Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology
Volume 4, Issue 1, 1994, Pages 31-45

Unemployment, social support and health complaints: A longitudinal study of stress in East German refugees (Article)

Schwarzer R.* , Jerusalem M. , Hahn A.
  • a Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Psychology, Fachbereich Erziehungs‐und Unterrichtswissenschaften, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, Berlin, 1000, Germany
  • b Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Psychology, Fachbereich Erziehungs‐und Unterrichtswissenschaften, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, Berlin, 1000, Germany
  • c Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Psychology, Fachbereich Erziehungs‐und Unterrichtswissenschaften, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, Berlin, 1000, Germany

Abstract

Migrants have to deal with a number of stressors, among them tenacious job search and the constitution of a new social network. Prolonged unemployment and lack of social support can result in impaired health. A sample of 235 East Germans was investigated at three times during two years following their transition to West Berlin in 1989, after the breakdown of the communist system. The majority found a job during this time and succeeded to adapt psychosocially. Those, however, who remained unemployed were worse off in terms of self‐reported health. This stress—health relationship was moderated, however, by social support. Within the group of migrants who suffered from long‐term joblessness, social support exerted a longitudinal buffer effect. At Wave 3, frequent physical symptoms were reported only by migrants who neither held a job nor received support. In a longitudinal causal model, the employment status affected mainly health complaints, but also social support. The relationship between health and support was found to be reciprocal over time. Copyright © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Author Keywords

life crisis Social support Migrants physical symptoms Stress Health

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84989491040&doi=10.1002%2fcasp.2450040109&partnerID=40&md5=9ded78d627b082ef89424f902b60c7db
DOI: 10.1002/casp.2450040109
ISSN: 10529284
Cited by: 41
Original Language: English