Unemployment issues - Essay Example

?Running Head: Unemployment Issues Unemployment Issues [Institute’s Unemployment Issues Unemployment is one of the biggest evils engulfing society all over the world today. With most countries being in a state of recession, jobs are hard to find for even some of the most deserving individuals. This leads to major problems for the country and its population which include lower standard of living, poor health, lower GDP and national income, and a generally depressed society. However, this issue may have an even deeper impact upon a household in which the sole bread winner is unemployed. While such households may experience financial problems, they also experience an array of other types of distress. These pressures may be social, emotional, and psychological; the psychological stress and pressure that unemployment causes, may be its most undesirable and disturbing factor towards a person’s health and well being (Lien, 1988). This paper aims to explore the impact of unemployment upon the psychological position and state of an individual and their family members. It will explain the various psychological pressures that a person experiences while being unemployed and compare the mental health and thoughts of an unemployed person to an employed person. The paper will explore the realms of this issue and determine whether an unemployed person is mentally worse off than an employed person or whether unemployment has no intense impact upon a person’s mental state (Kelvin & Jarrett, 1985). It is believed by many that unemployment has a highly adverse effect upon a person’s mental condition because of no healthy activity of the brain, while others believe that unemployment reduces stress in other matters except financial. This is because an unemployed person has very little job stress to take as they do not have to meet deadlines, listen to cranky bosses, or work for long hours. Hence, they have a lot of leisurely time on their hands and can relax about such job-related issues (Lien, 1988). Unemployment can be a very hazardous situation and can cause quite a bit of mental anguish and distress. The saying, “An empty mind is the devil’s workshop”, fits in this situation where an unemployed person has to deal with very little healthy mental activity. Hence, he/she can indulge in undesirable activities and develop a negative mentality. It is usually said, that people who have a lot of time on their hands are those that indulge in activities such as drugs, crime, fraudulent behavior, extra-marital affairs, and other negative thoughts such as disbelief upon religion or suicidal thoughts. Without a lot of positive and productive mental activity, a person’s mental health is seriously at risk. The availability of excessive free time causes a person to ponder over the smallest things and cause a great array of confusion for him/herself. This may cause a person to stray from their religious beliefs, lose hope in life, or start focusing upon the negative points of everyone around him/her. Such situations cause rifts between families, friends, and make a person difficult to live with. Moreover, having very little productive mental activity causes an unhealthy body as well, and vice versa (Eisenburg, 1988). Upon interviewing Mr. John, a Bachelors degree holder who was unemployed for two years, the following views were recorded: “I was unemployed for a period of two years after attaining my Bachelors Degree. When I say my friends pursuing successful careers, it gave me a sense of hopelessness and despair. I lost my self-esteem and my endurance to continue with life. I was in a deep state of depression.” Such views make it evident that unemployed people lose a sense of their self-worth because they are not able to prove themselves in any field. Hence, besides the financial problems that go along with the situation, it gives the unemployed person a sense of hopelessness and despair when they see other people succeeding in their careers and they are unable to make any improvements in their lifestyle. Moreover, when such people focus upon the negative aspects of other people around them, this makes them very irritable and difficult people. Hence, their personality is also moved towards negativity and a state of depression may befall them. Another lady who has been working as a teacher for the past five years, Miss Lina stated that she believes working enables her to remain healthy and happy. She believes it is not only the financial reward which is significant, but the sense of accomplishment and the ability to see where your life is going. She thinks that leading an idle life makes you lose the sense of life or your pathway in life. Therefore, it is also evident that a person who is unemployed is also more or less physically stagnant as well. This also has an adverse effect upon the person’s mentality and health. Hence, both the loss of mental and physical activity can prove to be highly dangerous for an individual. The state of depression and lack of planned activities can cause a person to suffer from low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts. Family members who are busy in their own routines shun and taunt such people who are dependent upon others; hence it causes an unemployed person to go into deep shells of depression. Statistics also show that a higher number of unemployed people indulge in activities such as drugs and alcohol. This causes a big problem for the person and the family members of that person as it may lead to addiction, domestic violence, and the death of the afflicted person. Crime is also associated with unemployed people who become desperate to run their households or just have dispositions in their temperament and play a part in illegal activities. This may be theft, burglary, street fighting, rape, domestic violence, or even murder. This is mainly because an unemployed person does not have a lot of opportunities to vent their frustration out in a productive manner (Lien, 1988). While all of these views are prominent about the mental and social consequences of being unemployed, some people also hold the view that unemployment does not have a stagnant effect upon a person’s mental health, but may play a role in even improving it. Such people believe that being employed causes a lot of stress about deadlines, meetings, demands from the boss, promotional opportunities, and other events. Hence, a person is subjected to the life of a robot and is unable to think about more important issues such as family, friends, religion, and other leisurely hobbies that he/she wishes to pursue (Eisenburg, 1988). People who feel that unemployment has a positive impact upon a person’s mental health state that in a state of unemployment a person has the liberty to have free thoughts and thinks of things that he/she has never thought of before or may have overlooked previously. Such things may include giving time to family as an employed person hardly has any time available to spare for family gatherings, vacations, or other events. Moreover, as opposed to the view that unemployment may cause a divergence from religion, some believe that unemployment may lead a person to research and indulge in his/her religious beliefs more fully and to a much more insightful extent (Kelvin & Jarrett, 1985). Smith, who was unemployed for a period of 3 years after 13 years of employment stated that when he was unemployed he was given the opportunity to think freely and make up for a lot of lost time with family and friends. Moreover, he also got a chance to pursue painting, which was an old hobby of his. Soon, he discovered that he did not like the field he was in and preferred to open his own business, possibly an art gallery. Hence, he pursued the idea and soon opened his own small art gallery and is now much happier than he was with his old career. Some people believe that once a person is pushed out of his ongoing routine, he/she can adopt a healthier style of thinking and pursue activities such as reading, painting, playing an instrument, or some sport that they were longing to pursue. It may also open new streams of thought where a person realizes that they hold the potential or passion for doing something besides the career or field they were currently pursuing. Richard, who is also an unemployed individual for the past seven months, claims that he re-discovered himself and his passion for religion. He states that he seldom had time to indulge in prayer or adopt a positive style of thinking when he was employed. He was always busy in dealing with money matters for a job that he did not even enjoy. Hence, he claims that being unemployed had a positive impact upon his mental health. However, the situation varies from individual to individual and is dependent upon their personality. Some individuals are able to cope with extra time and use it wisely and productively. Others may misuse the time and bring about a highly negative change in them. In conclusion, unemployment is highly undesirable if it is prolonged for a long period of time. Short periods of unemployment may give a person the time to pursue more productive leisurely activities, while longer periods of unemployment may cause serious problems. References Eisenburg, P. & Lazarsfeld, P. F. (1988). “The Psychological Effects of Unemployment.” Psychological Bulletin. Volume 35, Issue 6, pp. 358-390. Kelvin, P. & Jarrett, J. (1985). Unemployment: Its Social Psychological Effects. Cambridge University Press. Lien, K. (1988). “Psychological Effects of Unemployment on Workers and Their Families.” Journal of Social Sciences. Volume 44, Issue 4, pp. 87-105. Read More