Unemployment, underemployment and mental health in school leavers: a prospective longitudinal study

Anthony H. Winefield, Jack Metzer, Helen Winefiel

Psychological attributes of young adult smokers

To study the psychological aspects of cigarette-smoking in community adults, we examined longitudinal data from a sample of young people (from age 15 to 23 years). Questions on smoking behavior had been asked during the last five years of the study, and information on self-esteem, depressive affect, negative mood, hopelessness, psychological disturbance, locus of control, social alienation and health was also available. Current smokers in the last year of the study had differed from nonsmokers nine years previously by having more external locus of control and now were less likely to report their health as excellent. Most smokers also drank alcohol, but cigarette consumption did not differ for drinkers and nondrinkers. Contrary to expectations, current smokers showed no distinctive psychological attributes, and those who started or stopped smoking were similarly undistinctive in psychological terms. Results suggest that efforts to stress the self-destructive or antisocial nature of tobacco use have not been accepted by the smokers in this age group (M = 23.6 yr.).Helen R. Winefield, Anthony H. Winefield and Marika Tiggeman

Predicting Two Components of Career Maturity in School Based Adolescents

Three hundred and sixty-seven secondary school students across five year levels (8–12) were assessed for levels of career maturity (attitude and knowledge), work commitment, work value, career decidedness (indecision and certainty), career decision-making self-efficacy and self-esteem, and indicated their age, gender, socioeconomic status, school achievement and work experience. Using two multiple regression analyses, the predictor variables were able to account for 52% of the variance of career maturity attitude, and account for 41% of the variance of career maturity knowledge. Self-efficacy, age, career decidedness (certainty) and work commitment were the main predictors of career maturity attitude. Age, gender, career decidedness (certainty), work commitment and career decidedness (indecision) were the main predictors of career maturity knowledge. Results demonstrated the importance of examining two aspects of career maturity (attitude and knowledge), and were discussed in the context of Super’s (1957, 1990) theory of career development

Doing more with less? work and wellbeing in academics

There is evidence that fundamental changes to the context and content of academic work have increased demands, reduced support and eroded professional autonomy. Drawing on research conducted in the UK and Australia, this paper initially considers the implications of these changes for the wellbeing of academics. Particular focus is placed on a longitudinal programme of research that has utilised the UK Health and Safety Executive's Management Standards Framework to investigate the job-related stressors and strains experienced in the university sector. It is argued that this benchmarking approach has strong potential to monitor working conditions in universities over time, facilitate comparisons with the work-related wellbeing of other occupational groups, and identify priority areas for intervention. The paper also focuses on the antecedents and outcomes of work-life conflict which is particularly prevalent amongst academics and a key source of strain. Finally, ways in which the wellbeing of academic employees may be enhanced are considered. The need for universities to provide active and visible support to monitor the wellbeing of their employees and take necessary action is emphasised

Demographic characteristics as predictors of Quality of Life in a population of psychiatric outpatients.

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