Unemployment as a source of mental distress to individuals and their family: Unemployed parents' perceptions during the economic recession.
BACKGROUND
Due to the economic recession, several people in Europe became unemployed. This situation may risk their mental health.


OBJECTIVE
This study explored parents' perceptions about their unemployment's effects in daily life during the recession.


METHODS
A total of 59 unemployed parents (40.7% fathers and 59.3% mothers), ageing 44.4 years (±6.2), answer a question on how the unemployment affected their family lives. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data.


RESULTS
The findings suggest that unemployment is a source of adult and youth mental distress and of economic hardship and changes in family relations.


CONCLUSIONS
Support to unemployed individuals and their families could benefit from these insights when granting the needed financial and socioemotional assistance.
Nova Medical School and Center for Malaria & Tropical Diseases (CMDT)/Institute of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal William James Research Center, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada (ISPA), Lisbon, Portugal diana.frasquilho@hbsc.org.
Diana
D
Frasquilho
William James Research Center, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada (ISPA), Lisbon, Portugal Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal Instituto de Saúde Ambiental (ISAMB), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Margarida Gaspar
MG
de Matos
William James Research Center, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada (ISPA), Lisbon, Portugal.
Teresa
T
Santos
Instituto de Saúde Ambiental (ISAMB), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal Institute of Psychology and Educational Sciences Lusíada University, Lisbon, Portugal.
Tânia
T
Gaspar
Department of Mental Health, Nova Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
J M
JM
Caldas de Almeida
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D057172:Economic Recession; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000191:economics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011174:Portugal; D011203:Poverty; D012042:Registries; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014478:Unemployment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
Economic recession; family relations; mental health; socioeconomic factors; thematic analysis; unemployment