title: The role of financial hardship, mastery and social support in the association between employment status and depression: results from an Australian longitudinal cohort study.
abstract: There is robust epidemiological and clinical evidence of the harmful effects of unemployment on psychological well-being, but the mechanisms through which this occurs is still strongly debated. In addition, there is even less evidence on the impact of underemployment on mental health. Using longitudinal data collected from a cohort of 20-24 years old, the present study examines a range of employed states and investigates the role of mastery, financial hardship and social support in the relationship between labour status and depression.
  
  
  
  Responses were from the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Project: A representative, community-based survey conducted in Canberra and Queanbeyan (NSW) in Australia, where respondents (n=2404) in their early twenties were followed for 8 years. Depression was measured using the self-report Goldberg Depression Scale, with the likely presence of depression being indicated by scores 7 or greater.
  
  
  
  The analyses identified unemployment and underemployment as significant predictors of depression, compared to their employed counterparts. Both unemployment and underemployment remained significantly correlated with depression even after accounting for sociodemographic, economic and psychological variables. Social support, financial hardship and a sense of personal control (mastery) all emerged as important mediators between unemployment and depression.
  
  
  
  Both unemployment and underemployment were associated with increased risk of depression. The strength of this relationship was attenuated but remained significant after accounting for key variables (mastery, financial hardship and social support), and extensive sociodemographic and health covariates, indicating that no or inade-quate employment contributes to poorer mental health over and above these factors.
authors.affiliation: Research School of Psychology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.affiliation: Research School of Population Health, Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Butterworth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004651:Employment / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012944:Social Support; D014478:Unemployment / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Depression; EPIDEMIOLOGY; Financial Hardship; Mastery; Underemployment; Unemployment