It's hard to think of an early retirement¹ as anything other than a positive. Who wouldn't want to trade in their suit and tie for a pair of beach shorts? While retiring ahead of schedule may be easier on the body, a new set of research has found that it may not be so beneficial for the mind.

 

很难想象提前退休竟然不是一件好事。谁不想把西装领带换成沙滩短裤呢？尽管提前退休会让你的身体更加轻松，但一项新的研究发现，提前退休可能对大脑不是那么有益。

 

The study, conducted at Binghamton University, finds that an early retirement can accelerate the usual rate of cognitive² decline among the elderly.

 

The research team analyzed³ China's new rural pension scheme (NRPS), as well as China's most recent Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS), in order to investigate the effects of early retirement and pension benefits on individual cognition among adults over the age of 60. For reference, CHARLS is a representative national survey of China's population over the age of 45 that tests respondents regarding mental cognition, episodic memory, and overall mental wellbeing.

 

After going over all of the data, the research team noted⁴ a clear trend: individuals receiving pension benefits were experiencing much more rapid mental decline than their counterparts still on the workforce⁵. The most prominent indicator⁶ of mental decline among retirees was delayed recall, a trait widely considered to be an accurate predictor of dementia. Surprisingly, females seemed to experience even sharper mental decline after retiring early. Overall, the results support the hypothesis that decreased mental activity accelerates cognitive decline.

 

This study's findings were similar to previous research that had focused on the impact of retirement on elderly individuals living in the United States, England, and the European Union. So, this is hardly a trend limited to Asia.

 

Nikolov had actually conducted previous studies that found retirement led to a number of positive physical health benefits for retirees, such as improved sleep patterns, less stress, and reduced alcohol consumption. However, retirement is also usually accompanied with a decline in social activities and less overall interaction with people, which has also been linked to cognitive decline.

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