A Qualitative IPA of the Motivations of Retirees’ Transitions to ‘Retirement’ Social Identities and the Consequences on Retirement Adjustment Satisfaction

Retirement is a relatively new phenomenon in relation toshifting from being a privilege for the few to becoming anormative ‘third age’ of the life course. However, retirementrepresents one of the major life course transitions in late adultlife and associated with this transition is the question of howwell people adjust to retirement and the consequences of howwell people negotiate this adjustment on their sense of worthand well-being can be either negative or positive. This paperpresents a qualitative approach through Social Identity Theoryand Self-determination Theory to explore the underpinningmotivational processes of retirees in their transition to‘retirement’ social identities and the consequences onsatisfaction in retirement. Semi-structured interviews wereconducted with four white British participants includingthree males and one female ranging in age from sixty-fourto sixty-nine and having retired between fifteen months andfour years. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ofthe transcribed interviews led to five main themes emerging,namely Strength of identity with working life; Significanceof non-work-related aspects of life; Psychologically preparingfor retirement; Process of shifting/adjusting to retirement;Meeting expectations of retirement. The study found thatretirement is not a formulaic process but people experienceadjusting to retirement differently based on their individualmotivations and resources for preparing for and facilitatingthe transition. The findings from the study has implicationsin relation to the provision of intervention in supportingindividuals psychologically preparing for retirement beyondfinancial planning along with those experiencing negativeconsequences in transitioning to retirement

COVID-19 Booster Vaccine Acceptance in Ethnic Minority Individuals in the United Kingdom: a mixed-methods study using Protection Motivation Theory

Background: Uptake of the COVID-19 booster vaccine among ethnic minority individuals has been lower than in the general population. However, there is little research examining the psychosocial factors that contribute to COVID-19 booster vaccine hesitancy in this population.Aim: Our study aimed to determine which factors predicted COVID-19 vaccination intention in minority ethnic individuals in Middlesbrough, using Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, in addition to demographic variables.Method: We used a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected using an online survey. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews. 64 minority ethnic individuals (33 females, 31 males; mage = 31.06, SD = 8.36) completed the survey assessing PMT constructs, COVID-19conspiracy beliefs and demographic factors. 42.2% had received the booster vaccine, 57.6% had not. 16 survey respondents were interviewed online to gain further insight into factors affecting booster vaccineacceptance.Results: Multiple regression analysis showed that perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 was a significant predictor of booster vaccination intention, with higher perceived susceptibility being associated with higher intention to get the booster. Additionally, COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs significantly predictedintention to get the booster vaccine, with higher conspiracy beliefs being associated with lower intention to get the booster dose. Thematic analysis of the interview data showed that barriers to COVID-19 booster vaccination included time constraints and a perceived lack of practical support in the event ofexperiencing side effects. Furthermore, there was a lack of confidence in the vaccine, with individuals seeing it as lacking sufficient research. Participants also spoke of medical mistrust due to historical events involving medical experimentation on minority ethnic individuals.Conclusion: PMT and conspiracy beliefs predict COVID-19 booster vaccination in minority ethnic individuals. To help increase vaccine uptake, community leaders need to be involved in addressing people’s concerns, misassumptions, and lack of confidence in COVID-19 vaccination