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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Excess mortality of unemployed men and women during a period of rapidly increasing unemployment.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have found evidence of higher mortality rates among unemployed people than among those in employment, but the effect of changes in national unemployment rates on this association is unclear. We studied mortality in both men and women during a period of rapidly increasing unemployment in Finland. METHODS: In this prospective study of mortality in the Finnish population aged 25-59 years (2.5 million people), baseline sociodemographic data were obtained from the 1990 census and information on employment status in 1987-92 from Statistics Finland's labour force data files. Mortality follow-up was established by record linkage to death certificates from 1991 to 1993. FINDINGS: Individuals who experienced unemployment between 1987 and 1992 had greater mortality than those in employment after control for age, education, occupational class, and marital status. The mortality ratios for men and women unemployed for the first time in 1990, at a time of low national unemployment were 2.11 (95% CI 1.76-2.53) and 1.61 (1.09-2.36), respectively. These values were lower for those who were unemployed for the first time in 1992 when the national unemployment rate was very high (men 1.35 [1.16-1.56], women 1.30 [0.97-1.75]). The jobless who were re-employed had higher mortality than those who were continuously employed, but not as high as those who remained unemployed. INTERPRETATION: We have found that the association between unemployment and mortality weakens as the general unemployment rate increases. Studies that took place when the unemployment rate was low may thus overestimate the effect of unemployment on mortality because of unaccounted confounding.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Does unemployment cause illness? A review of the status of knowledge of the correlation between unemployment, physical and psychological health risks].

Unemployment appears to be a complex condition that burdens the individuals affected in multiple ways both at job loss and in long-term unemployment. To a lesser extent unemployment may also relieve the stressors and risks associated with the place of work. The scope and nature of the burden experienced depends on individual factors, such as mental stability and coping resources, on economic, social and cultural factors, such as availability of alternative roles, system of social security and social context. In the industralized countries, especially in the Federal Republic of Germany, financial security and society's attitudes towards unemployment are less unfavourable than during the economic recession between the two world wars. Nevertheless, household income should not be overlooked as an important factor leading to stress beyond a certain threshold. In this respect it is noteworthy that the income of the unemployed households in the Federal Republic of Germany decreased by 8% between 1981 and 1983 (Brinkmann, 1986). Quantitative relationships between unemployment and physical health have frequently been reported. In studies whose designs allow such associations to be explained selection factors, i.e. an overrepresentation of frequently or chronically ill and disabled individuals among those losing their jobs and the long-term unemployed, contribute to the increased morbidity among the unemployed to a considerable extent. Causal relationships between unemployment and physical health risks have not yet been proven directly, which does not mean that there are none. The mediation of health risks by changes in behaviour during unemployment which as such might lead to or reduce morbidity and mortality risks has not yet been studied sufficiently. Unemployment appears to have both an increasing and a reducing effect, but also no effect at all on the use of alcohol and tobacco in different populations. But we do not yet know enough about the mechanisms bringing about these effects. There are more consistent findings indicating that sustained unemployment influences personal well-being. This influence is reflected primarily in unspecific physical complaints and mild or moderately severe depressive changes of mood. The most important finding of increased health risks in the unemployed versus the employed are elevated rates of suicide and attempted suicide. This finding, too, seems to be attributable to selection factors, i.e. predominantly to an overrepresentation of mental disorders and substance abuse associated with an increased suicide risk among job-losers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Disease Susceptibility↗
PubMed1992

Health effects of unemployment--I. Long-term unemployed men in a rural and an urban setting.

Between 1983 and 1987 in an urban and a rural Dutch area employed and long-term unemployed men, between 30 and 50 years old, have been interviewed. The main topics of the study were the independent health effects of unemployment, the factors related to these health effects and socio-cultural differences. Long-term unemployment is considered to be a social phenomenon that restructures individual's social positions into multiple deprived positions. The characteristics of this restructuring are a relative lack of socio-structural resources, low social participation and emotional problems. Independent effects on the health status (perceived somatic and depressive complaints and self reported chronic disease) have been found to exist among both the rural and the urban unemployed. There is no clear effect of unemployment on health care use, but regional differences in health care use among rural and urban unemployed have been found. Between the urban and rural unemployed there are more similarities than differences in the factors and models explaining ill-health. The most important factors are: loneliness, disadvantageous consequences of unemployment, money worries and ill-health prior to job loss (health selection at the labour market). One important difference is that among the urban unemployed the perceived size of the network is an explanatory factor, but among the rural unemployed perceived stigmatization is more important. In general, ill-health can be better explained for the rural unemployed than for the urban unemployed.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The potential role of unemployment benefits in shaping the mental health impact of unemployment.

This study looks at the association between formal systems of support (unemployment compensation or welfare) and mental health outcomes during periods of unemployment. It assesses whether unemployed persons not receiving unemployment benefits are at greater risk of reporting depression and suffering ill-health than those receiving some kind of unemployment compensation, independent of total household income. The authors performed a secondary analysis of data collected in the National Survey of Families and Households, 1987-1988. Outcome measures included an index of depression and perception of health status. Multiple regression analyses were used. The unemployed receiving unemployment compensation or benefits from other entitlement programs did not report significantly higher depression relative to the employed. Rather, the study found a significantly higher index of depression among unemployed persons receiving welfare benefits or no benefits, even after controlling for total household income and previous employment/unemployment history. Thus unemployment compensation may play an important role in ameliorating the impact of unemployment on depression. By contrast, means-tested benefits may not be sufficient to reduce the risk for reporting depression and suffering ill-health in comparison with the full-time employed. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of social policy development.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A sickness called unemployment: a long-term unemployment. Association of Community Development (ACD)].

OBJECTIVES: The general objective of this investigation is to know the possible consequences of long-term unemployment on the family and social environment, as well as the mechanisms which lead to the appearance of health problems among long-term unemployed people. METHODS: The subjects of this study were long-term unemployed people of 35 to 55 years of age of the municipal term of Madrid, with families depending on them. This is a qualitative-intensive investigation, with special emphasis on the individual, social, sanitary and economical aspects. The instrument of common measurement was the combination of the discussion group integrated by five people, during approximately 120 minutes, with focused and individual interviews (48) over a semistructured script, during approximately 60 minutes, using recording instruments (audio tape). RESULTS: During the development of the discussion group a worsening of the psychological health and family situation was observed as a consequence of remaining unemployed. In the more thorough interviews we could detect clear differences according to the impact of unemployment on health depending on the low socioeconomical area, women and older unemployed people. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of unemployment on health cannot be isolated from other underlying bad social and economical conditions, that is to say, from social, economical, educative inequalities, etc., previous to the unemployment situation.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The impact of unemployment insurance benefits on the probability of migration of the unemployed.

"By ignoring individual unemployment compensation benefits and conditions of job termination, past migration research has concluded that personal unemployment doubles the likelihood of interstate labor-force migration. Findings from the present study indicate that aggregating the unemployed, without adjusting for these two factors, overstates the probability of migration for the involuntarily unemployed benefit recipient and understates the likelihood of migration for the voluntarily unemployed benefit recipient. The results suggest that federal discretionary unemployment-compensation programs, which are implemented during recessionary periods, likely serve to retard out-migration of those who are involuntarily unemployed." Data are from a 1982 sample of unemployed U.S. workers.

Americas↗
PubMed1990

A comparison of the affective well-being of young and middle-aged unemployed men matched for length of unemployment.

A sample of young unemployed men (mean age: 21.7 years) was compared with a sample of middle-aged unemployed men (mean age: 47.8 years) on a range of psychological and demographic/background variables. The groups were fortuitously matched for length of unemployment, with the average duration of current unemployment being 20.0 months for the young group and 17.9 months for the middle-aged group. The middle-aged group displayed poorer mental health, less life satisfaction and greater work involvement than the young group but the groups did not differ in self-esteem. For the young group the best predictor of well-being was perceived adequacy of social support and for the middle-aged group the best predictor was participation in leisure activities involving other people. It was concluded that the poorer mental health displayed by middle-aged unemployed men is not explained by the fact that they have, in general, been unemployed for longer than their young counterparts. In both groups, the best predictor of affective well-being was a measure (albeit a different measure) of social support. These conclusions can only be regarded as tentative, however, because of the small sample sizes. Implications of these findings for community support programmes for both young and middle-aged unemployed groups are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2003

Associations between unemployment and cardiovascular risk factors varies with the unemployment rate: the Cardiovascular Risk Factor Study in Southern Sweden (CRISS).

AIMS: To investigate associations between CVD risk factors and socio-economic status (SES) in middle-age men during a period of economic changes. METHODS: Crossectional surveys at age 37, 40 and 43 in a birth cohort of men in Helsingborg, Sweden. All male residents born 1953-4 (n = 1460) were invited; participation rates were 68% (n = 991) at baseline. Of these enrolled, 78% (n = 770) were re-examined after three years and 71% (n = 702) again after six years follow-up. Main outcome measures were body mass index (BMI), S-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), smoking and leisure time physical activity (LTPA), education, employment, ethnicity. RESULTS: Baseline unemployment rate was low, n = 23 (2.4%), but three and six years later it had increased to 61 (8.2%) and 51 (7.5%) respectively. At baseline, BMI and S-cholesterol were significantly higher in unemployed than in employed men (deltaBMI 1.6 kg/m2, CI: 0.2; 2.9, delta S-cholesterol 0.6 mmol/L, CI: 0.1; 1.0), and in men with short versus long education (delta BMI 0.9 kg/m2, CI: 0.4; 1.4, delta S-cholesterol 0.2 mmol/L, CI: 0.03: 0.4), independent of other SES factors. Over the study period crossectional associations with employment status disappeared for BMI, but remained between short education and BMI. Short education was also associated with a significant increase in BMI (delta = 0.4 kg/m2, CI: 0.1; 0.7) during 6-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that associations between unemployment and CVD risk factors were lost when unemployment rates increased. When the attributable risk of unemployment associated with CVD risk factors is estimated, it is vital to consider the general unemployment rates in society.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Unemployment as a disease and diseases of the unemployed.

There is a causal link between unemployment and the deterioration in health status, but there is also an act of selection so that people with health problems have more problems in getting a new job. Unemployed men, especially the young, increase their alcohol consumption as compared with employed referents. Unemployed persons are smokers to a greater extent than employed persons, and smokers have a higher risk of becoming unemployed. Psychological indicators have been studied well in connection with health effects of unemployment. Losing, or gaining, employment has clear effects on psychiatric symptoms and on well-being. The death rate is increased among unemployed persons.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Coping with unemployment--a contribution to the understanding of women's unemployment.

The aim of this paper was to contribute to the understanding of women's unemployment with emphasis on individual reactions in terms of their significance and context. The study was carried out within the methodological tradition of grounded theory. Thirty-six unemployed women were interviewed. The reactions to unemployment were seen in relation to two, systematically generated core variables: 'the relation to wage labour' and 'the relation to alternative activities'. Four different groups of unemployed were identified in light of their relations to these two core variables. They were called 'the give-uppers', 'the clenchers', 'the refocusers' and 'the ambivalents'. Serious effects of unemployment were found among the give-uppers and the clenchers. The refocusers on the other hand, enjoyed their lives and had replaced the loss of work with other meaningful activities.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2001

The impact of health status on the duration of unemployment spells and the implications for studies of the impact of unemployment on health status.

This paper examines the impact of health status on the duration of unemployment spells and finds that individuals with impaired health will have significantly longer unemployment spells. These longer unemployment spells will result in the stock of unemployed being composed of a larger proportion of individuals with impaired health than the stock of employed. Although, this difference in composition between the stock of unemployed and stock of employed can account for some of the observed difference in mortality rates, it cannot explain all of the difference observed in earlier studies.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Do high levels of unemployment influence the health of those who are not unemployed? A gendered comparison of young men and women during boom and recession.

Research has shown that health among young people, particularly women, deteriorates during a recession compared to a boom. It seems that the trade cycle mainly affects the health of those who are not long-term unemployed. The aim of this study was to analyse the relation between the health of non-unemployed people and the levels of unemployment in society. Two groups of young people aged 21 were surveyed, one in 1986 (the boom group, n = 1083) and one in 1994 (the recession group, n = 898). The non-response rate was 2% in the first and 10% in the second group. Both groups were investigated with a self-administered questionnaire, which included questions about somatic and psychological health, as well as experiences of employment, unemployment, education and labour market programmes. Young men and women generally reported more somatic and psychological symptoms during recession than boom. The only exception was psychological symptoms among men, which was of the same magnitude during both periods. Poorer health during recession was found among women in work and in labour market programmes, as well as among both male and female students. Multiple regression analysis was performed in order to analyse if the occupational-related health effects of the trade cycle remained after controlling for possible moderating factors. The effects of unemployment in society on young people's health may be mediated through pessimism about the future, high demands and financial problems. Lack of control over the work situation may also be an important contributing factor to ill health among women during recession. The trade cycle was correlated with ill health among women only. Possible explanations for poorer health among women during a recession were discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Jobless. Unemployment and young people's health.

Morrell, Taylor and Kerr, from the University of Sydney's Department of Public Health, review the evidence of an association between unemployment and psychological and physical ill-health in young people aged 15-24 years. Aggregate data show youth unemployment and youth suicide to be strongly associated. Youth unemployment is also associated with psychological symptoms, such as depression and loss of confidence. Effects on physical health have been less extensively studies; however, there is some evidence for an association with raised blood pressure. Finally, the prevalence of lifestyle risk factors (cannabis use and, less consistently, tobacco and alcohol consumption) is higher in unemployed compared with employed young people.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

The process of vocational rehabilitation for employed and unemployed people on sick-leave: employed people vs unemployed people in Stockholm compared with circumstances in rural Jämtland, Sweden.

The likelihood that a period of sick-leave will result in a temporary disability pension is about three times greater for unemployed people than for those with jobs. The aim of this study was 1) to compare the vocational rehabilitation of the employed with the rehabilitation of the unemployed in the city of Stockholm and 2) to compare the results with previous results from rural Jämtland. The study was based on 156 matched cases on long-term sick-leave (90 days or more) initiated during 1992 and 1993. Two inclusion criteria were that the diagnoses should indicate low-back pain or problems in the neck/shoulders, and that the patients should be below 58 years of age. Our hypothesis was that the unemployed were disregarded in vocational rehabilitation. The results confirm this in that rehabilitation plans are not established to the same extent for the unemployed as for the employed. Against our hypothesis, however, no difference exists in rehabilitation impulse, rehabilitation investigation or rehabilitation measures received. The major finding of the study is, instead, that rehabilitation in general seems beset with problems. Rehabilitation activities seem far too few and initiated unnecessarily late. Neither the employers nor the social insurance offices seem to be fulfilling their statutory duties. The results of the study correspond well with the results previously found in rural Jämtland.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Migration behaviour among the unemployed and the role of unemployment benefits.

"In this paper the migration behaviour of young unemployed people in Sweden is analysed. The migration stream is divided into labour market migration and migration motivated by other reasons. The results show that a larger part of total migration is motivated by reasons other than pure labour market considerations. Explanatory factors have different effects on the two streams. Labour market motivated migration is sensitive to local labour market conditions while migration motivated by other reasons is not. Those who are receiving unemployment benefits are less willing to migrate than those who are not receiving such benefits."

Demography↗