MELBOURNE, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Retirement does not make older Australians lonelier, with a new study finding no measurable difference to loneliness before or after leaving the workforce.
Researchers led by Australia's Monash University tracked 7,434 Australians aged 55 to 75 over nearly two decades, using data from the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia Survey. The study challenged the assumption that retirement leads to isolation, according to a university statement released Monday.
The team followed the same Australians for nearly two decades, and found that their loneliness did not change in the three years before or after retirement.
The study found that about 17.5 percent of older adults reported high levels of loneliness. The findings were consistent across demographic and socioeconomic groups, including people with different incomes, wealth levels and occupational backgrounds.
Loneliness tended to increase continuously from the late 60s, suggesting that aging, rather than the transition out of work, was associated with rising loneliness, according to the researchers, noting that efforts to address loneliness should focus on social connection throughout later life, including support for people experiencing major life events such as losing a spouse. ■