If you’re heading into retirement and want to pick up the odd wine, don’t feel too bad.
Because research shows that drinking alcohol in moderation during this transition period may actually help prevent depression.
Researchers followed more than 27,500 people over 14 years, recording their drinking habits and health status.
Overall, we found that retirees showed more signs of depression than those still working.
However, the analysis found that retirees who drank moderately had fewer symptoms of depression than those who drank heavily or stopped drinking completely.
Moderate drinking was categorized as 1–3 drinks per day for women and 1–4 drinks per day for men.
Binge drinking, on the other hand, was categorized as drinking 4 or more drinks per day for women and 5 or more drinks per day for men.
The authors said that because alcohol has a mood-enhancing effect through socializing, moderate drinking may be associated with reduced symptoms of depression.
A new study finds that moderate drinking after retirement can reduce depression (file photo)
Overall, retirees showed more signs of depression than current employees (file photo)
However, he cautioned that he does not recommend having a drink or two regularly to adapt to retirement.
“Drinking alcohol increases the risk of falls and other injuries, and can lead to addiction and the associated deterioration of general health,” said Dr. Antonia Díaz Valdés from Chile’s Universidad Mayor.
“There is no doubt that some people have difficulty adjusting to retirement, but turning to alcohol is not the answer.”
Overall, the authors said it was important to provide support to help people adapt to the changes during retirement and prevent them from slipping into heavy alcohol consumption.
Dr. Christina Seller of Simmons College in Boston added, “It is important to provide retirees with alternative coping mechanisms for heavy alcohol consumption.”
The findings were published in the journal Aging and Mental Health.
