather, it continues to evolve through the transition into retirement. This transition affects people very differently. To fully understand the dynamics of the retirement transition and its relationship with psychological well-being, you must examine the various resources and contexts surrounding retirement transitions. For example, the transition to retirement is influenced by social relationships, economic issues, health concerns, and grandparenthood.
In your Learning Resources this week, you explore how associations between retirement and psychological well-being must be viewed in a temporal, life-course context. In this Discussion, you identify and explain three factors that predict an individual's physical and mental well- being in retirement, supporting your factors with references to the literature.
To Prepare:
• Review this Learning Resources and identify three factors that can predict an individual's physical and mental well-being in retirement.
• Research the Walden Library and the Internet for at least 2 scholarly articles that support your factors.
• Consider how gender and culture play a role in the transition into retirement.
Post an explanation of at least 3 factors that predict an individual's physical and mental well-being in retirement and how they do so. In your post, consider how gender and culture play a role in the transition into retirement. Reference at least 2 peer-reviewed articles beyond this Learning Resources to support your post.
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.
Required Readings
Kim, J. E., & Moen, P. (2002). Retirement transitions, gender, and psychological well-being: A life-course ecological model. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 57(3), 212-222.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Project Resources
Domenech Rodríguez, M. M., Baumann, A., & Swartz, A. (2011). Cultural adaptation of an empirically supported intervention: From theory to practice in a Latino/a community context. American Journal of Community Psychology, 47, 170-186.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Resnicow, K., Soler, R., Braithwaite, R. L., Ahluwalia, J. S., & Butler, J. (2000). Cultural sensitivity in substance use prevention. Journal of Community Psychology, 28(3), 271-291.