Abstract
A three-wave longitudinal design was used to examine the causal effects of two coping strategies in the context of prolonged unemployment, namely job search and distancing (i.e. emotional detachment from unemployment), on mental health and the duration of these effects. Two situational appraisals, namely economic hardship and unemployment negativity (i.e. perceived negativity of unemployment life) were found to influence both coping strategies and mental health. We confirmed that the negative effect of job search on mental health was primarily owing to the two situational appraisals, especially unemployment negativity. In contrast, the positive effect of distancing on mental health was significant, even after the situational appraisals were taken into account. In addition, the positive effect of distancing on mental health lasted longer than the negative effect of job search © The Author(s) 2010.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 637-665 |
| Journal | Human Relations |
| Volume | 63 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Online published | 31 Mar 2010 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2010 |
Bibliographical note
Full text of this publication does not contain sufficient affiliation information. Research Unit(s) information for this record is based on his previous affiliation.Research Keywords
- Coping
- Distancing from unemployment
- Job search
- Mental health
- Prolonged unemployment
