Food for Thought: What are signs that a person will be happy in retirement?

This is a question that many people ponder, especially the baby boomers who are starting to look at retirement.

In the April issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, Dr. George Valliant Of the Harvard Medical School gathered data over a lifetime on over 700 men.

The study provided insight into the child and adult sources of happy and unhappy work lives as well as the ways in which success or failure at work is related to success or failure in intimate relationships and the risks of depression or alcoholism.

The majority of the men participating in the study grew up in poor neighborhoods. The rest were relatively privileged Harvard graduates. Unfortunately, women and nonwhites were excluded.

It seems being happy in retirement is not based on income or status acquired earlier in life. The wealthiest and those with the most prestigious jobs tended to retire later.

Men who retired early were generally less happy in retirement, partly because many of them had a physical disability, a personality disorder, or a history of poor functioning in work and personal relationships.

The men most satisfied with their retirement were more likely to enjoy their leisure, social lives and time with their families. They usually pursued hobbies or did volunteer work.

Unhappy men were less engaged with the world, found little meaning in their activities, and tended to kill time watching television or gambling. Success in mid-life, as defined by income or social status did not predict satisfaction in retirement.

The findings in this study support what health magazines and doctors have often said: Satisfaction in retirement depends on finding activities that give your life meaning whether through personal relationships or creative pursuits.

Retirement can be difficult for men who organize their lives around work or define satisfaction in terms of status or money, or who do not stay engaged with the outside world.

There is no reason not to enjoy the status or financial compensation that comes from doing a job well.

But retirement often means leaving those gratifications behind. If you want a happy retirement, it is never too early to learn to play well with others.

Dr. Leta A. Livoti Ph.D., LCSW, LCPC is a psychotherapist in Thompson Falls. She can be contacted at 827-0700.