How stable is sense of coherence? Changes following an intervention for unemployed individuals.

The present investigation was concerned with the changeability of sense of coherence. We examined changes in sense of coherence (SOC) over a six-month period in a sample of Finnish unemployed individuals (n = 74) participating in an intervention program designed to boost re-employment. Over the study period, participants' sense of coherence improved significantly and re-employed individuals reported the greatest changes. Different changes in the subcomponents of SOC, comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness, were found. Contrary to expectations, participants younger than 30 years of age did not show greater changes in their SOC. Initial personal resources were predictors of both positive and negative changes in SOC.