Investigating the relationship between mental health, resilience and self-compassion among Greek unemployed people

Abstract

Introduction Unemployment is considered to be one of the most stressful life events that a person may experience. There are 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.ObjectivesThis study intended to investigate the relationships between resilience, self-compassion and mental health in Greek unemployed people and the contribution of specific sociodemographic characteristics in this ‘equation’.MethodsThe study followed a survey design where a sample of 345 Greek unemployed participants completed an online questionnaire, examining the variables under study.ResultsAccording to the findings, people who reported being unemployed for more than six months showed decreased levels 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, self-compassion 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.ConclusionsThe results of this study may contribute to the implementation of interventions aiming at improving mental health and the overall well-being of people affected by long-term unemployment.DisclosureNo significant relationships.