Reciprocal relationships between employment status and psychological symptoms: findings from the Building a New Life in Australia study.

Garton, A; Rogers, K; Berle, D

Reciprocal relationships between employment status and psychological symptoms: findings from the Building a New Life in Australia study.

Garton, A Rogers, K Berle, D

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Publisher:: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2021, pp. 1-11
Issue Date:: 2021-11-24

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Garton, A
dc.contributor.author	Rogers, K
dc.contributor.author	Berle, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4861-2220
dc.date.accessioned	2021-12-06T02:42:45Z
dc.date.available	2021-11-10
dc.date.available	2021-12-06T02:42:45Z
dc.date.issued	2021-11-24
dc.identifier.citation	Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2021, pp. 1-11
dc.identifier.issn	0933-7954
dc.identifier.issn	1433-9285
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/152128
dc.description.abstract	<h4>Background</h4>Finding work is an important priority for many refugees in the initial years following settlement in a host country. Difficulties in finding work could conceivably both contribute to and be a consequence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychological distress commonly reported by refugees.<h4>Purpose</h4>We sought to determine the direction of these relationships and the possibility of a reciprocal association between employment status on one hand, and symptoms of PTSD and psychological distress on the other, in a large refugee sample.<h4>Methods</h4>A secondary analysis of three face-to-face interview assessments conducted across 5 years with 894 adult refugee participants (M = 39.9 years, SD = 12.8) from the Building a New Life in Australia study was conducted. Symptoms of psychological distress, posttraumatic stress, and employment status were assessed on each occasion. Preliminary analysis identified the cross-sectional relationships between psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and employment status, while cross-lagged models were used to identify the longitudinal relationships between these respective symptoms.<h4>Results</h4>Symptoms of psychological distress and not being in paid work were significantly correlated with each other at each time point (ranging 0.09-0.25) and they reciprocally influenced each other over time. Likewise, PTSD symptoms and not being in paid work were correlated with each other after 3 years and 5 years (r = 0.21 and 0.23 respectively), and a reciprocal relationship between these was found over time.<h4>Conclusion</h4>The current findings indicate that interventions which target either mental health or work opportunities could have multiple downstream benefits for refugees.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
dc.relation.ispartof	Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s00127-021-02204-8
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1103 Clinical Sciences, 1701 Psychology, 1702 Cognitive Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Psychiatry
dc.title	Reciprocal relationships between employment status and psychological symptoms: findings from the Building a New Life in Australia study.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.location.activity	Germany
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences
utslib.for	1701 Psychology
utslib.for	1702 Cognitive Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health/GSH.Clinical Psychology
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2021-12-06T02:42:43Z
pubs.publication-status	Published

Abstract:

Background

Finding work is an important priority for many refugees in the initial years following settlement in a host country. Difficulties in finding work could conceivably both contribute to and be a consequence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychological distress commonly reported by refugees.

Purpose

We sought to determine the direction of these relationships and the possibility of a reciprocal association between employment status on one hand, and symptoms of PTSD and psychological distress on the other, in a large refugee sample.

Methods

A secondary analysis of three face-to-face interview assessments conducted across 5 years with 894 adult refugee participants (M = 39.9 years, SD = 12.8) from the Building a New Life in Australia study was conducted. Symptoms of psychological distress, posttraumatic stress, and employment status were assessed on each occasion. Preliminary analysis identified the cross-sectional relationships between psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and employment status, while cross-lagged models were used to identify the longitudinal relationships between these respective symptoms.

Results

Symptoms of psychological distress and not being in paid work were significantly correlated with each other at each time point (ranging 0.09-0.25) and they reciprocally influenced each other over time. Likewise, PTSD symptoms and not being in paid work were correlated with each other after 3 years and 5 years (r = 0.21 and 0.23 respectively), and a reciprocal relationship between these was found over time.

Conclusion

The current findings indicate that interventions which target either mental health or work opportunities could have multiple downstream benefits for refugees.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/152128