Beale N, Nethercott S
J R Coll Gen Pract. 1985 Nov;35(280):510-4.
A controlled, longitudinal study was performed to investigate the consequences of unemployment on health. A significant increase in morbidity was demonstrated in the families of 129 workers (80 men and 49 women) made redundant when a factory manufacturing meat products closed. A significant increase was also found when the employees themselves were studied as a separate group. The decline in health began when, two years prior to job-loss, the management intimated that production might have to cease. In the four years after this news, consultation rates in the study group showed a highly significant increase. Both referrals to and attendances at hospital outpatient departments also increased significantly. The results suggest that the threat of redundancy is a stress which is equal to, if not greater than, the actual event. Extrapolation from these findings implies an increase in work-load and cost for the National Health Service directly attributable to a rising unemployment rate.
开展了一项对照纵向研究，以调查失业对健康的影响。一家肉类制品工厂关闭，129名工人（80名男性和49名女性）被裁，其家庭成员的发病率显著上升。将这些员工作为一个单独群体进行研究时，也发现了显著上升。健康状况的下降始于失业前两年，当时管理层暗示生产可能不得不停止。在得知这一消息后的四年里，研究组的咨询率大幅上升。转诊至医院门诊部的人数和到门诊部就诊的人数也显著增加。结果表明，裁员的威胁是一种压力，即便不比实际发生裁员时小，也与之相当。从这些研究结果推断，失业率上升将直接导致国民医疗服务体系的工作量和成本增加。
