The 60-item General Health Quesitonnaire was given to 101 men facing compulsory redundancy, and again 6 mo. later, to investigate the possible causal link between unemployment and mental ill-health. Those subjects who subsequently reported being jobless showed a significant increase in general, minor, nonpsychotic psychiatric morbidity, and in particular endorsed items forming the derived subfactor Anhedonia. For subjects who reported being reemployed, a significant improvement in general mental health was noted. Change scores between groups were significant on the gross GHQ scale, Anhedonia, and Social dysfunction + loss of confidence.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ArmorD.Theta reliability of factor scaling. In CostnerH. L. (Ed.), Sociological methodology 1973–1974. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1974.
2.
BanksM. H.CleggC. W.JacksonP. R.KempN. J.StaffordE. M.WallT. D.The use of General Health Questionnaire as an indicator of mental health in occupational studies. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 1980, 53, 187–194.
3.
BanksM. H.JacksonP. R.Unemployment and risk of minor psychiatric disorder in young people: Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence. Psychological Medicine, 1982, 12, 789–798.
4.
CampbellD. T.StanleyJ. C.Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally, 1966.
5.
CobbS.KaslS. V.Termination: The consequences of job loss. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (NIOSH), Cincinnati, Publication No. 77-724, 1977.
GoldbergD.Manual of the General Health Questionnaire. Windsor: NFER Publ., 1978.
9.
GurneyR.Does unemployment affect the self-esteem of school-leavers?Australian Journal of Psychology, 1980, 32, 175–182.
10.
HepworthS. J.Moderating factors of the psychological impact of unemployment. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 1980, 53, 139–145.
11.
JenkinsR.MacDonaldA.MurrayJ.StrathdeeG.Minor psychiatric morbidity and the threat of redundancy in a professional group. Psychological Medicine, 1982, 12, 799–807.
12.
LaytonC.Some psychological effects of unemployment. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Univer. of London., 1984.
13.
LaytonC.Change score analyses on the GHQ and derived subscales for male school-leavers with subsequent differing work status. Personality and Individual Differences, 1986, in press.
14.
LaytonC.EysenckS. B. G.Psychoticism and unemployment. Personality and Individual Differences, 1985, 6, 387–390.
15.
NibN. H.HullC. H.JenkinsJ. G.SteinbrennerK.BentD. H.Statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS). (2nd ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975.
16.
O'BrienG. E.KabanoffB.Comparison of unemployed with employed workers on work values, local of control and health variables. Australian Psychologist, 1979, 14, 143–154.
17.
OverallJ. E.KlettL. J.Applied multivariate analysis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1972.
18.
SchlozmanK. L.VerbaS.The new unemployment: Does it hurt?Public Policy, 1978, 26, 333–358.
19.
TiggemannM.WinefieldA. H.The effects of unemployment on the mood, self-esteem, locus of control, and depressive affect of school-leavers. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 1984, 57, 33–42.
