Psychological health and employment status in an island community

Abstract

This study focuses on the relationship between psychological health and employment status in a rural island community. Comparisons are made between different groups within and between the island population and more urban populations reported in other studies. Within the island differences are reported between men and women. For men psychological health varied, especially between the employed and the unemployed. For women no such comparable differences emerged. Although the differences that were found in the island population were of the same kind as reported from urban populations, they were very much less pronounced. It is argued that the relationship between psychological health and employment status can be modified by and is better understood through reference to the local social and community context.