Two years after a job loss: long-term impact of the JOBS program on reemployment and mental health.

Analyses of data from a randomized field experiment with 1,801 participants (A.D. Vinokur, R.H. Price. & Y.Schul, 1995) examined the long-term effects of a job-search workshop (JOBS) and the independent effects of demographic and psychological factors on reemployment and mental health outcomes. Two years after the JOBS workshop, the experimental group had significantly higher levels of reemployment and monthly income, lower levels of depressive symptoms, lower likelihood of experiencing a major depressive episode in the last year, and better role and emotional functioning compared with the control group. Baseline job-search motivation and sense of mastery had both direct and interactive effects (with experimental condition) on reemployment and mental health outcomes, respectively. The interactive effects demonstrated larger benefits for those who had initial low levels of job-search motivation and mastery.