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Depression among men made involuntarily redundant

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Donald I. Melville ,
David Hope ,
Dean Bennison  and
Brian Barraclough
Donald I. Melville*
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton
David Hope
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton
Dean Bennison
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton
Brian Barraclough
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr D. I. Melville, University Department of Psychiatry, Royal South Hants Hospital, Graham Road, Southampton SO9 4PE.
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Synopsis

Ninety-eight men aged 25–50, who were unemployed because of involuntary redundancy and out of work for 2–18 months, completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ–30). Their scores were compared with those of a group of employed men matched for age and social class. The mean GHQ score for the redundant men was 13–0, compared with 4·0 for the employed group. The mean BDI score was 11·1 for the redundant group and 5·6 for the employed group. Eighteen per cent of the redundant men, compared with 6% of the employed group, scored 18 or more which are scores corresponding to those in depressive illness. We conclude that the prevalence of depressive illness may be increased among redundant men.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , November 1985 , pp. 789 - 793
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

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