title: How stable is sense of coherence? Changes following an intervention for unemployed individuals.
abstract: The present investigation was concerned with the changeability of sense of coherence. We examined changes in sense of coherence (SOC) over a six-month period in a sample of Finnish unemployed individuals (n = 74) participating in an intervention program designed to boost re-employment. Over the study period, participants' sense of coherence improved significantly and re-employed individuals reported the greatest changes. Different changes in the subcomponents of SOC, comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness, were found. Contrary to expectations, participants younger than 30 years of age did not show greater changes in their SOC. Initial personal resources were predictors of both positive and negative changes in SOC.
authors.affiliation: University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, School of Business and Economics, Lange Gasse 20 90403 Nuremberg, Germany. jaana.vastamaeki@wiso.uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vastamäki
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: Karsten Ingmar
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Paul
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009949:Orientation; D010551:Personality; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014478:Unemployment / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult