Identification of Depression and Screening for Work Disabilities among Long-Term Unemployed People.

The study explores whether clinical screening targeted at work disabilities among long-term unemployed people reveals eligible individuals for a disability pension and the importance of depression in granting the disability pensions. A total of 364 participants of the screening project were considered as eligible to apply for disability pension. Among them, 188 were diagnosed as clinically depressed.

Identification of major depressive disorder among the long-term unemployed.

Purpose: Depression is a common mental health disorder among the unemployed, but research on identifying their depression in health care is scarce. The present study aimed to explore the identification of major depressive disorder (MDD) in health care on long-term unemployed and find out if the duration of unemployment correlates with the risk for unidentified MDD.

Methods: The study sample consisted the patient files of long-term unemployed people (duration of unemployment 1-35 years, median 11 years), who in a screening project diagnosed with MDD (n = 243).

Identification of alcohol abuse and transition from long-term unemployment to disability pension.

Aims: The aim of the study was to reveal potential gaps and inconsistencies in the identification of alcohol abuse in health care and in employment services and to analyse the granting of disability pensions with respect to the alcohol abuse identification pattern.

Methods: The material consisted of documentary information on 505 long-term unemployed subjects with low employability sent to the development project entitled 'Eligibility for a Disability Pension' in 2001-2006 in Finland. The dichotomous variables 'Alcohol abuse identified in employment services' and 'Alcohol abuse identified in health care' were cross-tabulated to obtain a four-class variable 'Alcohol abuse identification pattern'.