This study on coping mechanisms used by retired, community-dwelling adults is a part of an ongoing, cross-disciplinary research program on older adults being conducted at the University of Northampton. Among others, it draws on two earlier research projects: one concerning the role of religion in mediating the transition to residential care (Lowis et al., 2005) and the other concerning supplementary analyses of data on engagement in productivity occupations that Knight et al. (2007) previously assembled