[Treatment situation of long-term unemployed with psychological disorders].
BACKGROUND
Untreated psychiatric disorders of long-term unemployed persons represent a medical problem and a placement barrier to the labor market that can be eliminated. The objective of the study was to assess the spectrum of diagnoses and the treatment rates in a group of unemployed persons (≥ 50 years) referred by the employment exchange of the job center in Munich to a center for psychosocial coaching.


METHODS
Out of 105 participants 44 (42%) showing signs of psychiatric disorders according to the patient health questionnaire (PHQ) screening were included in the evaluation. The psychiatric diagnoses were assessed by means of a fully structured diagnostic interview, the Munich composite international diagnostic interview (M-CIDI). A semi-structured interview was conducted to investigate the treatment rates and treatment compliance with guidelines.


RESULTS
Affective disorders (70%) were in the foreground followed by anxiety disorders (55%, specific phobias, other and unspecified phobic anxiety disorders were excluded) and disorders due to abuse of alcohol (32%). Of the participants 61 % received no disorder-specific treatment or no treatment at all and treatment compliant with guidelines was received by 9%.


CONCLUSIONS
Untreated psychiatric disorders (especially depression) or those that are not treated in compliance with guidelines represent a medical problem and a placement barrier to the labor market that can be eliminated.
Humanwissenschaftliches Zentrum, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Goethestrasse 31, Munich, Germany. babette.buehler@med.uni-muenchen.de
B
B
Bühler
R
R
Kocalevent
R
R
Berger
A
A
Mahler
B
B
Preiß
I
I
Liwowsky
P
P
Carl
U
U
Hegerl
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*