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

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: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Retirement
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: No intervention (observational study)

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 500

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Eva De Jaegere, PhD; Phone Number: +32 (0)9 332.07.75; Email: eva.dejaegere@ugent.be
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Ella Ballière, MSc; Email: ella.balliere@ugent.be

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Ghent, Belgium
    • Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention, Ghent University
    • Contact: Eva De Jaegere, PhD; Phone Number: +3293320775; Email: eva.dejaegere@ugent.be
    • Sub-Investigator: Eva De Jaegere, PhD
    • Sub-Investigator: Kirsten Pauwels, MSc
    • Sub-Investigator: Pauline Stas, MSc
    • Sub-Investigator: Ella Ballière, MSc
    • Sub-Investigator: Marie Beyers, MSc

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• 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

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Background information	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	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, panned/unplanned); outlook on retirement (positive to negative)	Baseline. Completing the questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes.
Experience with transition to retirement	self-developed questionnaire based on Floyd et al., 1992 and Wells et al., 2006: 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	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	self-developped questionnaire: social netwerk (very broad social netwerk 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	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	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

• Sponsor: University Ghent
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Gwendolyn Portzky, Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention (Ghent University)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Wells, Y., deVaus, D., Kendig, H., Quine, S., Petralia, W., & Carlton, V. (2006). Healthy retirement project incorporating healthy retirement project (1997-1999) health and well-being in retirement (2000-2002). Lincoln Gerontology Centre: La Trobe University.
• Floyd FJ, Haynes SN, Doll ER, Winemiller D, Lemsky C, Burgy TM, Werle M, Heilman N. Assessing retirement satisfaction and perceptions of retirement experiences. Psychol Aging. 1992 Dec;7(4):609-21. doi: 10.1037//0882-7974.7.4.609.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): May 26, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 1, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 1, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 5, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 1, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: well-being; retirement; needs assessment
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Investigative Techniques; Methods; Observation
• Other Study ID 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