Association Between Retirement Age and Incidence of Depressive Disorders: A 19-Year Population-Based Study

•What is the primary question addressed by this study?Is retirement associated with depressive disorders and in which social group?•What is the main finding of this study?The incidence of depression peaked around retirement, followed by a decrease post-retirement. Retiring between the ages of 65–69 increased the risk of depressive disorders compared to retiring between 60 and 64. This association was particularly pronounced among women and individuals residing in areas with low urbanization levels.•What is the meaning of the finding?Retirement marks a crucial life milestone accompanied by a peak in depressive disorders. Therefore, there is a need for mental health resources to support individuals during this transition phase. To investigate the occurrence of depressive disorders spanning the transition to retirement, and explore the relationship between retirement age and depressive disorders. We utilized a national population-based health insurance database encompassing 2 million Taiwanese individuals from 2000 to 2019. The study focused on individuals aged 50 years and older who were employed at the baseline, and 84,224 individuals had records of retirement during the follow-up period. Depressive disorders were identified using codes from the International Classification of Diseases. To assess the trend in the incidence of depressive disorders 7-year period before and after retirement, an interrupted time series analysis was performed. Cox-proportional hazard models were employed to investigate the association between retirement age and the occurrence of depressive disorders following retirement. The incidence of depression peaks at the time of retirement and shows a significant decrease after retirement. Incidence of depressive disorders was 6.4 and 7.6 per 1000 person-years among individuals who retired between the ages of 60–64 and 65-69. Comparing the two groups, those who retired between 65 and 69 exhibits a higher risk of developing depressive disorders (hazard ratio = 1.10, 95% confidence interval = 1.02–1.18). This association is particularly pronounced among women and individuals residing in areas with low urbanization levels. Retirement marks a crucial life milestone accompanied by a peak in depressive disorders. It is important to address the higher risk of depression associated with late retirement among socially disadvantaged groups.