Unemployment, social vulnerability, and health in Europe : with 40 tablets

It is not easy to summarize the studies that have dealt with the health effects of un­ employment on the unemployed. The main problem impeding a comparison of their results is the diversity of theoretical constructs associated with physical and especially mental health and, above all, an apparently inexhaustible variety of op­ erationalizations of these constructs. It is significant that the six conclusions drawn from the present state of unemployment research by the organizers of a re­ cent conference on the individual and social consequences of unemployment in­ cluded the following request: "In view of the relevant constructs, it seems to be most urgent to find or to develop operationalizations which can be agreed upon, in order to guarantee comparability of research results" (Kieselbach and Wacker 1985, p. XX; my translation). Nevertheless, the results of these studies allow the statement that a negative in­ fluence of job loss on psychological well-being can be regarded as a validated finding. The influence on physical health, however, must be assessed very careful­ ly and in a differentiated manner. The few investigations dealing with this ques­ tion arrive at different conclusions; moreover, possibly relieving effects of unem­ ployment on health come into sight. Front Matter....Pages I-XII Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Unemployment, Social Vulnerability, and Health in Europe....Pages 3-16 Problems of Measuring the Impact of Economic Change on Health....Pages 17-28 Front Matter....Pages 29-29 Plant Closures, Unemployment, and Health: Danish Experiences from the Declining Ship-Building Industry....Pages 31-47 Health Effects of Unemployment: Approaches and Results of Empirical Research in the Federal Republic of Germany....Pages 48-89 Research on Unemployment and Health in Great Britain....Pages 90-117 Unemployment in a Developing Country: The Case of Greece....Pages 118-128 Unemployment and Health: Findings of a Study in Sardinia....Pages 129-142 The Subterranean Economy as a Survival Strategy: The Spanish Case....Pages 143-147 Front Matter....Pages 149-149 “Double Employment”and Health in Hungary....Pages 151-153 Full Employment Policy and Rationalization and Health in Poland — An Outline....Pages 154-156 Hospitalization of the Unemployed and the Relationship of the Rate of Unemployment to Some Socioeconomic and Sociomedical Indicators in Slovenia....Pages 157-164 Front Matter....Pages 165-165 The Effects of Youth Unemployment: A Review of the Literature....Pages 167-183 Unemployment and the Restructuring of Youth Labour Markets....Pages 184-195 Young and Unemployed: Special Problems?....Pages 196-208 Front Matter....Pages 209-209 Long-Term Unemployment: Its Role in Complex Vulnerabilities and their Health Consequences....Pages 211-238 Vulnerability Among Long-Term Unemployed. A Longitudinal Study of Mental and Physical Health Among Swedish Women at Different Phases of Unemployment — Some Preliminary Results....Pages 239-254 Front Matter....Pages 255-255 Psychological Impacts of Unemployment: Theory, Research Methodology, Assessment, and Help....Pages 257-266 The Psychological Impact of Continuing Unemployment: Some Longitudinal Data and a General Model....Pages 267-280 Self-Disclosure and Help-Seeking as Determinants of Vulnerability: Case Studies of Unemployed from Social-Psychiatric Services and Recommendations for Health and Social Policy....Pages 281-303 Becoming Socially “Invulnerable”....Pages 304-313 Front Matter....Pages 315-315 Actions and Policy Recommendations. A WHO Perspective — European Region....Pages 317-322 Unemployment, Social Vulnerability, and Health. Activities of the Council of Europe....Pages 323-325 Questions and Methods --- Unemployment, Social Vulnerability, and Health in Europe --- Problems of Measuring the Impact of Economic Change on Health Western Cases --- Plant Closures, Unemployment, and Health: Danish Experiences from the Declining Ship-Building Industry --- Health Effects of Unemployment: Approaches and Results of Empirical Research in the Federal Republic of Germany --- Research on Unemployment and Health in Great Britain --- Unemployment in a Developing Country: The Case of Greece --- Unemployment and Health: Findings of a Study in Sardinia --- The Subterranean Economy as a Survival Strategy: The Spanish Case Eastern Cases --- "Double Employment" and Health in Hungary --- Full Employment Policy and Rationalization and Health in Poland - An Outline --- Hospitalization of the Unemployed and the Relationship of the Rate of Unemployment to Some Socioeconomic and Sociomedical Indicators in Slovenia Youth Unemployment --- The Effects of Youth Unemployment: A Review of the Literature --- Unemployment and the Restructuring of Youth Labour Markets --- Young and Unemployed: Special Problems? Long-Term Unemployment --- Long-Term Unemployment: Its Role in Complex Vulnerabilities and their Health Consequences --- Vulnerability Among Long-Term Unemployed. A Longitudinal Study of Mental and Physical Health Among Swedish Women at Different Phases of Unemployment - Some Preliminary Results Psychological Impacts --- Psychological Impacts of Unemployment: Theory, Research Methodology, Assessment, and Help --- The Psychological Impact of Continuing Unemployment: Same Longitudinal Data and a General Model --- Self-Disclosure and Help-Seeking as Determinants of Vulnerability: Case Studies of Unemployed from Social-Psychiatric Services and Recommendations for Health and Social Policy --- Becoming Socially "Invulnerable" Actions --- Actions and Policy Recommendations. A WHO Perspective - European Region --- Unemployment, Social Vulnerability, and Health. Activities of the Council of Europe This book considers the theoretical, methodological, empirical and political questions on the relationship between unemployment and health. Social and psychological aspects are given particular attention. The main part of the book deals with empirical research from nine European countries. Analyses from Eastern Europe are compared with corresponding studies from the West. Youth and long-term unemployment, and the psychological effects of unemployment are important issues discussed, as are the political conclusions drawn by the Council of Europe and the WHO. A valuable feature of the book is its broad multinational and interdisciplinary scope, including work from economists, sociologists, psychologists and epidemiologists. It will be of interest both to researchers and to politicians and offers an important contribution to European research on unemployment and health.