Differences in psychological and physical health among layoff survivors: the effect of layoff contact

Economic volatility in childhood and subsequent adolescent mental health problems: a longitudinal population-based study of adolescents

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the current paper was to investigate the association between the patterns of duration, timing and sequencing of exposure to low family income during childhood, and symptoms of mental health problems in adolescence.

SETTING

Survey administered to a large population-based sample of Norwegian adolescents.

PARTICIPANTS

Survey data from 9154 participants of 16-19 years age (53% participation rate; 52.7% girls) were linked to registry-based information about childhood family income from tax return data.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Mental health outcomes were symptoms of emotional, conduct, hyperactivity, peer problems and general mental health problems measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, symptoms of depression measured with Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) measured with the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale.

RESULTS

Latent class analysis and the BCH approach in Mplus were used to examine associations between patterns of poverty exposure and mental health outcomes. Four latent classes of poverty exposure emerged from the analysis. Participants moving into poverty (2.3%), out of poverty (3.5%) or those chronically poor (3.1%) had more symptoms of mental health problems (Cohen's d=16-.50) than those with no poverty exposure (91.1%). This pattern was, however, not found for symptoms of ADHD. The pattern of results was confirmed in robustness checks using observed data.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to poverty in childhood was found to be associated with most mental health problems in adolescence. There was no strong suggestion of any timing or sequencing effects in the patterns of associations.

Unemployment and widespread influenza in America, 1999-2010

Please cite this paper as: Cornwell B. (2012) Unemployment and widespread influenza in America, 1999–2010. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 6(1), 63–70.

Background  Research shows that unemployment reduces access to health care and vaccines and increases financial difficulty, family conflict, and other sources of stress that are known to suppress immune function. In addition, seasonal unemployment rates parallel seasonal influenza activity. Following a theory that argues that macroeconomic conditions affect population health, this paper examines whether there is an association between monthly unemployment rates and influenza activity.

Methods  Data from influenza activity surveillance reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are combined with information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on state‐level unemployment rates in the U.S. for the flu seasons between 1999 and 2010. Pooled time‐series cross‐section logistic regression analyses are conducted to examine the effect of the unemployment rate on the likelihood of widespread and/or regional influenza activity in the 48 contiguous states throughout this period. A total of 3712 state‐month observations are examined.

Results  Net of other factors included in the multivariate regression analysis, a one‐percentage‐point increment in the unemployment rate is associated with between a 7·1% and 37·0% increment in the odds of widespread influenza (Odds ratio = 1·21). Likewise, a one‐percentage‐point increment in the unemployment rate is associated with between a 17·1% and 44·7% increment in the odds of at least regional influenza (Odds ratio = 1·30). Results hold regardless of whether time‐varying state‐level characteristics are included.

Conclusions  Higher state‐level unemployment increases the likelihood of regional and widespread influenza activity.

Organisational downsizing and work stress: testing synergistic health effects in employed men and women

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To systematically study the separate and combined effects of organisational downsizing and work related stress on a measure of health in "survivors of layoffs".

DESIGN

Using Rothman's approach, separate and combined effects of the two exposures in estimating the risk of poor self rated health (work related symptoms) are analysed in a large sample of male and female employees.

SETTING

0.1% cross sectional sample of the German working population.

PARTICIPANTS

12 240 men and 10 319 women, aged 16 to 59 years, surveyed in 1998-1999.

MAIN RESULTS

Compared with the reference group, the group of participants who were simultaneously exposed to downsizing and work related stress (effort-reward imbalance) exhibited odds ratios (OR) of three or more work related symptoms that were by far higher (OR 4.41 in men and OR 5.37 in women) than those associated with single exposures. Altogether 21% (men) and 31% (women) of the effect size of the combined exposure was attributable to synergistic interaction.

CONCLUSION

Although reduced health associated with organisational downsizing is partly attributable to an increase in work related stress these findings show an additional synergy effect produced by the combined exposure to both conditions.