Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications

Working Beyond 65: Factors Associated with Mental Health Among Older Canadians

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2026

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the association between work beyond the traditional retirement age and mental health outcomes among older Canadians (65+ years) and to assess whether these associations vary by sex. Methods: A subsample of (N = 65,033) older adults was drawn from repeated national Canadian Community Health Surveys between 2013 to 2018. Firth’s logistic regression model was applied to identify factors associated with self-reported mood and anxiety disorders. Prevalence estimates and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals are reported. Results: The prevalence of self-reported mood and anxiety disorders were 6.9% and 5.3% respectively. We found that paid full-time work was positively associated with self-reported mood disorder (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.50–0.73) and self-reported anxiety disorder (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.52–0.81). Older age (75+) was positively associated with self-reported mood disorder (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.51–0.62) and self-reported anxiety disorder (OR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.55–0.69). High work-related stress was a significant negative associated factor for both mental disorders [(OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.16–1.82), and (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.07–1.77, respectively)]. Being female, single, a current smoker, and multimorbidity were statistically significant negative associated factors for both self-reported mood and anxiety disorders. Although females reported higher prevalence of self-reported mood and anxiety disorders, the significant factors associated with these conditions were largely similar across both sexes. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the positive mental health benefits of paid work past age 65+ and its obvious financial benefit. Clinical Implications: This research supports the idea of “active aging” and emphasize the need for further research to explore the motivations behind continued employment and their differential impact on mental health.

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© 2026 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Publication Title

Clinical Gerontologist

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2026.2629563

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