Retirees who transition from full-time work into a temporary or part-time job experience fewer major diseases and are able to function better day-to-day than people who stop working altogether, a new study indicates.

In the study of more than 12,000 people aged 51 to 61 years, researchers found that people who went from full-time work to part-time work before retirement had less risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, lung disease, heart disease, stroke and psychiatric problems.

However, the health benefits were only found in people whose post-retirement jobs were related to their previous career – mental health improvements were not found among people who worked in jobs outside their career field post-retirement.

The researchers said this could be because retirees who take jobs not related to their career field may need to adapt to different work environments or job conditions and would therefore become more stressed.

“Choosing a suitable type of bridge employment will help retirees transition better into full retirement and in good physical and mental health,” the researchers said.

The study was published in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.