Cognitive aspects of the elderly person in retirement: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective: To review systematically the evidence of the elderly cognitive aspects related to the retirement. Methods: The search was carried out in ten databases: Bireme (BVS), Ebsco, Eric, Oxfford Journals, Scielo, Lilacs, PsycINFO, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Web of Science. Were selected observational articles related to cognition and retirement of people aged 60 and over, published between January 2010 and April 2020. The quality of the articles was verified by two independent reviewers through the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guideline (STROBE). Results: Seven studies filled up the inclusion criteria among which four articles addressed cognition related to the complexity of work. An article analyzed cognition from the relationship between paid workers, retirees and housewives; an article analyzed the cognition of retirees employed and non-employed and an article analyzed the cognitive performance in the elderly, observing how they considered their work and their adaptation to post-retirement life. Final considerations: Job characteristics are important predictors for workers' mental health before and after retirement, especially when cognitive performance is related to the greater complexity of working with data.