Health consequences of youth unemployment.
BACKGROUND
Youth unemployment is of increasing importance, not only as a social but also as a clinical problem.


METHODS
A prospective study was conducted during a five-year period in a municipality in the northern part of Sweden, where the youth unemployment rate was between 6% and 8%. All 1,083 pupils in the last year of compulsory schooling were included in the study and 98% of them were followed up after five years. The methods of investigation consisted of comprehensive self-administered questionnaires as well as blood pressure measurements and interviews with those who had been unemployed.


RESULTS
The main results of the study are that there is a greater increase in physical and psychological symptoms as well as smoking habits and use of cannabis among long-term unemployed young people than among those not long-term unemployed. In addition systolic blood pressure, alcohol consumption and crime rate increase more among long-term unemployed boys than among others.


CONCLUSIONS
Youth unemployment is associated with increased health symptoms, increased systolic blood pressure and a deterioration in health behaviour.
Hammarström
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Department of Family Medicine, University of Umeå, Sweden.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012940:Social Problems; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013548:Sweden; D014478:Unemployment / Q000523:psychology