关键词: 退休, 认知能力, 心理健康, 健康红利

Abstract: In this paper, three waves of Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were used to investigate the relationship between retirement and cognitive decline and to explore the impact of delayed retirement on cognitive ability. The results suggest that retirement can inhibit cognitive decline in the short term, but has a negative effect on cognition in the long term. Specifically, retirement inhibit cognitive decline within 3 years after retirement, and the positive effects of retirement on cognition gradually turn negative about 3 to 4 years after retirement. The heterogeneity analysis by gender shows that the negative longterm effects of retirement on cognitive ability are more pronounced for men. The study reveals differences in the shortterm and longterm effects of retirement on cognitive ability. From the perspective of policy, appropriate postponement of the statutory retirement age can shorten the duration of retirement and have a positive effect on the inhibition of cognitive decline, that is, delaying retirement can bring cognitive “health dividend”.

Key words: retirement, cognitive ability, mental health, health dividend