Unemployment and mental health: understanding the interactions among gender, family roles, and social class.
OBJECTIVE
We examined gender differences in the effects of unemployment on mental health and assessed whether such effects are associated with interactions among gender, family roles, and social class.


METHODS
Our analysis included 3881 employed and 638 unemployed workers, aged 25 to 64 years, interviewed in the 1994 Catalonian Health Survey.


RESULTS
Unemployment had more of an effect on the mental health of men (age-adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.30, 3.87) than on that of women (age-adjusted OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.11, 2.06). Gender differences in effects were related to family responsibilities and social class.


CONCLUSIONS
Understanding the effects of unemployment on mental health requires consideration of the interactions among gender, family responsibilities, and social class.
Artazcoz
Lucía
L
Department of Experimental Sciences and Health, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, and the Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. lartazco@imsb.bcn.es
Benach
Joan
J
Borrell
Carme
C
Cortès
Immaculada
I
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014478:Unemployment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health