Older adult employment status and well-being: A longitudinal bidirectional analysis

• Main Authors: CHIA, Jonathan L., HARTANTO, Andree
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2021
• Subjects: Older adults; Employment; Well-being; Longitudinal analysis; Gerontology; Psychology; Social Psychology
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3529; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/4787/viewcontent/Older_Adult_Employment_Status_and_Well_Being.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Mixed findings in the literature on the effects of older adult employment on well-being and the reciprocal influence of well-being on employment suggest the need for more careful methodology in teasing out this relationship. Moreover, as previous research has shown that different domains of well-being relate to constructs differently, more nuanced definitions of well-being may be appropriate. The present study examined the longitudinal bidirectional associations of employment and different domains of well-being, controlling for stable within-person variables. The present study sampled older adults from the Midlife Development in the US study at three timepoints on employment status and well-being, specifically psychological, social, and subjective well-being. A Random-Intercept Cross-lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) approach was employed to determine the longitudinal bidirectional influence of employment and domains of well-being. Results showed that employment status was not associated with various well-being domains at a later time point. Results also showed that greater well-being, specifically in meaningfulness of society and personal growth, was associated with being employed at a later time point.