Unemployment and Hospitalization among Bricklayers

Abstract

677 active members of the bricklayers' trade union in Aarhus have been investigated with regard to unemployment and hospitalization during the period April 1, 1972-March 31, 1978. Information concerning unemployment was obtained through the bricklayers' trade union, and information about hospitalization from the hospital administration registry of three counties of Northern Jutland and from the Danish Central Psychiatric Register. Using logit analysis it was found that admission to a hospital increased the risk of unemployment, and that unemployment increased the risk of hospitalization. Admission to a psychiatric department appeared within a latency period of 0-1 years. A latency period of 1/2-11/2 years was observed before admission to a medical department. Admission to a surgical department occurred 1/2-21/2 years after accumulated unemployment. The risk of admission to a psychiatric department was seven times as high for bricklayers who have been unemployed more than 50% of the time compared with those who have been unemployed less of the time, although the calculation was based on relatively few individuals. The risk of admission to medical wards was twice as high, and the risk of admission to surgical wards was almost twice as high among those with much unemployment.

The limitations of employment as a tool for social inclusion

“…A review by Dooley, Fielding and Levi [9] found that unemployment was associated with biomarkers of poor health such abnormal disturbances in cortisol levels [10], increased cholesterol [11] and impaired immune reactions [12], as well as unhealthy behaviours such as excessive alcohol consumption [13,14] and smoking [15]. In addition, mental health indicators such as depression [16], psychiatric admissions [17,18] and suicide [19-22] are correlated with unemployment. Research has similarly shown that those in poor quality or stressful jobs generally have worse physical and mental health than those in good quality work [23,24].…”