Post-Welfare Employment and Psychological Well-Being

Current public assistance policies are removing many recipients from the welfare rolls, regardless of their income level. This article examines the post-assistance well-being of a stratified probability sample of 426 "able-bodied" women and men who lost cash benefits when Michigan terminat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Women & health 2001-01, Vol.32 (1-2), p.47-78
Main Authors: Danziger, Sandra K., Carlson, Marcia J., Henly, Julia R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Cost of Illness
depression
Depression (Psychology)
Depressive Disorder - epidemiology
Eligibility Determination - legislation & jurisprudence
Employment
Employment - psychology
Female
gender
Health
Health Status
Humans
Life Satisfaction
Logistic Models
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Mental Health
Michigan
Michigan - epidemiology
Personal Satisfaction
Poverty
Preventive medicine
Psychological aspects
Public Assistance - legislation & jurisprudence
Risk Factors
Self Efficacy
Sex
Social services
Welfare
Welfare programs
Welfare Recipients
Welfare Reform
Well Being
Workfare
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Summary:Current public assistance policies are removing many recipients from the welfare rolls, regardless of their income level. This article examines the post-assistance well-being of a stratified probability sample of 426 "able-bodied" women and men who lost cash benefits when Michigan terminated its General Assistance program in 1991. The relationship of demographic, human capital, and psychological resource variables to employment status, depressive symptomatology and life satisfaction is examined utilizing two panels of survey data, collected approximately one and two years after the program ended. Findings demonstrate that personal mastery is related to employment status and risk of depression, and sense of burden is linked to both psychological outcomes, controlling for relevant demographic and human capital variables. Gender is related to risk of depression; however, its relation to employment is dependent on the presence of children in the household. Steady employment is positively associated with psychological well-being. Overall, the findings suggest that the majority of former recipients faced employment difficulties and psychological hardship, and that services should be targeted to subgroups of former recipients with particular risk factors.
ISSN:0363-0242
1541-0331
DOI:10.1300/J013v32n01_03