Unemployed at Midlife: Coping Strategies that Safeguard Well-Being

This study identifies new aspects of complementary coping strategies used by the midlife, long-term unemployed to safeguard their well-being. Qualitative data were collected from a sample of long-term unemployed age 47 –59 from the Workforce Investment Act dislocated worker program (N = 16) who reported positive well-being on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Structured interview questions generated detailed data on coping strategies. Data were analyzed using MAXQDA10 software. Key coping strategies associated with positive well-being included productive use of time on meaningful activities, conserving financial resources, social supports, and cognitive maneuvers. These findings suggest that employing certain behavioral coping strategies together safeguards subjective well-being during long-term unemployment and enables midlife individuals to remain active in their job search.
Source: Applied Research in Quality of Life - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research