Psychological effects of colliery closures.

A 'factory closure' type study was conducted by postal survey to assess the impact of the colliery closure programme on individuals. Two collieries were studied, one 'threatened' and one 'unthreatened'. Replies were received from 30% of potential subjects. Miners at the threatened colliery had higher mean GHQ scores and reported greater alcohol consumption and more recent contact with their general practitioners. This study suggests that threat of unemployment and actual unemployment has a significant effect on psychological morbidity, potentially harmful behaviour and use of general practitioners.