Psychosocial Issues ‌of Retirement in Iran: ‌A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Objectives: Retirement is a potentially challenging event in old age that has different‏ effects on older people’s lives. This study aims to identify the psychosocial consequences, barriers, and facilitators of adaption to retirement in Iran. Methods & Materials: In this study, we used conventional content analysis. The samples consisted of 22 people with experience or expertise in the field of retirement, who were selected by maximum diversity and purposeful sampling strategy Data were collected through semi-structured interviews from February 2019 to September 2019. Graneheim and Lundman's approach was used for data analysis. Results: Of 22 participants, 59% were male and 41% were female. Four main categories and 13 sub-categories were extracted covering different psychosocial aspects of adaption to retirement Including: Psychosocial challenges (emotional deprivation, reduced psychological resilience, role loss, social isolation, and family challenges), post-retirement development (developing interests and activities, and feeling of being free), barriers to retirement adaptation (health problems, lack of a retirement plan, and macro-structural deficiencies), and contextual/supportive facilitators (individual characteristics, job characteristics, and social support systems). Conclusion: After retirement, people face psychosocial challenges or opportunities for development. In the meantime, some barriers and facilitators can affect adaption to retirement. Therefore, preparation for retirement is an important issue in the field of gerontology services. Elderly care providers and health professionals can benefit from the finding of this study in their interventions to promote the psychosocial well-being of retirees and their families.‎