ISSN: 2161-0487
+44 1478 350008
Theodosios Paralikas
University of Thessaly, Greece
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychol Psychother
Introduction: Unemployment is considered to be one of the most stressful life events that a person may experience. There is a plethora of studies that highlighted the negative effects of unemployment on people's overall mental health and well-being. Yet, psychological resilience and self-compassion contribute positively in coping with stressful situations and seem to be particularly supportive mechanisms when one is confronted with unemployment. Aim: This study intended to investigate the relationships between resilience, self-compassion and mental health in Greek unemployed people and the contribution of specific socio demographic characteristics in this ‘equation’. Methods: The study followed a survey design whereby a sample of 345 Greek unemployed participants completed a battery of tests online, examining the variables under study. The following questionnaires were employed: a) The Neff Self Compassion Scale, b) The Conor-Davidson Resilience Scaleand c) The General Health Questionnaire-28. Results: According to the findings, people who reported being unemployed for more than six months showed decreased evels of mental health. Also, the unemployed with higher levels of resilience and self-compassion reported statistically significant higher levels of mental health and vice versa. Finally, selfcompassion and psychological resilience were found to be statistically positive related to each other and are predictive factors of mental health with which they are statistically negative related. Conclusions: The results of this study may contribute to the implementation of interventions aimed at improving the mental health and overall well-being of people affected by long-term unemployment.
Dr. Theodosios Paralikas was a Assistant Professor University of Thessaly- in Greece. He completed his Post graduation Studies in Mental Health in Greece.