Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial: Effect of a psycho-educational intervention programme for comprehensive preparation for retirement

Abstract

Background

This article presents the protocol for a randomized controlled trial designed to develop and evaluate a psychoeducational intervention aimed at preparing individuals for the challenges and opportunities of the retirement transition. The protocol was developed through a literature review and expert consultation.

Methods

The study will be conducted at the Faculty of Psychology (Salamanca, Spain). It will recruit individuals aged 60 years or older who are already retired or who will retire within the next five years. The participants will be divided into the intervention group, which will undergo a psychoeducational intervention programme, and the control group, which will engage in a controlled follow-up. The programme will consist of 12 sessions over 3 months. All participants will undergo an initial and a final assessment, as well as a follow-up assessment after 3 months, in which their socio-demographic data and different scales will be collected.

Discussion

This protocol describes a comprehensive psychoeducational intervention aimed at improving quality of life and attitudes towards retirement, increasing life satisfaction, psychological flexibility, perceived social support and general health, self-efficacy and self-regulation, and reducing stereotypes about ageing.

Reporting method

CONSORT 2010 guidelines for reporting randomised controlled trials.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: XXX. Registered on 1 August 2024 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/XXX).

Resumen

Introducción

Este artículo presenta el protocolo de un ensayo controlado aleatorio diseñado para desarrollar y evaluar una intervención psicoeducativa destinada a preparar a las personas para los retos y oportunidades que plantea la transición a la jubilación. El protocolo se elaboró mediante una revisión bibliográfica y consultas a expertos.

Método

El estudio se llevará a cabo en la Facultad de Psicología de la Universidad de Salamanca (España). Se reclutarán personas de 60 o más años que ya estén jubiladas o que vayan a jubilarse en los próximos cinco años. Los participantes serán asignados aleatoriamente a dos grupos: el grupo de intervención, que llevará a cabo un programa psicoeducativo compuesto por 12 sesiones a lo largo de 3 meses; y el grupo control, que participará en un seguimiento controlado. Todos los participantes realizarán una evaluación inicial y una final, así como un seguimiento a los 3 meses. Se recogerán datos sociodemográficos y se administrarán diferentes instrumentos de evaluación.

Discusión

Este protocolo describe una intervención psicoeducativa integral destinada a mejorar la calidad de vida y las actitudes hacia la jubilación, aumentando la satisfacción con la vida, la flexibilidad psicológica, el apoyo social percibido y la salud general, la autoeficacia y la autorregulación, y reduciendo los estereotipos sobre el envejecimiento.

Introduction

The transition from employment to retirement is a significant life event, involving changes in roles, habits, and routines accumulated over years, impacting various aspects of life.^1,2 This shift carries psychological and social implications that affect quality of life and well-being.³ Unlike other work-related changes, retirement requires redefining personal roles, values, and activities.⁴ Effective preparation is crucial to mitigate negative effects like social isolation, identity loss, and stress.⁵

Retirement preparation programmes help individuals understand the implications of this transition, identify strengths and challenges, and develop tools for adaptation.⁶ They often focus on financial planning, leisure management, skill development, and social connections.⁷ Psychosocial approaches stress the importance of emotional well-being and social integration.⁸ Continuity theory suggests maintaining familiar activities to ease the transition,⁹ while activity theory highlights the value of engaging in meaningful tasks to prevent social isolation.¹⁰ Role performance theory emphasizes finding new roles to sustain purpose and well-being.¹¹ Social integration, as proposed by Durkheim, remains essential during retirement, where opportunities for engagement may diminish.^12,13 A holistic approach addressing all dimensions of well-being, including physical, emotional, social, and personal growth, is essential for a fulfilling retirement.⁵

Recent evidence supports the effectiveness of interventions that incorporate emotional and social dimensions of retirement. For example, peer-led wellbeing programmes have shown positive effects on physical activity, health behaviours, and psychological well-being in retirement communities.¹⁴ Similarly, systematic reviews highlight the strong relationship between physical activity, leisure engagement, and psychological adjustment during retirement.¹⁵ A recent meta-analysis in the European context indicates that well-designed retirement programmes can have a moderate but significant impact on life satisfaction and overall well-being.¹⁶ Moreover, the persistence of retirement-related anxiety and its inverse association with life satisfaction underscores the importance of integrative, psychosocially oriented approaches.¹⁷ Longitudinal findings also suggest that while retirement may initially reduce depressive symptoms, the risk of mental health decline – including suicidality – increases over time in the absence of supportive interventions.¹⁸

Psychoeducational programmes that incorporate practical, emotional, and social aspects promote a positive outlook and enhance satisfaction during retirement.^19,20

Despite the existence of various retirement preparation programmes, many focus primarily on financial or practical aspects, often overlooking the psychosocial and emotional challenges that this life transition entails. The programme proposed in this study takes a comprehensive psychoeducational approach that integrates emotional well-being, psychological flexibility, social support, self-regulation and self-efficacy. Developed through a process of consultation with experts and based on empirical theoretical frameworks, this programme aims not only to prepare individuals for retirement, but also to promote long-term life satisfaction and adaptability. Its added value lies in its integrative and preventive nature, as it focuses on modifiable psychosocial factors through structured group sessions.

In order to provide a solid theoretical basis, this study integrates the main theories on ageing, including the continuity theory,⁹ the activity theory,²¹ the role performance theory²² and social integration according to Durkheim,^12,23 to support the justification for the intervention. Together, these theories support the need for a multidimensional approach that addresses psychosocial adaptation during retirement.

Finally, we propose the following explicit hypotheses to guide the experimental design and evaluation:

• H1. Participants in the psychoeducational intervention will show greater improvements in psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and social integration compared to those in the control group.

• H2. The intervention group will show greater psychological flexibility, self-efficacy, and self-regulation compared to the controls.

• H3. The comprehensive, group-based programme will mitigate negative stereotypes about ageing more effectively than minimal educational control.

Methods

Objectives

The main aim is to test our hypothesis that intervention through a psychoeducational programme, which aims to facilitate a positive and healthy transition to working retirement, will improve quality of life and attitudes towards retirement, increase levels of life satisfaction, psychological flexibility, perceived social support and general health, self-efficacy and self-regulation, and reduce stereotypes about ageing. The programme aims to prepare individuals in a number of key areas to meet the challenges and opportunities of retirement.

The aim is to compare the effects of a psychoeducational programme with a controlled follow-up of people who are retired and/or approaching retirement.

Design

An experimental, prospective, randomised, parallel controlled, prospective clinical trial will be carried out with two fixed allocation arms, an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG). It will be carried out over a period of a year at the Faculty of Psychology (Salamanca, Spain). The room in which this is to be conducted is suitable for the purpose in question and for the performance of the task. With regard to subject recruitment, a multi-faceted strategy will be employed with the objective of recruiting a representative number of participants who are approaching retirement age or have recently entered this stage of life. The following methods and channels will be employed to ensure the inclusion of a diverse and adequate sample:

• •

  Collaboration with active ageing programmes of the Provincial Council. Collaboration agreements will be established with the active ageing programmes managed by the Provincial Council. These programmes have an extensive network of participants who are already engaged in activities aimed at enhancing their quality of life in retirement. This provides a convenient avenue for identifying individuals who may be interested in participating in the clinical trial.

• •

  Collaboration with Local councils. We will engage in collaborative efforts with a number of local councils in the region, leveraging their established local communication networks. The programme will be advertised by local councils via their respective websites, social media accounts, and noticeboards located within civic centres. Information meetings will also be organised in collaboration with municipal social services with the objective of providing residents with detailed explanations of the clinical trial and motivating them to enrol.

• •

  Multi-channel communication campaign. A multi-channel communication campaign will be initiated, comprising the distribution of leaflets and posters in health centres, pharmacies, libraries, and other community meeting places. Furthermore, social media will serve as a principal instrument for reaching a more extensive and heterogeneous audience.

Study population

The study population will comprise individuals aged 60 or over who are already retired or who will retire within the next five years and who have consented to participate in the programme. With regard to the location, the study will be conducted at the Faculty of Psychology (Salamanca, Spain). The investigators will extend invitations to participate in the study by providing detailed explanations of the clinical trial. Individuals will be eligible for inclusion once they have provided both verbal and written consent and meet the established selection criteria.

Participants will be included if they are in the transition period to retirement, defined as from five years prior to retirement up to five years after retirement. This range reflects the gradual nature of adaptation to retirement. To account for potential differences between those nearing retirement and recent retirees, subgroup analyses will be conducted to examine differential effects of the intervention within these groups.

Inclusion criteria

Be retired or nearing retirement (within 5 years); be 60 years of age or older; voluntarily sign the consent form to participate and complete the initial assessment.

Exclusion criteria

No evidence of literacy difficulties or a significant deficit in language comprehension or not meet any of the inclusion criteria.

Withdrawal criteria

Leaving the programme, not completing the final evaluation.

Sample size

The sample size was estimated based on the potential to modify one of the main variables of the study, the score on the World Health Organization Quality of Life Measure – Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF). For this purpose, we selected the study by Wang et al.,²⁴ which aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention in older adults. In this study, the WHOQOL-BREF score was modified by 16.13 points. Assuming a risk alpha of 0.05 and a risk beta of less than 0.2 in a bilateral contrast, 13 subjects in the first group and 13 subjects in the second group are needed to detect a difference equal to or greater than 16.13 units. The common standard deviation is assumed to be 14.04. A loss to follow-up rate of 10% was estimated. Sample size was estimated using Epidat 4.2.

Recruitment and randomisation

Recruitment will take place in the Faculty of Psychology (Salamanca, Spain). The allocation of participants to the intervention and control groups is detailed in Fig. 1 (SPIRIT 2013 Diagram).

Fig. 1.

The schedule of enrolment, interventions, and assessments of SPIRIT 2013.

In order to ensure the integrity of the recruitment process, a simple randomisation procedure will be employed. The assignment of participants to each group will remain concealed until the requisite allocation has been made. It should be noted that the research team will have no control over the distribution of participants across the different groups; rather, this will be determined by a randomisation process.

Blinding

The work of sequencing, randomisation, recruitment and allocation of the trial sample will be carried out by research staff who are not involved in the assessments or interventions of each group, thus avoiding any potential bias in the trial.

Participants will also be blinded and will not know which group they have been allocated to and therefore which intervention they will receive. In order to minimize any contamination between groups, the assessment process will be carried out by external research staff who will perform the measurements and who have been previously trained and educated to avoid subjective bias in the process, as they will be unaware of the intervention group to which they have been assigned, thus masking the blinded assessment by third parties in the clinical trial. In addition, the researchers responsible for the statistical analysis of the trial will be blinded in order to increase the rigour of the trial process and thus the scientific quality.

Procedures and data collection

Evaluations and study plan

Participants will be evaluated at three points during the study: the baseline evaluation (T0) at the start of the study, the final evaluation (T1) at the end of the intervention, and a follow-up evaluation three months after the end of the intervention, which we will call the follow-up evaluation (T2). The baseline evaluation (T0) will be conducted after recruitment and before randomisation and allocation of subjects to the appropriate group. This baseline evaluation includes the recording of the independent variables and the primary outcome variables being studied; the intervention variables will be recorded and several objective assessment tests will be used. Then, after randomisation, the intervention corresponding to each group will be carried out. A further evaluation will then be carried out, called the final evaluation (T1), in which the participants will have to undergo the same objective tests as in the initial evaluation. The results will be communicated by means of an individual and personalised report to those people who, at the beginning, will have requested to receive the information corresponding to the results and evolution. Three months after the FE, a follow-up evaluation (T2) will be carried out. All evaluations are carried out by research staff who have been trained in the process. This process can be seen in more detail in Fig. 2 (flow chart), which includes a flowchart of the study methodology. The protocol follows the SPIRIT 2013 guidelines (see Annex 1. SPIRIT 2013 Checklist).

Fig. 2.

Study methods flow chart.

Description of the variables

The primary variable will be quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life Measure – Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF).²⁰ Secondary variables will be attitudes towards retirement by the Escala de actitudes hacia la jubilación (EAJ),²⁵ life satisfaction (Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)),^26–28 stereotypes about ageing (Cuestionario de estereotipos hacia la vejez (CENVE)),²⁹ psychological flexibility (The acceptance and action questionnaire-II (AAQ-II),³⁰ perceived social support (MOS Questionnaire of Perceived Social Support (MOS))³¹), perceived general health (Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)),³² self-efficacy (Escala de autoeficacia generalizada (EAG))³³ and self-regulation (Escala de autorregulación (EAR)).³⁴ We will also record the following intervening variables in the clinical history of each participant: age, gender, education level, whether or not you have retired, how long ago it was, and how long you think you have before you do so, type and category of work and socio-economic status.

We are aware that the number of scales used in this study is considerable. However, each instrument was carefully selected for its specific relevance in assessing different essential dimensions for comprehensive retirement preparation, including quality of life, attitudes toward retirement, life satisfaction, aging stereotypes, psychological flexibility, perceived social support, perceived health, self-efficacy, and self-regulation. The combined use of these measures allows for a multidimensional and detailed evaluation of the psychoeducational program's impact, addressing psychological, social, and functional aspects, as well as sociodemographic intervening variables. To minimize the burden on participants, brief, validated scales with simple response formats were chosen to keep the required time and effort as low as possible. The assessment of participant burden and fatigue will also be considered for possible adaptations in future studies.

Tools employed in the evaluation of the variables

• -

  World Health Organization Quality of Life Measure – Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF).²⁷ Spanish version of Ref. 20.

  It is a WHO instrument that assesses quality of life. It contains 26 items with 5 Likert-type response options. The first two items deal with overall quality of life and general health and are assessed individually. The remaining 24 items are divided into four domains: Physical, Psychological, Social relationships and Environment, and refer to each of the 24 facets included in the WHOQOL-100, the scale from which this scale is derived. The higher the score, the higher the quality of life. The Spanish version has good psychometric properties, with Cronbach's alphas of 0.43, 0.90, 0.69 and 0.90 for each domain. WHOQOL-BREF domain scores showed correlations of around 0.90 with WHOQOL-100 scores.

• -

  Escala de actitudes hacia la jubilación (EAJ)²⁵

  It consists of 20 self-administered items, with a 7-point Likert-type scale (from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree). It assesses four dimensions related to negative attitudes towards retirement: (1) health, (2) economy, (3) status and (4) leisure/family. The final scores indicate more negative attitudes the higher the value obtained. The full scale has a Cronbach's alpha of 0.80, for the factors, the values obtained are: Leisure/leisure time-family an alpha of 0.836, economy 0.791, status 0.78 and health 0.69 (although this factor has the lowest value it is still considered acceptable within psychometric research standards).

• -

  Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)¹⁸. Spanish version of Pons et al.²⁸

  It measures levels of life satisfaction. It consists of 5 items in a Likert-type response format with five response options from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The range of scores is from 5 to 25 points. A higher score indicates that the person is generally satisfied with his/her life. The Spanish validation obtained an internal consistency of 0.85 for the general sample and 0.77 for older people.

• -

  Cuestionario de estereotipos hacia la vejez (CENVE)²⁹

  It assesses negative stereotypes towards ageing. It consists of 15 items with four Likert-type response options from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). High scores indicate a high degree of belief in negative stereotypes of ageing. Scores are obtained on three factors, ranging from 5 to 20 points: Health, Motivational-Social and Character-Personality. Reliabilities of 0.67, 0.64 and 0.66 were obtained for the three factors, respectively.

• -

  The acceptance and action questionnaire-II (AAQ-II)³⁰

  The AAQ-II is a 7-item questionnaire designed to assess experiential avoidance and psychological inflexibility. Participants were asked to rate their agreement with each statement on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (not at all true) to 7 (completely true). The reliability of this instrument in our sample was high (Cronbach's α = 0.949).

• -

  MOS Questionnaire of Perceived Social Support (MOS)³¹

  It assesses perceived social support. It consists of 20 items. It consists of five factors: support network, emotional/informational social support, instrumental support, positive social interaction and affective support. It has a Likert-type response format of 1 (never) to 5 (always) points. The overall scores range from 20 to 100 points. The higher the score, the more social support the individual perceives. It has a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.97.

• -

  Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ).³⁶ Spanish version of Sánchez et al.³²

  It allows us to measure perceived health. It has 12 items with 4 response options, from 0 (better than usual) to 3 (much more than usual). Higher scores correspond to a higher level of perceived health. It has good internal consistency, with Cronbach's alphas varying between 0.82 and 0.86³⁶; and the Spanish validation has a Cronbach's alpha of 0.76.³²

• -

  Escala de autoeficacia generalizada (EAG)³³

  It assesses the stable feeling of personal competence to deal effectively with a variety of stressful situations. It consists of 10 items with four Likert-type response options from 1 (incorrect) to 4 (true). Scores range from 10 to 40 points. Higher scores indicate higher levels of self-efficacy. The scale obtained a Cronbach's alpha of 0.81.

• -

  Escala de Autorregulación (EAR)³⁴

  It assesses the control of attention in the pursuit of goals. It focuses on assessing how individuals manage and maintain their focus in the pursuit of long-term goals. It consists of a 7-item scale specifically designed to capture different aspects of attentional control relevant to the achievement of personal goals. Each item presents a statement related to attention and concentration ability, and participants respond using a Likert-type scale, where 1 indicates ‘strongly disagree’ and 5 indicates ‘strongly agree’. Scores range from 7 to 35 points. Higher scores on the scale indicate a greater ability to control attention in the pursuit of goals, while lower scores may suggest difficulties in maintaining focus and attention to goals.

Interventions

Two parallel intervention programmes will be designed for the two study groups: a psychoeducational programme (IG) and an education programme (CG), as described in Fig. 2 (flow chart), following the guidelines agreed upon in the TIDieR guidelines. These programmes will be structured and supervised by the research team.

As previously mentioned, the intervention will vary between study groups and participants will be unaware of their assigned group:

• I.

  Control Group: Education Programme.

Why: At the end of the baseline assessment, participants will receive instructions and recommendations to facilitate a positive and healthy transition to retirement, as part of an education programme. These will focus on the benefits of an active lifestyle and general guidelines to follow. This minimal active intervention ensures the control group receives basic informational support without the structured psychoeducational sessions provided to the experimental group, allowing for an appropriate comparison of effects. Specifically, the educational programme constitutes a minimally active intervention rather than mere distribution of informational materials, involving personalized guidance by qualified professionals to maintain participant engagement and methodological rigor.

What (materials): Instructions and recommendations for an education programme.

What (procedures): Participants will receive instructions and recommendations on how to facilitate a positive and healthy transition to retirement as part of an education programme. They will be provided with a dossier containing the instructions and recommendations for the programme, as in the experimental group.

Who will carry out the interventions: All interventions will be conducted by a qualified team member with experience in the retirement process. Each session will be led by a single qualified professional. The team consists of three professionals who will rotate to deliver the sessions, including psychologists with expertise in retirement adjustment and a labour law specialist (lawyer) who will address legal aspects related to retirement. This structure ensures consistent quality, thematic accuracy, and personalized attention throughout the intervention.

How: The participants will receive the material individually at the commencement of the programme.

Where: All sessions will take place at the Faculty of Psychology (Salamanca, Spain).

When and for how long: The intervention consists of a single session and details of the time and duration will be provided to participants.

Adaptation: Adaptations will also be available. Due to the diversity of topics and the individual nature of the intervention, sessions will be adapted to each topic. It is not currently possible to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy.

How well (planned): Supervision of the therapy will take place through weekly meetings between therapists and researchers.

• II.

  Group Intervention: Psychoeducational Programme.

Why: The programme is based on a psychoeducational intervention that aims to facilitate a positive and healthy transition into retirement. The objective of this type of programme is to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills required to navigate the challenges and capitalise on the opportunities presented by retirement. In particular, the programme strives to enhance the quality of life and attitudes towards retirement, elevate levels of life satisfaction, psychological flexibility, perceived social support and general health, self-efficacy and self-regulation, and mitigate stereotypes associated with ageing.

What (materials): All sessions will require materials such as: projector, computer, screen, presentation of content, stationery, chairs, tables and self-recording of home tasks.

What (procedures): Patients assigned to the experimental group will follow a psychoeducational programme structured and supervised, consisting of an education programme combined with a psychoeducational programme. The programme is designed to facilitate an understanding of the concept of retirement and the associated expectations by analysing the psychosocial impact of retirement, promoting physical health through healthy practices and improving mental health and emotional well-being, preventing and managing common illnesses, training in financial planning and benefits management for a successful retirement, facilitating adaptation to role changes and fostering social engagement and encouraging full enjoyment of leisure time during retirement, helping to reflect on and define personal goals, supporting the implementation and monitoring of personal projects, and consolidating learning and strategies for a successful retirement.

Who will carry out the interventions: The content is divided into six modules: (I) Introduction to retirement from a psychosocial approach, (II) Health and retirement, (III) Financial security and the process of successful retirement, (IV) Status and retirement, (V) Leisure and retirement, and (VI) My personal project (Table 1). The content of each session is detailed in Table S1 (see Annex 5), which provides a comprehensive description of the session components, as outlined in the TIDieR Checklist (see Annex 4). A brief overview of the module contents is provided below to facilitate understanding of the intervention's scope:

• •

  Module I: Introduction to retirement from a psychosocial perspective – explores expectations and changes related to retirement.

• •

  Module II: Health and retirement – promotes physical and mental well-being through healthy practices.

• •

  Module III: Financial security and successful retirement planning – focuses on budgeting and resource management.

• •

  Module IV: Status and social roles during retirement – addresses role transitions and identity reconstruction.

• •

  Module V: Leisure and retirement – encourages active engagement and enjoyment of free time.

• •

  Module VI: My personal project – guides participants in defining, planning, and pursuing meaningful personal goals.

Table 1.

Modules and intervention sessions.

Session 1	Opening session: Introducing the participants and the programme.
MODULE 1: Introduction to retirement from a psychosocial approach
Session 2	Understanding retirement: Definition and expectations.
Session 3	Psychosocial impact of retirement.
MODULE 2: Health and retirement
Session 4	Promoting physical health in retirement.
Session 5	Mental health and emotional wellbeing in retirement.
Session 6	Preventing and managing illness in retirement.
MODULE 3: Financial security and the process of successful retirement
Session 7	Financial planning for retirement. Procedure for processing and management of benefits in retirement.
MODULE 4: Status and retirement
Session 8	Roles, role changes and social engagement in retirement.
MODULE 5: Leisure and retirement
Session 9	Enjoying leisure time to the full in retirement.
MODULE 6: My personal project
Session 10	Reflection and goal setting.
Session 11	Implementing and monitoring the personal project.
Session 12	Closing session: Review of content, guidelines and strategies.

For further detail, see Annex 5, Table S1. The parts of the standard session are 10 min for the presentation of the session and explanation of the activity by the researcher, 70 min for the implementation of the activity, and the last 10 min will be used for any doubts and questions that the participants may have, closing and final feedback.

Who will carry out the interventions: All interventions are delivered by qualified psychologists with experience of the retirement process. Each session will be led by a single qualified professional. The team consists of three professionals who will rotate to deliver the sessions, including psychologists with expertise in retirement adjustment and a labour law specialist (lawyer) who will address legal aspects related to retirement. This structure ensures consistent quality, thematic accuracy, and personalized attention throughout the intervention.

How: The working technique will be group work. Groups will have a maximum of 15 participants.

Where: The sessions will be carried out in person at the Faculty of Psychology (Salamanca, Spain) (Fig. 3). The rooms in which the interventions are carried out provide a suitable environment for the optimal development of the intervention sessions.

Fig. 3.

Space of the Faculty of Psychology (Salamanca, Spain).

When and for how long: Each participant will receive 4 sessions per month for 3 months, for a total of 12 sessions. Each session will last 1.5 h.

Adaptation: Sessions will be customized to each topic due to their diversity and individual nature.

How well (planned): The intervention program will be planned and supervised through weekly meetings among all research members to ensure fidelity and consistency in delivery. Attendance at the 12 sessions will be systematically recorded by the research team using attendance lists. In cases of participant absence, follow-up calls or messages will be made to encourage continued participation and address any difficulties. All sessions will be conducted by qualified psychologists experienced in the retirement process, following standardized protocols and materials.

We acknowledge that the intervention group receives a more extensive programme (12 sessions) compared to the single session in the control group. Ideally, control and intervention groups would be matched in terms of contact frequency and session number to control for effects such as social interaction and attention. However, given the nature of our educational control programme as a minimal intervention designed to reflect usual care, and resource limitations, the control group receives a brief educational session. To address the potential influence of differential contact time, we will monitor and report attendance and engagement levels, and consider these factors in the analysis and interpretation of results.

Statistical analysis

Statistical analysis will be conducted primarily on an intention-to-treat (ITT) basis. In addition, a per-protocol (PP) analysis will also be performed to explore the effects of the intervention among participants who complete the full programme, allowing for a complementary comparison of outcomes. Normality will be assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and a histogram. Following this analysis, in the subsequent descriptive study, variables with normal distribution will be defined by their mean, standard deviation, and value interval. For variables that do not follow a normal distribution, the median and interquartile range will be used. The study will define qualitative variables using frequencies and percentages.

To evaluate comparability in the baseline assessment between the two study groups, we will use the Chi-square test for qualitative variables and Student's t-test for comparing means.

The inferential analysis will employ Student's t-test for related samples pre and post, as well as for independent samples at the end of the study. Additionally, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with repeated measures (3 levels) will be used to evaluate interactions between categorical variables and to identify significant differences both between and within groups. To assess the magnitude of change in variables, we will calculate the effect size of interventions using Cohen's d (small (0.2), medium (0.5), and large (0.8)) and partial eta squared (ƞ²p) (small (0.01), medium (0.06), and large (0.14)), as appropriate to the statistical test applied. Pearson's correlation coefficient will be used to analyse the correlations between the intervening variables and the parameters established in the questionnaires and scales. Significance will be determined by p-values less than 0.05 with a confidence interval of 95%. The statistical analysis will be conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics version 28.0.1.

Although a cost-effectiveness assessment is beyond the scope of this protocol, we recognise its potential relevance and applicability. Therefore, we consider it a valuable line of inquiry to be included in future analyses, especially given the practical implications of the programme in active ageing and public policy contexts.

Discussion

The transition to retirement is a significant and challenging event that requires adapting to new routines, social roles and personal expectations, with economic, emotional and psychological implications. This process involves redefining identity, establishing new relationships and undertaking activities other than work, affecting physical and mental health, leisure and personal satisfaction.^1–3

Retirement is not limited to the cessation of work but involves a complex adjustment that impacts several areas of life. This social challenge demands adequate support and resources to facilitate a successful transition.

The proposed psychoeducational programme addresses key aspects such as emotional adjustment, financial planning, adaptation to lifestyle change and psychological well-being. Its design contemplates essential ethical aspects (confidentiality, informed consent and personalised care) and a process of continuous evaluation to improve the interventions according to empirical evidence and participant feedback, following CONSORT recommendations. The aim of this study is to generate evidence on the effectiveness of the programme and to guide changes in research, public policy, education and clinical practice to improve retirement readiness. It also aims to develop more effective strategies to promote active and healthy ageing.

Limitations

The study adheres to all CONSORT recommendations. However, due to the nature of the intervention, the principal investigators will also carry out the intervention process. Nevertheless, the participants will be blinded. To minimize any contamination between groups, the investigators responsible for randomisation, assessments, and analysis will also be blinded.

The study design is intended to address potential issues related to sample size and length of follow-up. It is recommended that future research utilising the programme intervention could deepen and validate the findings, taking into account variations in the psychoeducational programme and the incorporation of diverse cultural and socio-economic contexts, with a view to enhancing comprehension of retirement readiness interventions.

Dissemination plan

The study results will be disseminated with the aim of achieving maximum visibility. They will be published in open access scientific journals, with an initial publication of primary results and a subsequent publication of secondary results. Additionally, the results will be presented at national and international conferences and seminars.

How potential changes in the study will be approached

Any significant modifications to the protocol, such as changes to the assessment tools, modifications to the selection criteria, or modifications to the interventions, must be reported immediately to the bioethics committee for approval.

Conclusions

The development of this randomised controlled trial represents a pivotal advance in our understanding of and ability to enhance psychoeducational strategies for comprehensive preparation for retirement and the subsequent stage of life. It is anticipated that this psychoeducational programme will make a notable contribution to the well-being and quality of life of individuals who are retired or approaching retirement, through careful implementation and systematic evaluation.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

María Natividad Elvira-Zorzo: Conceptualization; Methodology; Writing – original draft; and Writing – review & editing. Sara Jiménez García-Tizón: Conceptualization; Methodology; Writing – original draft; and Writing – review & editing. Ana Belén Navarro Prados: Conceptualization; Methodology and Review original draft. Celia Sánchez Gómez: Conceptualization; Methodology and Review original draft. Eduardo José Fernández Rodríguez: Conceptualization; Methodology and Review original draft.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study received approval from the Ethics Committee of the University of XXX (Registration number: 0001236) (Date: 20/09/2024) and obtained prior written informed consent from the study subjects. The documentation of the ethics approval is included as Annex 2 and the informed consent form and participant information sheet are included as Annex 3. The study was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration.³⁷ Participants were informed of the project's objectives and the risks and benefits of the interventions that would be carried out. Participants will receive full information about the study, and we guarantee that their data will be treated with the utmost confidentiality both during and after the study. Therefore, data and information will not be shared with any third parties. The researchers involved in the study will adhere strictly to professional confidentiality guidelines. Participants’ confidentiality will be guaranteed at all times in accordance with the laws on the protection of personal data and biomedical research, as presented in the provisions of Organic Law 3/2018 of December 5 on the Protection of Personal Data and the Guarantee of Digital Rights, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and Council of 27 April 2016 on data protection (GDPR), and under the conditions established by Law 14/2007 on biomedical research.

Any significant modifications to the protocol, such as changes in the evaluation tools, selection criteria, or interventions, will be promptly communicated to the Ethics Committee.

As this is a randomized clinical trial, it adheres to the CONSORT guidelines and has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: XXX).

Rigour

This study protocol follows the evidence-based recommendations of the SPIRIT 2013 Statement³⁸ for the minimum content of a clinical trial protocol. The study design also adheres to the recommendations of the CONSORT 2010³⁹ guidelines for the conduct of parallel-group randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs).

Conflict of interest

No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors.

Data availability

After the study is finished, the collected data will be accessible to investigators who request it through FAIRsharing of research data repositories at https://www.re3data.org/.

Uncited reference

35.