Mental health, duration of unemployment, and coping strategy: a cross-sectional study of unemployed migrant workers in eastern china during the economic crisis

Abstract

Background20 million migrant workers in China lost their jobs during the economic crisis of 2008. Both urban migration and unemployment have long been documented to be associated with vulnerability to mental problems. This study aims to examine the mental health of unemployed migrant workers in Eastern China and its relation to duration of unemployment and coping strategy during the recent economic crisis.MethodsThe data were collected through interview-based survey with a sample of 210 unemployed migrant workers in Zhejiang Province of China from 2008 to 2009. Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, Coping Strategies Questionnaire, and seven short demographic questions were used.ResultsThe majority of the unemployed migrant workers were found to be young male manufacturing industry workers with short-term unemployment and a relatively low education level. Nearly 50% of unemployed migrant workers were classified as mentally unhealthy and the most frequently reported symptom was depression. Compared with the adult norm of 1986, 2003, and 2007 in China, unemployed migrants had more mental problems. Long-term unemployed migrant workers had more psychiatric symptoms than the short-term unemployed workers and employed migrant workers. Unemployed migrant workers with immature coping strategies expressed significantly more psychiatric symptoms than those with mixed and mature coping strategies. Duration of unemployment and two coping strategies, problem-solving and self-blaming, predicted the mental problems of unemployed migrant workers.ConclusionsThe results indicated that mental health status of unemployed migrant workers in Eastern China was poorer than the national adult norm. More psychiatric symptoms are evidenced among unemployed migrant workers who lost their jobs for a long term and who had immature coping strategies. These findings can be used for prevention and intervention of mental illness among unemployed migrant workers.

Vulnerabilidad social percibida en contexto de crisis económica

“…Entre los factores que contribuyen de forma más significativa al impacto negativo del desempleo, pueden destacarse la involuntariedad de la situación y, de forma especial, su prolongación en el tiempo (Chen et al, 2012;Ferguson et al, 1997;Grey et al, 2009;Jackson y Warr, 1987;Kalil y Wightman, 2011;Rodríguez et al, 2001;Schliebner y Peregoy, 1994;Schwarzer et al, 1994). Asimismo, cabe destacar como factores que aumentan la vulnerabilidad de las personas desempleadas las condiciones precarias del empleo, el ser mujer, la edad, la composición familiar, sin ignorar otros como la condición de inmigrante, la opción sexual, la diversidad funcional o la etnia.…”

“…a) El mantenimiento de la situación de desempleo en el tiempo: el hecho de carecer de empleo durante un largo periodo de tiempo provoca que el estrés aumente. La presión de mantener y proveer a la familia -especialmente si se trata de la propia prole-se incrementa, ya que la tensión y la ansiedad se acumulan mientras las prestaciones y subsidios por desempleo se van agotando y los ahorros van desapareciendo (Chen et al, 2012, Goldsmith y Veum, 1997Schliebner y Peregoy, 1994;Warr y Jackson, 1984). Pero además, el impacto económico puede perdurar incluso después de encontrar un nuevo empleo, ya que en numerosas ocasiones, el desempleo suele implicar salarios reducidos en los empleos futuros, hecho que se ve especialmente agravado en el caso de las personas desempleadas de larga duración (Anaf et al, 2013;Gray et al, 2009).…”

“…En el caso de las familias con varios salarios, se garantiza cierta protección ante la pérdida de una de las fuentes de ingresos (Fielden y Davidson, 1998;Gray et al, 2009;Weckström, 2012). d) La condición de inmigrante: ser una persona migrante es también un factor de riesgo ante el impacto del desempleo, ya que además de tener que afrontar una doble presión debido al estatus de desempleo y a la de migrante, estas personas carecen normalmente de las habituales redes de apoyo, como la familia o las amistades de sus lugares de origen (Chen et al, 2012;EDIS, 2010). e) La edad: la edad puede ser también un factor de riesgo en la relación establecida entre desempleo y vulnerabilidad.…”

Inpatient Profile of Patients with Major Depression in Portuguese National Health System Hospitals, in 2008 and 2013: Variation in a Time of Economic Crisis

“…The worsening risk profile in individuals living in districts predominantly located inland can be justified by rurality and some studies show that people in rural areas have a prevalence of major depression higher than that of the population in urban areas (Wang 2004). However, we cannot exclude the influence of other factors such as social isolation (Fryers et al 2005;Laaksonen et al 2007;WHO 2011), unemployment (Chen et al 2012), and the number of inpatient beds available (Delamater et al 2013;Fortney et al 2007).…”

Crise económica e dificuldades familiares: Duas faces da mesma moeda?

“…Os estudos internacionais que pretendem analisar o impacto da crise económica no indivíduo centram-se, sobretudo, nos seus efeitos para a saúde mental. A este nível, algumas conclusões de estudos recentes mostram: 1) os problemas de saúde mental aumentam em tempos de crise (Heretick, 2013); 2) migrantes desempregados têm mais problemas de saúde: migrantes desempregados de longa duração têm mais sintomas psiquiátricos do que os de curta-duração e do que os migrantes empregados (Chen et al, 2012); 3) o medo do desemprego, de perder casa ou não conseguir suportar uma casa com as condições necessárias para a família, a redução dos benefícios sociais, entre outros, coloca um enorme stress nos indivíduos e nas famílias, o que pode conduzir as pessoas a diversos problemas de saúde mental, tais como depressão, ansiedade, suicídio, entre outros (Procter, Papadopoulos, & McEvoy, 2010).…”