This protocol outlines a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with adults aged 50 and over in the UK to explore experiences of negative mental health and wellbeing impacts due to work-related transitions in later life, with the aim of informing appropriate interventions and support.
Key Findings
Background
Later life work-related transitions can cause sudden changes to an individual's financial, social and psychological environment that may negatively impact mental health and wellbeing.
Transitions such as retirement are specifically identified as potentially disruptive to usual daily routine and lifestyle
The study focuses on transitions occurring in 'the later years of life' that cause 'significant disruption to a person's usual daily routine and lifestyle'
Financial, social, and psychological environmental changes are all identified as domains potentially affected by work-related later life transitions
Methods
The study protocol specifies semi-structured interviews with UK adults aged 50 and over who have experienced negative mental health or wellbeing impacts from work-related later life transitions.
Participants must be aged 50 and over
Participants must have experienced a negative impact on mental health or wellbeing due to a work-related transition in later life
The study is set in the UK
Semi-structured interviews are the chosen data collection method
Methods
The study aims to investigate three specific domains: mental health and wellbeing during transitions, contextual factors surrounding transitions, and types of support received or potentially beneficial.
Domain 1 addresses 'the mental health and wellbeing of people undertaking later life transitions'
Domain 2 addresses 'the context surrounding the transitions (such as due to ill-health or redundancy)'
Domain 3 addresses 'the types of support they received or may have benefitted from'
Ill-health and redundancy are explicitly cited as example contextual factors
Background
Research on the mental health and wellbeing impacts of work-related later life transitions is described as scarce.
The authors state 'Research in this area is scarce'
The identified gap motivates the need for the qualitative study
The study is intended to 'better understand the experience of those who have encountered such difficulties to help develop appropriate interventions and support in this area'
Woodhouse R, McMillan D, Wadman R. (2026). Protocol for a qualitative study exploring older adults' experience of mental health and wellbeing in work-related later life transitions in the UK.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318737