Work Expectations, Employment Transitions, and Psychological Distress During the Great Recession Among Older Americans and South Koreans

Background and objectivesPerceived uncertainty about future employment and work transitions during economic crises can negatively affect mental health of workers. This study examined the association between work expectations and psychological distress among "Baby Boomers" (born 1948-1965) in the United States and South Korea and explored how employment transitions moderated this association before, during, and after the Great Recession. Research Design and MethodsData came from 2006-2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (n=2,647) and Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (n=1,454). Perceived expectations of working in the next five years were reported on a probability scale (0-100%). Psychological distress was assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Six mutually-exclusive employment transitions during the Recession were constructed: entrance to full-time employment, precarious employment, stable full-time employment, self-employment, exit from the labor force, and consistently out of the labor force. Multivariate mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to assess the association between work expectations, employment transitions, and psychological distress. ResultsHigher work expectations were associated with lower odds of psychological distress; this association was most robustly observed during the recession (ORUS=0.93 [0.89, 0.98], ORKorea=0.92 [0.84, 1.01]) and recovery (ORUS=0.95 [0.92, 0.98], ORKorea=0.84 [0.80, 0.89]). The relationship between expectations and distress was pronounced among respondents who were self-employed or transitioning into self-employment. Findings were broadly similar comparing two countries. Discussion and ImplicationsExpectations regarding, and transitions in, employment impact psychological distress. Findings emphasize the need to support the mental health of older adults nearing retirement during periods of economic crisis.