Table 2.
Summary of the studies included in the review
| Authors | Year | Journal | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loerbroks et al35 | 2014 | J Epidemiol Community Health | Perceived job insecurity could be related to the new onset of asthma The new incidents of asthma were linked to economic crisis |
| Chang et al30 | 2013 | BMJ | Time trend analysis of suicides in 54 countries. There was an excess of suicides in 2009 compared to the 2000–2007 trend. The highest increase in the number of suicides was in men in the 15–24 years age group (European countries) and in the 45–64 years age group (American countries). There seems to be an association between the increase in suicides and the magnitude of unemployment The excess of suicides was linked to the economic crisis |
| Gili et al23 | 2012 | Eur J Public Health | Compared with the pre-crisis period, the 2010 survey demonstrated an increase in mood disorders (especially MDD), dysthymia, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, panic attacks, dependence, and occasional abuse of alcohol but not in eating disorders The increase in psychiatric morbidity was linked to economic crisis |
| Mattei et al32 | 2014 | Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol | The mortality due to cardiovascular disease increased with the increased unemployment rate in 2010. Alcohol consumption increased in 2009. Male attempted and completed suicides were attributed to unemployment and GDP Mortality due to cardiovascular disease, alcohol consumption, and male suicide directly linked to the economic crisis |
| Avcin et al24 | 2011 | Psychiatr Danub | Depression and anxiety increased among employees, who were affected by economic crisis. The private sector was mostly affected by the crisis. Workers at risk for income insecurity and poverty, those with lower income and/or bank loans, and those whose companies experienced reduced profits were at increased risk for depression and anxiety symptoms The increase in psychiatric morbidity was due to economic crisis |
| Astell-Burt and Feng34 | 2013 | PLoS One | Increase in poor health status (cardiovascular disease, respiratory health problems) was linked to an increase in unemployment. Mental illness and depression were not linked to unemployment rate The increased rates of cardiovascular disease and respiratory health problems were linked to economic crisis |
| Modrek and Cullen33 | 2013 | Soc Sci Med | Layoffs and downsizing were linked to increased risk of developing hypertension and diabetes (among salaried workers at the plants with the highest level of layoffs). No significant links between working at a high layoff plant and developing COPD, asthma, or a new diagnosis of depression Hypertension was directly linked to the recession |
| Wang et al21 | 2010 | Can Child Adolesc Psychiatr Rev | Prevalence of MDD and dysthymia increased with the start of the economic crisis. This was more pronounced among male workers who were married or in a common-law relationship Could not be assessed whether the increase in depression was due to economic crisis or exacerbation of preexisting psychopathology |
| Sargent-Cox et al25 | 2011 | Soc Sci Med | Economic slowdown was linked to the increase in the prevalence of depression and anxiety among older adults. The rise in the prevalence of mental health problems was lower in the period of maximum crisis The increase in psychiatric morbidity was due to economic crisis |
| Lee et al5 | 2010 | J Affect Disord | Increase in the prevalence of MDD among males and females. Higher increase in the prevalence especially among people between 55 and 65 years of age, those having secondary education level, among married/cohabited, divorced/widowed, employed, in the lowest and high-middle income groups, and those with large investment loss The increase in psychiatric morbidity was due to economic crisis |
| Evans-Lacko et al22 | 2013 | PLoS One | During the recession, the unemployment rate among the working population with mental health problems increased significantly in comparison with people without mental health problems |
| Rachiotis et al6 | 2014 | Int J Med Sci | Medical supply shortages were linked with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Prevalence of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment was 44.5, 43.2, and 51.5%, respectively. The risk factors were: type of hospital (OR: 3.88 in tertiary/universitary hospital), type of work (OR: 3.53 for nursing personnel and physicians), medical supply shortages (OR: 2.92), and absence of satisfactory rest after night shifts (OR: 1.82) It could not be assessed if the increase in burnout was directly due to economic crisis or to an exacerbation of pre-existing psychopathologies |
| Miret et al27 | 2014 | J Affect Disord | The prevalence of suicide attempts and ideation has not increased significantly in 2011–2012 compared to 2001–2002 |
| Sigursteinsdòttir and Rafnsdottir37 | 2015 | Soc Sci Med | The proportion of employees who had never been absent due to sickness dropped. There was an increase in the number of days employees remained off work due to sickness. The proportion of those who had gone to work while sick was higher at downsized workplaces The increase in sickness was due to economic crisis |
| Snorradottir et al29 | 2013 | Am J Ind Med | Being directly involved in organizational and structural change was associated with the development of psychological distress. Both restructuring and environment factors were associated with psychological distress. The negative effects of psychological distress could be partly attenuated by empowering leadership The increase in psychiatric morbidity was due to the economic crisis |
| ten Have et al28 | 2015 | Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol | Low job security increased the chance of mental disorders It could not be assessed if the increase in mental disorders was directly due to economic crisis |
| Sedano de la Fuente et al36 | 2014 | J Safety Res | From 2007, unemployment rate started to grow, while the number of workplace injuries and injury rate started to reduce. The sectors with greatest decrease in workplace accidents were the construction and industrial sectors. There was a rise in the average age of injured workers, a rise of injured workers with more work experience, and a greater decrease in injuries of workers with temporary contracts The reduced rate of occupational accidents was due to economic crisis (“natural selection” in the labor market) |
| Chan et al26 | 2014 | J Epidemiol Community Health | Increase in the suicides during the recession period was relatively higher in unemployed than in employed people. Marked increase in the number of suicides was observed among managers and senior officials The increase in suicide rate was due to economic crisis |
| Drydakis31 | 2015 | Soc Sci Med | The increase in unemployment resulted in a deterioration of self-reported health and mental health of working population in Greece (especially women) The increase in psychiatric morbidity was due to economic crisis |
Abbreviations: MDD, major depressive disorder; GDP, gross domestic product; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; OR, odds ratio.