Unemployment Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

Everyone knows how damaging unemployment can be to your mental health, but now health care professionals are acknowledging that it can be hard on your physical health as well. A study recently done in Germany shows that unemployed men and women suffer more often and longer from both physical and emotional complaints.

Unemployed people between the ages of 30 and 59 are especially often affected by physical, emotional, and functional impairments such as sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, and substance addictions, according to Lars E. Kroll, who wrote about the results of the study in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. As a result, the unemployed make more use of the health care system, and that often causes additional financial hardship.

The study showed that the health consequences of unemployment result from loss of income, loss of social contacts in the workplace, or loss of social reputation. Unemployed men and women who are supported by their partners, family members, or friends are less frequently affected by these complaints; if you're single, or surrounded by unsupportive people, look out -- our health and your bank account could be in even more jeopardy than you anticipated.

So before you think about cutting out the COBRA payments and risk going without health coverage, consider the fact that you're more likely to be sick, in one way or another, before you find your next job.


Next: The Faces of Unemployment