ArticleBMC public health2025
The relationship between retirement, social isolation and loneliness: A longitudinal analysis using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Prevalence of loneliness and its associated factors in middle-aged and older adults with breathlessness: a nationally representative cohort study.BMJ open respiratory research · 2026Article
- A culturally tailored Zhuang embroidery intervention for psychological well-being among Zhuang adults in the retirement transition in Guangxi: a waitlist-controlled quasi-experimental study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundRetirement is a major transition in aging, with changes in routine, identity, finances, and social connections, and subsequently mental and physical health. It is possible that the transition through retirement period may increase the risk of loneliness and social isolation. However, the relationship between retirement and loneliness is unclear. We aimed to examine the association between retirement and loneliness and social isolation using a representative sample of older adults.
methodsWe used survey data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), a representative sample of adults over 50 years of age living in private households in England. We analysed waves 4-8 covering the years 2008 to 2017. Loneliness was measured using the UCLA 3-item scale. Social isolation was measured using information on social connections based on previous methods used in ELSA. Binary logistic regression models were used to analyse the effect of retirement on loneliness and social isolation.
resultsFrom a total of 3,758 participants, 766 retired between wave 4 and wave 5. Retirement had no effect on short-term loneliness (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.96, 95% CI: 0.77-1.21), but did reduce odds of social isolation (aOR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.58-0.98) for newly retired individuals when compared to those still working. Further, no association was observed in long-term analysis for either loneliness or social isolation.
conclusionsOur findings suggest there is no immediate or long-term association between retirement and loneliness, but there may be a reduction in social isolation in the short-term. Understanding the role retirement plays in the complex relationship between social connection, loneliness and isolation can be used to inform strategies and policies to improve wellbeing in older age.
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