Evaluating a retirement-preparation intervention-program: needs assessment, process and effects

• Grant number: 11/11903-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: January 01, 2012
• End date: August 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Human Development Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Joan Barham
• Grantee: Cristiane Oliveira Alves Telles Nunes
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 13/00109-2 - Retirement life plans: qualitative data analysis of an intervention-program with pre-retirees, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The number of years people spend in post-retirement activities is increasing, but there is little research information available about effective ways to help people prepare for this phase of their lives. Many retirement-preparation program coordinators invite speakers to talk about issues that affect people's wellbeing in their post-retirement years, but the effects on participants' retirement plans are not assessed. In addition, social and developmental psychology research indicates that dealing with life transitions involves restructuring one's social identity and developing the stress management and social skills that are needed to adapt to these new contexts. As such, the objectives of this study are to: (a) gain knowledge about the information and skills that people may need to prepare for their retirement years, and (b) evaluate a program designed to help people improve this repertory. Participants will include employed men and women approaching retirement, in a mid-sized city in the interior of the state of São Paulo. In the first phase of this study, interviews will be conducted to register the participants' perceptions of retirement, and to ask them about preparations and plans they have for this stage of their lives. In the second phase, an intervention program designed to help the participants prepare for their retirement will be offered, evaluating the impact of this program on the participants' skills, and on their retirement plans and other efforts to prepare for this event, comparing measures obtained before and after the program.