Unemployment and health

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511543579.051

Unemployment and health

from Psychology, health and illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 December 2014

Stanislav V. Kasl and

Edited by

John Weinman and

Stanislav V. Kasl: Affiliation:
Yale University School of Medicine
Beth A. Jones: Affiliation:
Yale University School of Medicine
Susan Ayers: Affiliation:
University of Sussex
Andrew Baum: Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh
Chris McManus: Affiliation:
St Mary's Hospital Medical School
Stanton Newman: Affiliation:
University College and Middlesex School of Medicine
Kenneth Wallston: Affiliation:
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
John Weinman: Affiliation:
United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas's
Robert West: Affiliation:
St George's Hospital Medical School, University of London

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Summary

Introduction

In this chapter we intend to provide an assessment of the research literature on unemployment and health. We draw on our somewhat more recent and much more detailed review of this research (Kasl & Jones, 2000), as well as on some key or trendsetting studies that have been published in the last few years.

In orienting the reader to this topic, we begin with a few general observations on recent research trends and themes:

There continues to be a strong and sustained interest in the topic of unemployment and health, both in the USA and, even more so, in Western Europe.
The boundaries of the topic have enlarged, reflecting the impact of changes in the economies of many industrial countries. Specifically, there is a growing interest in the impact of job insecurity, downsizing and involuntary part-time employment (e.g. Ferrie, Shipley et al., 2003; Friedland & Price, 2003; Kivimaki et al., 2003). In fact, the old dichotomy of working vs. unemployed is being replaced by a continuum which includes in-between categories of sub-optimal employment (Grzywacz & Dooley, 2003). This newly complex domain of research has generated its own glossary to help readers understand the concepts being investigated (Bartley & Ferrie, 2000).
[…]

Type: Chapter
Information: Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine , pp. 232 - 236

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511543579.051 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2007

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Unemployment and health

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