Gregory C. Murphy

The effect of unemployment on mental health

Sixteen recent longitudinal studies are examined for evidence relevant to the claim that a change to one’s employment status aVects one’s mental health. Although there were limitations to the set of studies examined, most of the studies supported this claimed relationship. Examination was then made of the size of this eVect. In carrying out this examination, the set of study results were divided into two categories: (a) those addressing the question of the extent to which gaining employment impacts on mental well-being; (b) those addressing the question of the extent to which employment loss impacts on mental health. The meta-analyses indicated that there was a weighted eVect size of .54 for the erst question, and a smaller weighted eVect size (.36) for the latter question. Depressive aVect is probably the most frequently studied psychological variable among unemployed people. In the 10 years since O’Brien (1986) reviewed the literature on the psychological eVects of unemployment, 16 longitudinal studies have appeared in MEDLINE or PSYCLIT to complement the large number of cross-sectional studies which have compared employed and unemployed persons on various measures of personality, mood and psychiatric vulnerability. With the addition of these recent longitudinal studies it is possible to attempt to summarize what is known about the mental health consequences of unemployment, even while acknowledging certain methodological issues that continue to constrain the study of this aspect of the psychology of unemployment. In this article we review what is known about the mental health eVects of unemployment. We do not pay detailed attention to personal and contextual factors which might limit the validity of any generalizations about the nature and extent of the relationship between unemployment and negative aVect, as our main aim is to consider the scientiec evidence for the claim that job loss generally aVects the mental health of the unemployed. A second aim of the paper is to describe the size of any demonstrated eVect.

Job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behaviour: A study of Australian human‐service professionals

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of organizational citizenship behaviour as a component of job performance. Participants comprised 41 human‐service workers, who completed a job satisfaction questionnaire and were rated for their organizational citizenship, as well as being measured on three discretionary organizational participant behaviours. Job satisfaction correlated significantly with organizational citizenship and participation behaviours (correlations ranged from +0.40 to +0.67). Findings were consistent with the view that satisfaction may not be reflected in productivity but is evident in discretionary involvement in the workplace. Implications for monitoring and managing a wide range of employee behaviours are outlined.

Vocational achievements following spinal cord injury in Australia.

This study describes the vocational achievements in a sample (n = 139) of Australian persons with spinal cord injuries. The post-accident and employment achievements (February-March 1993) were represented by significant diversity in outcomes. Around one-third of subjects went on to obtain further qualifications since their injury, and around 31% were employed full-time or part-time. The majority of subjects utilized informal means of returning to work. Around two-thirds of those employed indicated that they were in a preferred occupation and their median length of employment was 108 months. The hours of work varied greatly but were centred around a median of 38 hours (i.e. a full-time job). A model of diverse employment outcomes and achievement following spinal cord injury is proposed.

Labour force participation and employment among a sample of Australian patients with a spinal cord injury

This study examined the employment achievements of 219 spinal cord injured people and attempted to identify predictors which, individually and in combination, (a) discriminated between those who were in the labour force or not, and (b) correlated with the amount of time in employment post injury. Results indicated that at the time of the survey 26% were in full-time work, 11% were in part-time work, 4% were unemployed and 59% were not actively seeking work. Multivariate analyses identified three variables (impairment type, study since injury, level of pre-injury secondary schooling) which were related to both labour force participation and the amount of work undertaken post-injury. These results are discussed with reference to post-injury services that could be offered to spinal cord injured people who wish to return to work or gain employment.

Assessment of childhood phobias

Childhood phobias can be successfully treated using a variety of behavioral strategies, provided there has been a psychometrically sound assessment. Measures are also important for the evaluation of treatment efficacy and the testing of hypotheses generated by new ideas and theories of childrens phobias. This paper outlines broad-based assessment procedures used in the evaluation of childrens phobias, including the behavioral or problem-focused interview, the diagnostic interview, self-report inventories, caregiver completed instruments, behavioral observations, self-monitoring and physiological assessment. Reflecting recent theoretical and clinical advances in the study of childhood internalizing disorders, we also explore laboratory-based measures and family assessment measures. Particular attention is given to psychometric issues and developmental sensitivity in our discussion of these assessment procedures.

A Social Psychology Approach to Measuring Vocational Rehabilitation Intervention Effectiveness

It is rare for rehabilitation researchers to report substantial relationships between functional capacity and vocational rehabilitation achievements. The reason for this is that there are many other factors that also impact on the return-to-work outcomes people achieve. A solution to the problem of having to take into consideration the effects of multiple factors when evaluating intervention effectiveness is to focus more directly on cognitions and behaviors that have been theoretically and empirically linked with a satisfactory return to work. The aim of this paper is to explore and describe a measure of rehabilitation effectiveness based in cognitive–behavioral theory. Rather than the measurement of employment per se, the described measure is focused on the efforts individuals make in relation to achieving their desired outcome. To test the effectiveness, acceptability, and utility of the approach, the measure was trialed with 170 people with a spinal cord injury. This preliminary work has revealed that participants found the measure acceptable and gave detailed responses in regards to: their satisfaction with their vocational status; what it is they would prefer to be doing; and what it is that they are doing to achieve their aims. Study findings suggest that while the approach is likely to require further development, focusing on process variables holds promise as an evaluation approach when assessing the success of vocational rehabilitation intervention effectiveness.

The development of a locus of control measure predictive of injured athletes' adherence to treatment

The Sports Rehabilitation Locus of Control (SRLC) scale was developed to facilitate study of the behaviour of athletes recovering from injury. The SRLC was built specifically to assess locus of control in injured athletes by adapting selected items from the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) questionnaire developed by Wallston, Wallston, & DeVellis (1978), and in accordance with their rationale for the construction of domain-specific LOC scales. The resultant locus of control measures (internal, powerful others, and chance) were administered (along with the MHLC) to a sample of 145 sports-injured athletes. Good internal consistency (alphas ranged from .72 to .79) and test-retest reliability (correlations ranged from .75 to .85) was shown by the SRLC scales, and the pattern of inter-scale correlations supported the three-factor conceptualisation of locus of control on which the SRLC was based. In the subsequent initial validation study, the relationship between SRLC scale scores and adherence to treatment was tested with a sample of injured athletes. Encouragingly, internality was positively associated p<.05 with treatment adherence.

Knowledge of Contraceptives and Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Contraceptive Practices Amongst Young People in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

In this article, we examine knowledge of contraceptives and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and contraceptive practices amongst young Vietnamese people. We conducted a qualitative study on sexuality and abortion with young people in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Twelve female and 4 male young people were individually interviewed using an in-depth interview technique. We found that condoms and pills were contraceptives known by almost all young people, but their knowledge of condoms and pills was still inadequate. Fears of side effects of taking pills and rumors and beliefs regarding condoms were quite common among young people. The limitations in young peoples knowledge of contraceptives and STDs were a reflection of limited sources of their knowledge. Sexual education provided by educational institutions and within families was very basic. It did not provide clear knowledge on the sensitive topics such as contraceptive methods, and other issues related to sexuality for unmarried people. From a gender perspective, there are two points to note here: While sex issues were discussed openly among unmarried men, most unmarried women felt uncomfortable or expressed difficulty when talking about these issues; and the passiveness of unmarried women in making the decision of using condoms as well as contraceptives was marked. Amongst young people, the use of contraceptives was based mainly on ineffective methods including withdrawal and periodic abstinence. Further, young peoples understanding of these methods was neither clear nor adequate. For the young people who did not use any contraceptives, sexual relations occurred unexpectedly. We conclude that creating a climate in which sexual issues can be discussed openly is an important step for the improvement of sexual health for young people. This will inevitably improve knowledge and understanding of contraceptives and STDs and may lead to a safer sexual life among this group of young people.

Early access to vocational rehabilitation for spinal cord injury inpatients.

OBJECTIVES To describe a novel early vocational rehabilitation programme (In-Voc) for inpatients with spinal cord injury and to report early vocational outcomes. DESIGN Observational longitudinal cohort study. SUBJECTS One hundred adults with spinal cord injury admitted to spinal units in Sydney, Australia within a 24-month period. METHODS In-Voc was offered to all inpatients within the first 6 months of acquired spinal cord injury and was provided by trained vocational consultants. Baseline demographics, opinions about work readiness, details of the vocational services provided and preliminary employment outcomes were documented. RESULTS The In-Voc programme was relatively short in duration (median 11 weeks, range 3-39 weeks) with a median total of 9.1 h (range 1-75.2 h) of service delivered per participant. At case closure (median 3 weeks post-discharge), 29/84 (34.5%) of participants were in paid employment (7% full-time, 8% part-time, 7% on sick leave, and 12% working with hours unknown), 36% were unemployed (6% seeking work, 16% not seeking work, 14% job seeking status unknown), 13% were students or in-training, and 17% were in vocational rehabilitation. CONCLUSION Our research suggests that implementing an early vocational rehabilitation programme with individuals in the hospital setting is feasible and has good potential for enhancing post-injury labour-force participation.

Reliability of the bipolar form of the profile of mood states using an alternative test protocol

The bipolar version of Profile of Mood States was completed by 124 participants (58 women and 66 men, M age 26.5, SD = 3.9 yr.) on two occasions—once when the measure was self-administered according to that test protocol and once when POMS–BI items were projected onto a screen with participants being asked to provide oral responses to items. Data from both modes of administration provided similar support for the internal consistency of the measure (alpha values ranged from .78 to .90).