BackgroundIn spite of a growing economy, unemployment is still a severe socio-economic problem in Lithuania. Nonetheless, no studies have been performed about the associations between unemployment and mental health in Lithuania. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between unemployment duration and depression in Lithuania.MethodsThe data was collected in a cross-sectional study in 2005. There were 429 filled-in questionnaires received (53.6% response rate) from unemployed persons registered with the Kaunas Labour Market Office. The severity of depression symptoms was evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Logistic regression was used to estimate the risk factors for occurrence of depression. Sex, age, place of residence, marital status, education, income and practiced religion were the independent variables. Long-term unemployment was defined as lasting a duration of 12 months or more.ResultsThe findings showed that long-term unemployed persons had more episodes of a depressive mood in the past 12 months in comparison with the group of the short-term unemployed. In addition, the BDI score mean was higher among the long-term unemployed compared with the short-term unemployed (10.1 ± 8.8 and 14.2 ± 9.5 respectively, p < 0.001). It was estimated that the duration of unemployment and BDI score had a positive correlation (r = 0.1968, p < 0.001). Among the short-term unemployed, the risk of depression increased significantly when the person was female, had an older age and had experienced more episodes of unemployment. Among the long-term unemployed, an older age was the risk factor for development of depression. However, higher education and income were the factors that significantly decreased the risk of developing depression for-short term as well as for long-term unemployed.ConclusionThe results indicated that depression is a severe problem in the unemployed population. Depression is more elevated among the long-term unemployed. This leads to arguing for common efforts in providing needed social support and health care to reduce the effects of unemployment on mental health.

Background: In Lithuania, suicides are a grave public health problem, requiring more extensive investigation. The aim of the study was to assess the seasonal variations of suicides in Lithuania throughout the years 1993-2002, describing patterns by gender, age and method of suicide.

Objective. To present changes in life expectancy of males and females by the level of educational achievement and describe different aspects of inequalities in life expectancy over the decade of socioeconomic transition in Lithuania. Material and methods. This analysis is based on routine mortality statistics and census data for 1989 and 2001 for the entire country. The study included the population more than 25 years of age. Results. Increasing inequalities in life expectancy by education have occurred due to increasing life expectancy amongst persons with higher educational achievements, and conversely, a declining life expectancy in groups with low levels of education. Cardiovascular diseases were responsible for the greatest number of years lost in life expectancy by all educational categories both in males and females. The numbers of years lost due to cardiovascular diseases decreased in majority of educational categories, particularly in lower secondary educational group. The increase in the years of life expectancy lost was observed due to external causes of death, the higher education being associated with the lower numbers of years lost, especially in females. The greatest impact on the difference in life expectancy between males with university and primary education was caused by external causes both in 1989 and 2001, while the major contribution to the educational differences in life expectancy of females was made by cardiovascular diseases. Conclusions. Favorable forecast of declining health inequalities by education in Lithuania can hardly be expected in the nearest future. Collective efforts and constructive actions should address the health problems of the least privileged groups in terms of education, as well as promotional efforts directed at young people to complete their education and guarantee of equal opportunities for education.

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