Employment status and psychological well-being: a longitudinal study

Article Abstract:

Longitudinal observations are reported on 4 groups of young people, defined by their employment status on 2 occasions after leaving school. Questionnaires were administered to them in 1980 while they were at school and then again after intervals of 2 and 3 years when they were all in the labor force. Clear differences were observed between the unemployed and employed groups after the longer interval that were not apparent after the shorter interval. The unemployed showed lower self-esteem and greater depressive affect, negative mood, and externality in locus of control than the employed. The unemployed showed no deterioration on any of the measures since they were in school, but the employed showed an improvement. These results imply that although gaining employment produces an improvement in psychological well-being in school leavers, unemployment does not have the opposite effect. The clear differences observed after 3 years that were not apparent after 2 suggest than longitudinal observations after longer intervals may show evidence of deterioration in the unemployed. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Human resource management, Management research, Contentment

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A longitudinal study of the psychological effects of unemployment and unsatisfactory employment on young adults

Article Abstract:

In a longitudinal study of school leavers, four occupational groups - satisfied employed, dissatisfied employed, unemployed, and tertiary students - were compared on a range of psychological measures. Initially, there were no group differences with respect to measures or demographic characteristics, making interpretation of later differences easier and suggesting a causal connection between employment status and psychological well-being. In longitudinal analyses, the satisfied employed and students showed higher self-esteem, less depressive affect, less externality, and less negative mood than the dissatisfied employed and unemployed. Similar cross-sectional differences were observed on social alienation, hopelessness, psychological distress, and life satisfaction. Longitudinal differences were due to improvements by the satisfied employed and/or student groups, not to deterioration by the other groups. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Young adults

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Relationship of employment status to mental health and family variables in black men from single-parent families

Article Abstract:

Research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health indicates that the successful employment of black males is directly correlated to the length of time fathers spent in the home as the black males grew up. The black males' success rate is also tied to the educational level attained by the parents; this parental education factor shows up in households in which women operated as single parents as well. The research indicates that predictions of employment success for black males can be made based upon father presence and the high school grades of the black males; other predictor factors include: age, mother's age, family income level, and number of high school years completed.

United States, African Americans, Households, Unemployed workers

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