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Unemployment, coping and psychological distress
Author(s) -
Smári Jakob,
Arason Elvar,
Hafsteinsson Hafsteinn,
Ingimarsson Snorri
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9450.00021
Subject(s) - psychology , coping (psychology) , unemployment , psychological distress , distress , coping behavior , clinical psychology , social psychology , psychotherapist , mental health , economics , economic growth
This study addressed the role of coping sytle in anxiety and depression of unemployed people. Two‐hundred thirty‐three people checking in at unemployment services participated. They filled in Carver, Scheier and Weintraub’s (1989) coping measure (COPE), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD), gave information as to age, duration of unemployment and their appraisal of their situation. Four secondary dimensions of COPE were used in data analyses. Multiple regression analyses were undertaken with anxiety/depression as dependent and the coping variables as independent variables, with background/appraisal variables entered first. Coping variables added to the prediction of anxiety and depression over and above background/appraisal variables. For women Focus on Emotion coping as well as Avoidance was related to higher anxiety/depression scores ( p <0.01), whereas Reappraisal was related to lower anxiety/depression ( p <0.05). For men only Avoidance was related to anxiety/depression ( p <0.01). More Avoidance co‐occurred with higher levels of anxiety as well as depression. The results are discussed with respect to possible intervention.