Background: Nowadays job loss implies the risk of long-term unemployment particularly in former East Germany. Many physical, psychological and social problems are associated with unemployment. However, health of long-term unemployed may not decrease continually, but may be subject to fluctuations according to different phases of unemployment and short-term work.
Methods: This expectation was examined by structured interviews with long-term unemployed (10 men and women) working in temporary job-creating-schemes (ABM). We asked for determinants of health and subjectively perceived associations between health and employment as well as for conditions of life and work.
Results: The employees were on average 55 years old and more than 7 years without work before joining the ABM. Psychosocial complaints such as depression, sleep disorders or nervousness appeared after approximately three months of unemployment. Subjective health improved during job-creating-schemes, depending on specific work conditions, but deteriorate at its end again. Most of the ABM-employees don't have any perspective of future employment.
Conclusions: The well-known association between unemployment and health was confirmed. Furthermore, the study gave new insights into psychological strains of long-term unemployed and subjective work loads during ABM. Future prospects were proved to be an important determinant of health ('lack of perspective is my illness'). From this measures of health promotion for long-term unemployed within ABM companies and other institutions can be derived.