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Virgolino A, Costa J, Santos O, Pereira ME, Antunes R, Ambrósio S, Heitor MJ, Vaz Carneiro A. Lost in transition: a systematic review of the association between unemployment and mental health. J Ment Health 2022; 31:432-444. [PMID: 34983292 DOI: 10.1080/09638237.2021.2022615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unemployment can involve financial strain and major psychosocial challenges. Integration of the existing evidence is needed to better characterize the association between unemployment and mental health, independently of macroeconomic contexts. AIMS Main objectives of this study: (a) review, integrate, and summarize evidence about the association between unemployment and anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and suicidal behaviour, and (b) identify variables affecting this association. METHOD Systematic review of literature following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Web of Science, SciELO, RCAAP, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Quantitative empirical studies on the association between unemployment and mental illness of community-based samples were included. The quality of the evidence provided in the studies was assessed following pre-defined methodological criteria. RESULTS Overall, 294 articles were considered eligible. In total, 55.7% of the studies were conducted in Europe; 91.4% supported a positive association between increased unemployment rates and anxiety, mood disorders, or suicidal behavior. Men and young adults were most severely affected by unemployment. Education and social support were found to buffer the negative outcomes of job loss. CONCLUSIONS Unemployment was inversely associated with mental health irrespectively of the economic context; unemployed individuals were more vulnerable to commit suicide and suffer from anxiety and mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Virgolino
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana Costa
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Osvaldo Santos
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Unbreakable Idea Research, Painho, Portugal
| | | | - Rita Antunes
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sara Ambrósio
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria João Heitor
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Departamento de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal
| | - António Vaz Carneiro
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Institute for Evidence Based Healthcare, Lisbon, Portugal.,Cochrane Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal
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Amiri S. Unemployment associated with major depression disorder and depressive symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND ERGONOMICS 2021; 28:2080-2092. [PMID: 34259616 DOI: 10.1080/10803548.2021.1954793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Objectives. This study investigated the association between unemployment and depressive symptoms and major depression disorder worldwide using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods. Search time was limited to all articles published in English until December 2020. In the association between unemployment and depression, first, the results of qualified studies were extracted and, then, the results of each study were pooled with each other using the random effects method. Results. The prevalence of depression in the unemployed is 21%, 95% confidence interval (CI) [18, 24%]. This prevalence for depression symptoms is 24%, 95% CI [20, 28%] and for major depressive disorder is 16%, 95% CI [9-24%]. The association between unemployment and depressive symptoms was odds ratio (OR) 2.06, 95% CI [1.85, 2.30] and the association for major depressive disorder was OR 1.88, 95% CI [1.57, 2.25]. The association between unemployment and depression in men was OR 2.27, 95% CI [1.76, 2.93] and in women was OR 1.62, 95% CI [1.40, 1.87]. Conclusions. What is clear from the present study is that unemployment can lead to a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms and major depressive disorder, thereby undermining the mental health of the unemployed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohrab Amiri
- Medicine, Quran and Hadith Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Lifestyle Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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