Health And Unemployment – A Relationship

Work is not just a source of income and a place where you meet new acquaintances. It is also an instrument for you to be able to construct your personal identity. Unemployment has a negative impact on people’s lives in many areas, especially health. It not only has social and psychological consequences but there is also a strong relationship between health and unemployment.

For many years there has been a great debate in science concerning the relationship between health and unemployment. On the one hand, some have wondered whether unemployment affects health. It has also been wondered whether those with poor health are at greater risk of becoming unemployed and / or finding a new job.

In a study on this subject, a number of researchers have established that unemployment has a direct effect on people’s physical and mental health. They also found less relevant evidence that health had an impact on whether people could find a job.

Unemployment worsens health

There is no doubt that unemployment is an important factor for health. This is because it is an uncontrollable situation that has no specific time limit. The situation arises and due to external factors. As if that were not enough, the person must use a number of their personal resources to try to adapt and change their situation.

Some of the stressful aspects that are related to unemployment are a lack of financial resources, family problems, relationship problems, job seekers, seeking help and resources and being rejected, etc.

When you experience stressful situations, changes occur in the body so that you can respond to the problem in the best possible way. This is especially true when stress persists for long periods of time.

The body will then secrete cortisol. This is a normal reaction, but repeated activation can lead to changes in the body’s activities and cortisol levels.

Some experts have associated these changes with a large number of diseases, just as they have associated unemployment with abnormal patterns of cortisol secretion. However, these patterns are different depending on age and gender. They indicate that even if unemployment affects everyone, it does not do so in the same way.

Health and unemployment: Consequences

Unemployment is related to poorer health. This may be due to, for example, poorer health insurance or poorer financial resources. However, in many countries the effects are not due to a lack of healthcare.

The unemployed often have poorer health than those who are employed. When it comes to physical problems, it is not surprising that there is a relationship with chronic stress, cardiovascular health problems, obesity and diabetes. There are also other health consequences such as drug use.

It also has countless consequences for psychological health through a reduced well-being, poorer self-esteem, increased anxiety levels and even a changed personality.

Health affects unemployment

These studies have mainly focused on how mental health affects an individual’s ability to keep a job. Because unemployment causes some damage to mental health, the unemployed person will fall into a vicious circle. This is very difficult to get out of. A person with poorer mental health is at greater risk of losing their job and will have less chances of finding a future job. There is also a risk that health will continue to deteriorate.

A great deal of discomfort is therefore related to an increased risk of getting rid of the job, just as discomfort during childhood is related to unemployment in adulthood.

Research has also found that people with lower levels of depression find it easier to find jobs, especially men.