hadthetimeorenergytopursuebefore.Butsomerecentstudiesonpeopleintheirgoldenyearsaredisturbing:
theysuggestthatretireesaremorelikelytosufferfromdepressionandpossiblyhigherratesofotherdiseases
suchasheartdiseaseandhighbloodpressure.That'swhyanewstudyofFrenchworkersiswelcomenews.
LedbyHugoWesterlund,aprofessorofpsychologyatStockholmUniversity,thestudyofmorethan
14,000workersfoundlowerratesofdepressionandfatigue(疲劳)inpeopleaftertheygotretiredwhilethey
werestillemployed.
ThescientistsfollowedemployeesoftheFrenchNationalGasandElectricCompanyfor14years.They
foundintheyearimmediatelyafterretirement,thevolunteersreported40%fewerdepressivesymptomsthan
theyhadintheyearbeforetheirretirement.Theresearchersalsofoundan81%dropinreportsofbothmental
andphysicalfatigueoverthesametimeperiod.
Clearly,saidWesterlund,muchofthesedecreaseinphysicalandmentalfatiguecanbetracedbacktorelief
fromthestressesofwork.Thedeclineindepressivesymptomssuggeststhatretirementmaybehavinga
positivementaleffect,too,whichmayhavealottodowiththegenerouspensions(养老金)thatFrench
workersenjoy.Mostretireesinthatcountrystillbenefitfromabout80%oftheiryearlysalaries.
"Theeconomicorfinancialsituationinretirementisveryimportant,"Westerlundsays."Wedon'tknowif
thedecreaseinfatigueanddepressivesymptomsisbecauseoftheremovalofsomethingbadwhileinwork
ortheadditionofsomethinggoodwhileinretirement.Butnomatterthereason,iflifeinretirementisnot
comfortable,thenwewon'tseetheimprovementswedid."
However,inEuropeannationslikeFrance,governmentsareconsideringchangestopensionplans,which
mayaffectretirees'healthaftertheyleavetheirjobs-withlessofafinancialsafetynet,workersmaynolonger
seemsomentallyandp
