A longitudinal study of social support and depression in unemployed men

Interviews were conducted with 49 men just after they had become unemployed, and with a matched sample of 49 employed men. Follow-up interviews took place 6-8 months later. At follow-up 20 originally unemployed men were still without work, and were significantly more depressed than the employed. Five of these 20, but no employed men, had become clinically depressed. In a multiple regression analysis there was a significant employment X social support interaction which indicated that depression scores at follow-up were higher in those who remained unemployed and who had little social contact with others in the month before losing their jobs. Depression becomes likely when people lose a source of social interaction that is important to their sense of worth, and have no alternative means of experiencing this worth in other relationships.     

Factors influencing the psychological impact of prolonged unemployment and of re-employment

Six hundred and twenty-nine unemployed men were re-interviewed 9 months after initial measurement of their psychological health and commitment to the labour market. For those men remaining continuously unemployed between interviews, no further decrement was observed in mean General Health Questionnaire scores after 3 months without a job, but a significant deterioration was recorded for the sub-sample initially unemployed for less than 3 months. Small but significant declines were observed after 3 months on a single-item measure of reported health and on an 8-item index of commitment to the labour market. For those regaining paid work, all measures of health showed large improvements, and employment commitment was unchanged. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine factors associated with magnitude of changes during continuous unemployment, yielding a systematic pattern of significant relationships. For example, higher employment commitment at initial interview was significantly associated with a greater subsequent decline in psychological health, but not in physical health; reporting a chronic health impairment at initial interview was significantly associated with a greater subsequent decrement in physical health, but not in psychological health.     

青年失业人员自我和谐调查

目的探讨并揭示青年失业人员自我和谐现状。方法运用自我和谐量表(SCCS)对市内156名青年失业人员测验。结果青年失业人员的自我和谐程度低于常模,自我经验的不和谐(t=10.25,P<0.01),自我灵活性(t=8.16,P<0.01),自我刻板性(t=6.61,P<0.01)总体上呈偏态分布;青年失业人员的自我和谐程度不存在性别差异,不同性别之间的自我和谐相比,自我经验的不和谐(t=0.67,P>0.05),自我灵活性(t=1.19,P>0.05),自我刻板性(t=0.59,P>0.05);失业深刻地影响着自我和谐程度。结论青年失业人员的自我和谐程度低于常模,尤其是已婚青年失业人员,需要社会各界给予更多的关注。     

An anxious time? Exploring the nature of worries experienced by young people with a mild to moderate intellectual disability as they make the transition to adulthood

OBJECTIVES. Transition to adulthood can be a challenging time for all young people. However, this period of change is likely to be more difficult for those with mild intellectual disabilities (IDs) because they are often more socially marginalized, remain more dependent upon their family, and have fewer options for future careers than their typically developing peers. Therefore, this study examines the content and salience of worries experienced by young people with mild ID during transition to adulthood, and whether the above disadvantages are associated with the level of reported anxiety and their sense of self-efficacy. DESIGN AND METHODS. Fifty-two participants (17-20 years) took part; 26 with mild ID and 26 typically developing adults. Of interest were potential differences between groups in (1) worries described; (2) salience of worries; and (3) associations between self-efficacy, anxiety, and worry within groups. Participants completed a 'worry' interview, the General Self Efficacy Scale-12 and the Glasgow Anxiety Scale-LD. RESULTS. It was found that the ID group's most salient worries (being bullied, losing someone they are dependent upon, failing in life, followed by making and keeping friends) were largely different from their non-disabled peers (getting a job, followed by not having enough surplus money, failing, and having to make decisions about their future choices) at this stage of transition. Not only was there a difference in the nature of worries expressed, but the intellectually disabled group also reported ruminating significantly more about their worries and being more distressed by them. CONCLUSION. Obtaining insight into worries at transition may help to target efforts at increasing these young people's resilience. Clinical applications of the findings are discussed.     

大学生就业压力与社会支持之间的关系

目的了解全国6所高校大学生就业压力与社会支持的现状及关系,为促进大学生心理健康提供理论依据。方法采用大学生就业压力问卷和社会支持量表对6所高校的303名大学生的就业压力及社会支持进行调查。结果大学生的就业压力处在中等水平(x珋=2.836,稍微低于理论中数3),而大学生社会支持评分显著低于全国常模(t=-2.152,P0.05);就业压力和社会支持在学校上均有显著差异(F=5.488,P0.01;F-2.430,P0.05);不同家庭经济地位水平的大学生在就业压力与社会支持状况上均有显著性差异(F=5.823,F=3.275;P0.05);大学生的社会支持在是否担任学生干部上有显著性差异(t=-3.306,P0.01);就业压力总分也与社会支持总分呈现负相关(r=-0.140,P0.05),就业压力总分与主观支持呈负相关(r=-0.120,P0.05);社会支持对大学生的就业压力具有预测作用(P0.05)。结论学校的不同会影响大学生的就业压力与社会支持状况;家庭经济地位水平也会影响大学生的就业压力与社会支持状况;担任学生干部的大学生获得的社会支持得分高于未担任学生干部的大学生。大学生的就业压力与社会与支持关系密切。     

Length of time spent homeless: Implications for employment of homeless persons

This study investigated the relationship between the length of time spent homeless and employment outcomes for homeless participants in job training programs. Participants furnished information about their psychological resources (internality and learned resourcefulness) and social support when they entered employment training programs. Employment outcomes were status as employed or unemployed at termination from the programs and the level of employment at follow-up, approximately 3 weeks after termination from training. Participants reported on the number of weeks they had been homeless prior to program entrance. Psychological resources and social support were expected to buffer against a negative influence of a greater duration of homelessness on the employment outcomes. For persons who had lower levels of psychological resources and social support, endurance of a greater period of time homeless was associated with less successful employment outcomes. Implications for the provision of employment services to homeless individuals are discussed.     

就业动机因素与核心自我评价对失业人员心理健康的影响

目的:了解经济困难、就业承诺对失业人员心理健康的影响,以及核心自我评价在其中的调节作用。方法:对北京市369名失业人员进行问卷调查,采用多层回归分析(Hierarchical Regression Analysis)对数据进行分析。结果:在控制人口统计学变量后,经济困难和就业承诺在心理健康上的标准回归系数均为负,且达到显著性水平;随着核心自我评价水平的提高,经济困难对心理健康的影响逐渐由显著变为不显著,而就业承诺的影响则未发生显著变化。结论:经济困难和就业承诺对失业人员心理健康具有明显的消极影响,核心自我评价能有效调节经济困难和心理健康之间的关系。     

Employment conditions and maternal postpartum mental health: results from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

Maternal postpartum mental health is influenced by a broad range of risk and protective factors including social circumstances. Forty percent of Australian women resume employment in the first year postpartum, yet poor quality employment (without security, control, flexibility or leave) has not been investigated as a potential social determinant of maternal psychological distress. This paper examines whether poor quality jobs are associated with an increased risk of maternal postpartum psychological distress. Data were collected from employed mothers of infants ≤12 months (n = 1,300) participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Logistic regression analyses estimated the association between job quality and maternal psychological distress, adjusting for prior depression, social support, quality of partner relationship, adverse life events and sociodemographic characteristics. Only 21% of women reported access to all four optimal job conditions. After adjustment for known risk factors for poor maternal mood, mothers were significantly more likely to report psychological distress (adjusted OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.09, 1.77) with each reduction in the number of optimal employment conditions. Interventions for maternal postpartum affective disorders are unlikely to be successful if major risk factors are not addressed. These results provide strong evidence that employment conditions are associated with maternal postpartum mood, and warrant consideration in psychosocial risk assessments and interventions.     

Hostility Patterns and Cardiovascular Reactivity to Stress

Sixty male subjects performed two challenging tasks while systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate were monitored. They also completed the Cook and Medley Hostility Scale and measures of social support and mode of anger expression. Subgroups of subjects who differed in the patterns of their responses to the hostility items were identified via cluster analytic techniques. Exaggerated reactivity in systolic blood pressure to the two experimental tasks was exhibited by subjects in a subgroup who appear to have negative feelings toward people, but disavow these feelings and inhibit aggression so as not to alienate others. However, these individuals may have difficulty concealing their view of others and controlling their anger which, in turn, may erode their social support.     

Social indicators of health needs for general practice: a simpler approach.

The ability of different measures of socioeconomic position to predict distress in a sample of general practice attenders has been examined. Perceived distress was measured using the Nottingham health profile. The measures of socioeconomic position included: social class, Jarman scores of patients' areas of residence, whether or not patients owned their own home, whether or not patients owned a car, whether or not they had been unemployed during the previous year and whether or not they had had further education. Social class data were only available for 84% of the 1075 respondents completing the Nottingham health profile. Those respondents for whom social class data were not available were significantly more likely to score positively on the social isolation, sleep and physical mobility dimensions of the Nottingham health profile. Not owning one's own home emerged as the measure of socioeconomic status that best predicted distress. The other measures of socioeconomic status that were significantly predictive of distress were not having had further education and having been unemployed during the last year. Different measures of socioeconomic position significantly predicted positive scores on different dimension of the Nottingham health profile. Although the Jarman score significantly predicted a positive score on the sleep dimension, it did not predict distress well when compared with the direct measures of disadvantage. There are simple, more direct measures of socioeconomic position than social class that could be collected routinely by practices which would form a better basis for the evaluation of services required to target those needs created by persisting social inequalities in health.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

GPs' role in the detection of psychological problems of young people: a population-based study

Background

Among young people, about one in three females and one in five males report experiencing emotional distress but 65–95% of them do not receive help from health professionals.

Aim

To assess the differences among young people who seek help and those who do not seek help for their psychological problems, considering the frequency of consultations to their GP and their social resources.

Design of study

School survey.

Setting

Post-mandatory school.

Method

Among a Swiss national representative sample of 7429 students and apprentices (45.6% females) aged 16–20 years, 1931 young people reported needing help for a problem of depression/sadness (26%) and were included in the study. They were divided into those who sought help (n = 256) and those who did not (n = 1675), and differences between them were assessed.

Results

Only 13% of young people needing help for psychological problems consulted for that reason and this rate was positively associated with the frequency of consultations to the GP. However, 80% of young people who did not consult for psychological problems visited their GP at least once during the previous year. Being older or a student, having a higher depression score, or a history of suicide attempt were linked with a higher rate of help seeking. Moreover, confiding in adults positively influenced the rate of help seeking.

Conclusion

The large majority of young people reporting psychological problems do not seek help, although they regularly consult their GP. While young people have difficulties in tackling issues about mental health, GPs could improve the situation by systematically inquiring about this issue.     

Distress facing increased genetic risk of cancer: The role of social support and emotional suppression

ObjectivesHealthy individuals from hereditary cancer families undergoing genetic testing for cancer susceptibility (GTC) report more distress when they perceive their social support as low and suppress their emotions. This study aimed to explore how suppressing emotions and perceiving others as unsupportive are related with cancer-risk distress.MethodsWe performed a regression-based mediation analysis to assess if expressive suppression mediates or is mediated by perceived social support in the relation with cancer-risk distress. Participants were 125 healthy adults aged over 18 (M = 36.07, SD = 12.86), mostly female (72,4%), who undergone GTC to assess the presence of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer or Lynch syndromes.ResultsControlling for age and gender, we found a moderate size indirect effect of social support on cancer-risk distress through expressive suppression (β = ?0.095) and a direct effect of expressive suppression on cancer-risk distress.ConclusionsWhen healthy individuals from hereditary cancer families perceive their social network as less responsive, they tend to not express their emotions, which relates to increased distress facing GTC.Practice implicationsPractitioners may assess cancer-risk related distress before the GTC and offer distressed individuals interventions focused on changing emotion regulation strategies in a safe group context.     

Psychosocial empowerment and social support factors associated with the employment status of immigrant welfare recipients

We analyzed the role that psychosocial empowerment and social support factors play in the employment status of immigrants who participate in jobreadiness programs financed by the European Social Funds and the Welfare Services of Andalusia, a region in the south of Spain. The goal of these programs is to find new ways to improve immigrants' social–labor participation and community integration. By means of a logistical regression analysis applied to data obtained in interviews with 188 participants, a predictor model of psychosocial factors associated with employment status was obtained. Significant psychological empowerment factors included having a positive professional self‐concept, having an internal attribution of causality of employment, and having an active job search. Ability to depend on both compatriots and members of the host country in one's support network and the advice and information received from them was a significant factor in social support. Suggestions for future program development include increasing the use of psychosocial resources in interventions designed to improve immigrants' employment status. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 33: 673–690, 2005.     

Illness Perceptions of Cystic Fibrosis: A Comparison of Young Adults with CF and Same-Aged Peers

In the last two decades, the life expectancy for individuals with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) has increased significantly. The limited research examining the psychosocial experiences of young adults with CF indicates that other young adults lack awareness and understanding of CF. Using the Illness Perception Questionnaire, perceptions of CF were examined in individuals with CF aged 16 to 25 and two groups of same-aged peers: those who did, or did not, know someone with CF. ANOVA with pairwise comparisons revealed that individuals with CF perceived significantly fewer physical symptoms of illness and fewer emotional and practical consequences of CF than both groups of peers. Individuals with CF also perceived significantly more personal control and greater understanding of CF than peers without experience of CF. Implications for enhancing opportunities for social engagement and for the provision of social support for young people with CF are identified.     

“IT'S LIKE A SHOULDER TO LEAN ON”: SOCIAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY AN INNER‐CITY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

The goal of this study was to examine the types of social support provided by STRIVE, an inner‐city‐based workforce development program. Life history interviews were conducted with 20 African American graduates (aged 18–24 years) of the workforce development program. Nearly half of the sample was male (45%). Over half of the sample was employed at the time of the interview (65%). Participants described receiving extensive informational and emotional support from the workforce development program. After participating in the workforce development program, respondents described themselves as being less stressed and more self‐confident. Participants described using the skills gained and support offered to gain employment, enroll in educational programs, and interact more effectively with others. Thus, workforce development programs may be a viable option to address employment needs and provide meaningful support to vulnerable young people during their transition into adulthood.     

Social support,distress, and well-being in older men living with HIV infection

Older men with HIV infection/AIDS, having often lived with the condition longer, are more likely to confront the stress of managing more advanced HIV disease than their younger counterparts. Meanwhile, they also are more likely to have less social support and experience more distress than younger persons with HIV infection. The moderating effect of social support on health functioning and distress is unknown for persons with HIV infection, particularly those who are older. Study objectives were to assess whether the association between perceived health functioning and psychological distress and well-being is moderated (or influenced) by social support and age and if the impact of social support on distress and well-being is more pronounced for older than for younger men living with HIV infection/AIDS. In this cross-sectional study of HIV-positive adult men (n = 199) who have sex with men, participants completed self-report assessments of perceived health functioning, social support, and psychological distress and well-being. Measures of health functioning and overall social support were significantly associated with outcome measures of distress and positive affect (all p < .05). However, the main effect for social support was qualified by a significant age-by-social support interaction for both outcomes (beta = -.190, p < .01 for distress; beta = .172, p < .05 for positive affect), indicating that the impact of social support on decreasing distress and increasing well-being was more pronounced in older men. The relationships between perceived health functioning and distress and well-being were not moderated by social support or age. The influence of social support on negative and positive moods in this population of HIV-infected men who have sex with men was significantly greater among older than among younger participants. With an increasing number of older people with HIV infection/AIDS, special efforts to create effective and sustainable social support interventions may be particularly beneficial to older persons living with HIV infection.     

Occupational stress, job characteristics, coping, and the mental health of nurses

Objectives. This study investigated the relationships between job characteristics and coping in predicting levels of anxiety and depression in nurses. The study was based on current theories of occupational stress, and predictors included job demands, social support, decision authority and skill discretion control, effort, over‐commitment, rewards, and ways of coping. It was predicted that job demands, extrinsic effort, over‐commitment, and negative coping behaviours would be positively associated with depression and anxiety, and social support, rewards, decision authority, skill discretion control, and positive coping would be negatively associated with depression and anxiety. Methods. Participants were 870 nurses, who responded to a bulk mail sent randomly to 4,000 nurses from the south of England. Results. The results showed that job demands, extrinsic effort, and over‐commitment were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression. Social support, rewards, and skill discretion were negatively associated with mental health problems. Few interactions were found between the variables. Coping behaviours significantly added to the explanation of variance in anxiety and depression outcomes, over and above the use of demand–control–support, and effort–reward factors alone. Conclusion. The results from the study demonstrated the importance of coping factors in work‐stress research, in accordance with the multi‐factorial premise of transactional stress models. It is argued that multi‐factor research is needed to help develop effective organizational interventions.     

Job strain and psychological distress among employed pregnant Thai women: role of social support and coping strategies

Most Thai women continue to work throughout their pregnancy; however, little is known about job strain and its relation to psychological distress. This study aimed to examine: (1) the direct effects of job strain, perceived workplace support, perceived family support, and coping strategies on psychological distress and (2) the moderating effect of perceived workplace support, perceived family support, and coping strategies on the relationship between job strain and psychological distress. Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping guided this cross-sectional study. Full-time employed pregnant women (N?=?300) were recruited from three antenatal clinics in Thailand. Thai versions of the following instruments were used: the State-Anxiety Inventory and Center for Epidemiological Studies—Depression Scale (psychological distress), the Job Content Questionnaire (job strain and perceived workplace support), the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey (perceived family support), and the Ways of Coping Checklist—Revised (coping strategies). Job strain with other predictors explained 54 % of the variance in psychological distress. In the separate hierarchical multiple linear regression models, two types of coping strategies, seeking social support and wishful thinking, moderated the effects of job strain on psychological distress. Perceived family support had a direct effect in reducing psychological distress. Job strain is a significant contributor to psychological distress. The average levels of seeking social support and wishful thinking were most beneficial in moderating the negative impact of job strain on psychological distress. Since perceived workplace and family support did not have moderating effects, stress management programs for decreasing the levels of job strain should be developed.     

Negative social perception of hypothetical workers with rheumatoid arthritis

In the present study, 340 college subjects evaluated the job performance of hypothetical workers of varying health status, to test the hypothesis that workers with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are more negatively perceived than other workers (paraplegic, healthy) despite equivalence in age, sex, education, job history, and time off from work for medical reasons. Results indicated that workers with RA are perceived as having significantly poorer interpersonal job skills and are deserving of significantly poorer scores for overall job performance, although no differences were obtained in the ratings of their job commitment or job expertise. The suggestion is made that an unfavorable social reaction to RA patients in the workplace is one factor that impairs the development of social support for these patients at work and contributes to their inflated disability rate.