Thursday, October 15, 2009

Is the Recession Helping Us Live Longer?


posted by Jameel Murray

Last week I posted an article discussing the effects of the recession, which are forcing citizens to work through retirement. Because employees do not have the proper savings to retire due to the recession, many are forced to work past the retirement age minimum. Even though it may sound a bit difficult, it may actually be a great thing for most. Recent studies have shown that those who work temporary or part time jobs after the retirement age are physically and mentally healthier than those that are fully retired. Researchers interviewed an estimated amount of 12,200 people every two years over a six-year period. This may not seem surprising for most but can we actually give credit to a grueling recession for keeping our citizens healthy?
Retirees who continue to work past the retirement age function better daily and suffer 17 percent fewer diseases than those who actually retire. Studies have also discovered that those who do tend to fully retire often die sooner. According to Professor Cary Cooper, an occupational psychologists at the University of Lancaster, if one’s mental wellbeing is depleted it will affect you physically. In conclusion, the recession has condensed our wealth, however it has proven to complement our health.

Sources: http://www.themedguru.com/20091014/newsfeature/employment-post-retirement-leads-better-health-study-86129713.html

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/2969037/Retirement-is-not-the-healthy-option

http://www.nepalnews.net/story/554409

2 comments:

  1. I never look at the issue through this perspective. I bet this article would calm a lot of people down. You never know what would happen and this is one of them.
    Quang Nguyen

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  2. In Japan, elder people do not want to retire when they are at retired age bc they thought that working will benefit for their healths.
    Shawn Gao

    ReplyDelete