DEPRESSION AND UNEMPLOYMENT - PANEL FINDINGS FROM THE EPIDEMIOLOGIC CATCHMENT-AREA STUDY

Studies that have found an association between unemployment and psycho logical depression often fail to establish the direction of causal inf luence. Analyses of Epidemiologic Catchment Area panel data revealed t hat of employed respondents not diagnosed with major depression at fir st interview, those who became unemployed had over twice the risk of i ncreased depressive symptoms and of becoming clinically depressed as t hose who continued employed. Although the increase in symptoms was sta tistically significant the effect on clinical depression was not, poss ibly because of the low power of the test. The reverse causal path fro m clinical depression at Time 1 to becoming unemployed by Time 2 was n ot supported. The unemployment rate in the respondent's community at t ime of interview was not related directly to psychological depression but appeared associated indirectly with depression via its impact on t he risk of becoming unemployed implications for policy and further res earch were discussed.