The push and pull factors related to early retirees’ mental health status: A comparative study between Italy and Spain

In recent years, early retirement has attracted increasing attention in the literature. Using a larger Italian-Spanish sample, this study examines the push and pull factors related to early retirees’ mental health status, as well as the moderating effects of perceived self-efficacy on the relationships between reasons for early retirement and mental health. Analyses revealed that poor retirees’ mental health is positively correlated to the push factor Pressure from Employer and negatively related to the pull factor Pursue Own Interests. Thus, mental health status is better for Italian retirees than their Spanish counterparts. The Italian sample shows that Pursue Own Interests was negatively related to poorer mental health only under the condition of low self-efficacy. Findings suggest that the mental health depends on both the motivating reasons which lead people to retire early and the personal resources available to them to manage this psychosocial transition.