Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Research Centre, 6875 LaSalle Boulevard, Montréal, QC, H4H 1R3, Canada.
Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
Psychiatr Q. 2020 Sep;91(3):735-747. doi: 10.1007/s11126-020-09739-0.
Although it has been established that employed status is generally associated with better mental health than unemployed status, the psychological mechanisms that underlie the longitudinal association between employment status and psychological distress remain to be understood. Initial mental health, lower coping skills and social support, and more stressful events could potentially preselect certain vulnerable individuals to be at higher risk for unemployment or employment instability. The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal association between employment status (including transitional employment status) and psychological distress, controlling for the effect of initial psychological distress, coping skills, social support, and stressful events. In 2009, residents from the epidemiological catchment area of south-west Montréal responded to a randomized household survey for adults. Follow-up surveys were conducted in 2011 and 2013 (n = 1168). Psychological distress was measured using the K-10 scale. Employment status was not significantly associated with psychological distress over time, however there were significant differences between the groups with the continually employed reporting the lowest average levels of psychological distress over time. Controlling for coping skills, social support, stressful events and initial psychological distress changed the strengths of the association between transitional employment status and psychological distress at follow-up. A significant longitudinal association between continual unemployment and psychological distress was observed. Initial psychological distress was significantly associated with becoming unemployed. Results suggest initial psychological distress as a risk factor for becoming unemployed and that the negative psychological implications of employment transitions can be significantly reduced when conditions for coping are optimized.
尽管已经确定就业状态通常与更好的心理健康相关，而非失业状态，但就业状态和心理困扰之间的纵向关联的心理机制仍有待理解。初始心理健康状况较差、应对技能和社会支持较少，以及更多的压力事件可能会使某些脆弱个体更容易面临失业或就业不稳定的风险。本研究旨在探讨就业状态（包括过渡就业状态）与心理困扰之间的纵向关联，控制初始心理困扰、应对技能、社会支持和压力事件的影响。2009 年，来自蒙特利尔西南部流行病学抽样区的居民对成年人的随机家庭调查做出了回应。2011 年和 2013 年进行了随访调查（n=1168）。使用 K-10 量表测量心理困扰。就业状态与心理困扰在时间上没有显著关联，但在持续就业的群体中，心理困扰的平均水平随着时间的推移而逐渐降低。控制应对技能、社会支持、压力事件和初始心理困扰改变了过渡就业状态和随访时心理困扰之间的关联强度。在持续失业和心理困扰之间观察到显著的纵向关联。初始心理困扰与失业显著相关。结果表明，初始心理困扰是失业的一个风险因素，而当应对条件得到优化时，就业过渡的负面心理影响可以显著降低。
