Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2006

Open Access 01-12-2006 | Research article

Duration of unemployment and depression: a cross-sectional survey in Lithuania

Authors: Mindaugas Stankunas, Ramune Kalediene, Skirmante Starkuviene, Violeta Kapustinskiene

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2006

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

In spite of a growing economy, unemployment is still a severe socio-economic problem in Lithuania. Nonetheless, no studies have been performed about the associations between unemployment and mental health in Lithuania. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between unemployment duration and depression in Lithuania.

Methods

The data was collected in a cross-sectional study in 2005. There were 429 filled-in questionnaires received (53.6% response rate) from unemployed persons registered with the Kaunas Labour Market Office. The severity of depression symptoms was evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Logistic regression was used to estimate the risk factors for occurrence of depression. Sex, age, place of residence, marital status, education, income and practiced religion were the independent variables. Long-term unemployment was defined as lasting a duration of 12 months or more.

Results

The findings showed that long-term unemployed persons had more episodes of a depressive mood in the past 12 months in comparison with the group of the short-term unemployed. In addition, the BDI score mean was higher among the long-term unemployed compared with the short-term unemployed (10.1 ± 8.8 and 14.2 ± 9.5 respectively, p < 0.001). It was estimated that the duration of unemployment and BDI score had a positive correlation (r = 0.1968, p < 0.001). Among the short-term unemployed, the risk of depression increased significantly when the person was female, had an older age and had experienced more episodes of unemployment. Among the long-term unemployed, an older age was the risk factor for development of depression. However, higher education and income were the factors that significantly decreased the risk of developing depression for-short term as well as for long-term unemployed.

Conclusion

The results indicated that depression is a severe problem in the unemployed population. Depression is more elevated among the long-term unemployed. This leads to arguing for common efforts in providing needed social support and health care to reduce the effects of unemployment on mental health.
Literature
1.
Nordenmark M, Strandh M: Towards a sociological understanding of mental well-being among the unemployed: the role of economic and psychosocial factors. Sociology. 1999, 33: 577-597. 10.1017/S003803859900036X.
2.
Dahlgren G, Whitehead M: Policies and strategies to promote equity in health. 1991, Stockholm: Institute for Future Studies
3.
4.
Korzeniewska M: Health effects of unemployment. Med Pr. 1995, 46: 407-414.PubMed
5.
Dooley D, Fielding J, Levi L: Health and unemployment. Annu Rev Public Health. 1996, 17: 449-465. 10.1146/annurev.pu.17.050196.002313.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Stankunas M, Kalediene R: Unemployment, as risk factor for health: facts and explanations. Tiltai (Klaipeda University). 2005, 30: 61-67.
7.
Hamalainen J, Poikolainen K, Isometsa E, Kaprio J, Heikkinen M, Lindeman S, Aro H: Major depressive episode related to long unemployment and frequent alcohol intoxication. Nord J Psychiatry. 2005, 59: 486-491. 10.1080/08039480500360872.CrossRefPubMed
8.
WHO Regional Office for Europe: Health 21 – the health for all policy for the WHO European region. European Health for All Series, No. 6. 1999, Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe
9.
10.
11.
12.
Lithuanian Health Program 1997–2010. 1998, Vilnius: Ministry of Health
13.
14.
Kalediene R, Petrauskiene J, Stankunas M: Associations between unemployment and mental health during the period of socio-economic transition in Lithuania. Eukrasia (Katowice): Unemployment and Health Care. 2004, 5: 35-42.
15.
Jatuliene N, Cepiene J, Kalibatas J, Andriuska V, Pikciunas I: The attitudes of unemployed to the main aspects of quality of life. Visuomenes sveikata (Public Health). 2003, 23: 29-32. (article in Lithuanian)
16.
Beck AT, Ward CH, Mendelsohn M, Mock J, Erbaugh J: An inventory for measuring depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1961, 4: 561-571.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Beck AT, Beamesderfer A: Assessment of depression: The depression inventory. Mod Probl Pharmacopsychiatry. 1974, 7: 151-169.CrossRefPubMed
18.
Yonkers KA, Samson J: Mood disorders measures. Task Force for the Handbook of Psychiatric Measures. 2000, Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association, 515-547.
19.
Viinamaki H, Tanskanen A, Honkalampi K, Koivumaa-Honkanen H, Haatainen K, Kaustio O, Hintikka J: Is the Beck Depression Inventory suitable for screening major depression in different phases of the disease?. Nord J Psychiatry. 2004, 58: 49-53. 10.1080/08039480310000798.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Report on human social development in Lithuania, 1998. 1998, Vilnius
21.
Nordic/Baltic Social Protection Statistics 2000. 2003, NOSOSCO Nordic Social Statistical Committee 119
22.
Juska A, Pozzuto R: Work-based welfare as a ritual: understanding marginalization in post-independence Lithuania. J Sociol Soc Welf. 2004, 30: 3-25.
23.
Keep J: Last of empires: A history of the Soviet Union 1945–1991. 1985, Oxford: Oxford University Press
24.
Pocius A, Okuneviciute-Neverauskiene L: The problem of long-term unemployment in Lithuania. Filosofija, Sociologija (Philosophy, Sociology). 2003, 1: 43-48. (article in Lithuanian)
25.
Winefield AH, Tiggemann M: Length of unemployment and psychological distress: Longitudinal and cross-sectional data. Soc Sci Med. 1990, 31: 461-465. 10.1016/0277-9536(90)90041-P.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Matoba T, Ishitake , Noguchi R: A 2-year follow-up survey of health and life style in Japanese unemployed persons. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2003, 76: 302-308.PubMed
27.
Bobak M, Pikhart H, Rose R, Hertzman C, Marmot M: Socioeconomic factors, material inequalities, and perceived control in self-rated health: cross-sectional data from seven post-communist countries. Soc Sci Med. 2000, 51: 1343-1350. 10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00096-4.CrossRefPubMed
28.
Melville DI, Hope D, Bennison D, Barraclough B: Depression among men involuntarily redundant. Psychol Med. 1985, 15: 789-793.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Hall EM, Johnson JV: Depression in unemployed Swedish women. Soc Sci Med. 1988, 27: 1349-1355. 10.1016/0277-9536(88)90200-6.CrossRefPubMed
30.
Viinamaki H, Koskela K, Niskanen L, Arnkill R, Tikkanen J: Unemployment and mental wellbeing: a factory closure study in Finland. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1993, 88: 429-433.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Petrauskiene J, Kalediene R, Starkuviene S: Methods of suicides in Lithuania and their associations with demographic factors. Medicina (Kaunas). 2004, 40: 905-911.
32.
Wasserman D, Varnik A, Eklund G: Male suicides and alcohol consumption in the former USSR. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1994, 89: 306-313.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Platt S: Unemployment and suicidal behaviour: A review of the literature. Soc Sci Med. 1984, 19: 93-115. 10.1016/0277-9536(84)90276-4.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Weyerer S, Wiedenmann A: Economic factors and the rate of suicide in Germany from 1881 to 1989. Psychol Rep. 1995, 76: 1331-1341.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Raskans E, Slander Renberg E, Jacobson L: Major demographic, social and economic factors associated to suicide rates in Latvia 1980–98. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2001, 103: 275-281. 10.1034/j.1600-0447.2001.00007.x.CrossRef
36.
Lewis O: The culture of poverty. On Understanding Poverty. Perspectives from Social Sciences. Edited by: Daniel P Moyniham. 1969, New York: Basic Books, 187-200.
37.
Laurell AC: Crisis, neoliberal health policy, and political processes in Mexico. Internation Journal of Health Services. 1991, 21: 457-470.CrossRef
38.
Turner JB, Kessler RC, House JS: Factors facilitating adjustment to unemployment: implications for intervention. Am J Community Psychol. 1991, 19: 521-542. 10.1007/BF00937990.CrossRefPubMed
39.
Vinokur AD, Price RH, Caplan RD: From field experiments to program implementation: Assessing the potential outcomes of an experimental intervention program for unemployed persons. Am J Community Psychol. 1991, 19: 543-562. 10.1007/BF00937991.CrossRefPubMed
40.
Rantakeisu U, Starrin B, Hagquist C: Unemployment, shame and ill health – an exploratory study. Scand J Socl Welfare. 1997, 6: 12-23.
41.
Laitinen J, Ek E, Sovio U: Stress-related eating and drinking behaviour and body mass index and predictors of this behaviour. Prev Med. 2002, 34: 29-39. 10.1006/pmed.2001.0948.CrossRefPubMed
42.
Mullahy J, Sindelar J: Employment, unemployment, and problem drinking. J Health Economics. 1996, 15: 409-434. 10.1016/S0167-6296(96)00489-4.CrossRef
43.
Janlert U: Unemployment as a disease and diseases of the unemployed. Scand J Work Environ Health. 1997, 23 (Suppl 3): 79-83.PubMed
44.
Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ, Woodward LJ: Unemployment and psychosocial adjustment in young adults: causation or selection?. Soc Sci Med. 2001, 53: 305-320. 10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00344-0.CrossRefPubMed
45.
46.
Kalediene R, Petrauskiene J: Inequalities in daily variations of deaths from suicide in Lithuania: Identification of possible risk factors. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2004, 34: 138-146. 10.1521/suli.34.2.138.32786.CrossRefPubMed
47.
Gajdosikiene I: Oscar Lewis' Culture of Poverty: Critique and Further Development. Sociologija: Mintis ir Veiksmas (Sociology: Idea and Action). 2004, 1: 88-96.
48.
Hannan DF, Riain SO, Whelan CT: Youth unemployment and psychological distress in the Republic of Ireland. J Adolesc. 1997, 20: 307-320. 10.1006/jado.1997.0087.CrossRefPubMed
49.
Platt S: Unemployment and suicidal behaviour: a review of the literature. Soc Sci Med. 1984, 19: 93-115. 10.1016/0277-9536(84)90276-4.CrossRefPubMed
50.
Explaining Patterns of Suicide. A selective review of studies examining social, economic, cultural and other population-level influences. 2005, Wellington: Ministry of Health
51.
Crawford MJ, Prince M: Increasing rates of suicide in young men in England during the 1980s: the importance of social context. Soc Sci Med. 1999, 49: 1419-1423. 10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00213-0.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Duration of unemployment and depression: a cross-sectional survey in Lithuania
Authors
Mindaugas Stankunas
Ramune Kalediene
Skirmante Starkuviene
Violeta Kapustinskiene
Publication date
01-12-2006
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2006
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-6-174

Other articles of this Issue 1/2006

BMC Public Health 1/2006 Go to the issue

Study protocol

Prevention of anxiety and depression in the age group of 75 years and over: a randomised controlled trial testing the feasibility and effectiveness of a generic stepped care programme among elderly community residents at high risk of developing anxiety and depression versus usual care [ISRCTN26474556]

Research article

Identifying dyspepsia in the Greek population: translation and validation of a questionnaire

Research article

The development of a multidisciplinary fall risk evaluation tool for demented nursing home patients in the Netherlands

Research article

Sexual behavior and experience of sexual coercion among secondary school students in three states in North Eastern Nigeria

Research article

Aiming to increase birth weight: a randomised trial of pre-pregnancy information, advice and counselling in inner-urban Melbourne

Research article

Health promotion programs related to the Athens 2004 Olympic and Para Olympic games