[Unemployment as a challenge for general practice].
Tasks for general practitioners in this field are discussed in connection with a two-year follow up of a randomised community sample of 310 unemployed persons in Norway. This study supported both the selective and causative mechanisms for explaining high morbidity among the unemployed. Thus, medicine is faced with both clinical and preventive tasks. Unemployed patients must be cared for by proper somatic and/or psychiatric diagnosing. A sociomedical diagnosis of the main unemployment problem is suggested. Counselling should be an important part of the treatment of unemployed patients. General practitioners may be the only independent counsellors of the many possibilities within the social security system. Secondary prevention may also be necessary to encourage passive unemployed patients to participate in activation programmes offered by the community (education, work opportunity programmes, sports, cultural activities, etc.). Primary prevention should help to avoid unemployment of more than three months' duration. Physicians are encouraged to lobby such measures in their communities.
Claussen
B
B
Institut für Allgemeinmedizin und Gesellschaftsmedizin, Universität Oslo.
Helmert
U
U
D005544:Forecasting; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends*; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
Arbeitslosigkeit als eine Herausforderung für die Allgemeinmedizin.