Needs Assessment Regarding "Mental Well-being-enhancing" Programs for Soon-to-be and (Recently) Retired Individuals

September 24, 2026 updated by: University Ghent

This study aims to improve understanding of the needs and well-being of individuals during the transition to retirement. The researchers seek to explore which activities and forms of support are perceived as helpful, which are already known or used, and which needs may currently remain unmet.

For the purpose of this study, "nearly or recently retired individuals" refers to people who are expected to retire within the next two years or who have retired within the past five years.

By examining participants' experiences and perceived needs during this transition period, the researchers aim to identify both existing strengths and potential gaps in the support currently available. Participants are invited to complete an online one-time questionnaire (10-15 minutes). The questionnaire includes questions about experiences related to the transition to retirement, awareness and use of activities or support initiatives, perceived strengths and limitations of these initiatives, and factors that may facilitate or hinder participation. The findings of this study may contribute to the development of recommendations to strengthen the support and resources available for (nearly) retired individuals in Flanders (Belgium).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Withdrawn

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants are adults who are "nearly or recently retired individuals". This refers to people who are expected to retire within the next two years or who have retired within the past five years.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Being within a period ranging from two years prior to retirement up to five years after retirement
  • Having access to the internet
  • Having sufficient proficiency in the Dutch language

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Not meeting the inclusion criteria

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: COHORT
  • Time Perspectives: CROSS_SECTIONAL

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Background information
Time Frame: Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes

Personal information (self-developed questionnaire): age, gender identity, cultural background, education level, financial situation (strained to comfortable), type of municipality (rural to large city).
Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes
Background information: transition to retirement and retirement status
Time Frame: Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes.

Questions on retirement status and transition (self-developed): current retirement status (yes/no and duration); work related stress before retirement (5 Likert scale questions); transition (unvoluntary/voluntary, early retirement, planned/unplanned); outlook on retirement (povelsitive to negative)
Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes.
Experience with transition to retirement
Time Frame: Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes

self-developed questionnaire based on previous studies (see references): rating impact of 21 aspects on their transition to retirement (5-point Likert scale; no impact to very strong impact); emotional impact of retirement
Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes
Experience with retirement: language, framing and identity
Time Frame: Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes

self-developed questionnaire: preferred terminology (senior, elderly, retired,...); outlook on retirement (statements to be rated on 5-point Likert scale - totally disagree to totally agree)
Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes
Experienced needs
Time Frame: Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes

self-developed questionnaire: social network (very broad social network to feeling isolated); 9 domains to be rated on whether they needed support (needed and received, needed but did not receive, not needed);
Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes
Knowledge and use of existing support and resources
Time Frame: Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes

self-developed questionnaire: indicating to what degree (5-point Likert scale) they know, have used or would use a list of existing support resources (11 items). Open question for alternatives; framing: would they use these initiatives if directed at 'seniors' or 'elderly'; barriers to using existing resources (to be chosen from a list of 12 +14 +16 items or 'other'); facilitators to using existing resources (to be chosen from a list of 11 items or 'other'); preferences in activities or resources (format, to be chosen from a list of 7 items); to what degree do they find 3 new types of help appealing
Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes
Communication and implementation
Time Frame: Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes

self-developed questionnaire: through whom would they like to find out about activities or resources (7 options + 'other'); through which channels would they like to find out about activities or resources (7 options + 'other'); at what time of their transition to retirement would they like to find out about activities or resources (9 options)
Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University Ghent

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Gwendolyn Portzky, Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention (Ghent University)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 4, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 25, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 25, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 1, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 1, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 24, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • ONZ-2026-0137

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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