Men more depressed at prospect of redundancy

Men facing redundancy were likely to be more depressed and anxious than women even though they claimed to be less concerned, according to a new study.

Research found that job insecurity took a greater toll on men’s health, especially for those under threat of being laid off compared with workers actually made redundant.

Dr Brendan Burchell, of Cambridge University, studied 300 employees and found a "macho" issue about men being the breadwinner.

"Men, unlike women, have few positive ways of defining themselves outside of the workplace between when they leave school and when they retire.

"Despite several decades of more equal employment opportunities for men and women, men retain traditional beliefs that their masculinity is threatened if their employment is threatened," he said.

Dr Burchell found that the stress and anxiety of people who had become unemployed "bottomed out" after about six months as they adapted to their new circumstances.

By contrast, people who had not lost their jobs but were worried about doing so displayed steadily worsening mental health for one to two years.

(Source: Mental Health Foundation UK: March 2009)