ArticlePloS one2014
Organizational downsizing and depressive symptoms in the European recession: the experience of workers in France, Hungary, Sweden and the United kingdom.
Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 55 citations in OpenAlex.
- How do income changes impact on mental health and wellbeing for working-age adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis.The Lancet. Public health · 2022Pooled it
- The impact of precarious jobs on mental health: a gender-sensitive literature review.International archives of occupational and environmental health · 2021Pooled it
- Downsizing and purchases of psychotropic drugs: A longitudinal study of stayers, changers and unemployed.PloS one · 2023Trial
- Psychosocial work factors as mediators in the associations of organisational changes with poor psychological well-being: a prospective study using the national French working conditions survey.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Association Between Organizational Downsizing and Depressive Symptoms Among Korean Workers: A Cross-sectional Analysis.Safety and health at work · 2024Article
- Impact of work arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in France.SSM - population health · 2022Article
- Psychological Wellbeing and Employability of Retrenched Workforce During COVID-19: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Mitigations for Post Pandemic Recovery Phase.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- More income, less depression? Revisiting the nonlinear and heterogeneous relationship between income and mental health.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- The Impact of Economic Recessions on Depression, Anxiety, and Trauma-Related Disorders and Illness Outcomes-A Scoping Review.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Acceleration of Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide: Secondary Effects of Economic Disruption Related to COVID-19.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2020Article
- Organizational downsizing and alcohol use: A national study of U.S. workers during the Great Recession.Addictive behaviors · 2018Article
- Downsizing and purchases of psychotropic drugs: A longitudinal study of stayers, changers and unemployed.PloS one · 2018Article
- Risk of psychological ill health and methods of organisational downsizing: a cross-sectional survey in four European countries.BMC public health · 2017Article
- Health Impacts of the Great Recession: A Critical Review.Current epidemiology reports · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOrganizational downsizing has become highly common during the global recession of the late 2000s with severe repercussions on employment. We examine whether the severity of the downsizing process is associated with a greater likelihood of depressive symptoms among displaced workers, internally redeployed workers and lay-off survivors.
methodsA cross-sectional survey involving telephone interviews was carried out in France, Hungary, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The study analyzes data from 758 workers affected by medium- and large-scale downsizing, using multiple logistic regression. MAIN
resultsBoth unemployment and surviving layoffs were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, as compared to reemployment, but the perceived procedural justice of a socially responsible downsizing process considerably mitigated the odds of symptoms. Perception of high versus low justice was assessed along several downsizing dimensions. In the overall sample, chances to have depressive symptoms were significantly reduced if respondents perceived the process as transparent and understandable, fair and unbiased, well planned and democratic; if they trusted the employer's veracity and agreed with the necessity for downsizing. The burden of symptoms was significantly greater if the process was perceived to be chaotic. We further tested whether perceived justice differently affects the likelihood of depressive symptoms among distinct groups of workers. Findings were that the odds of symptoms largely followed the same patterns of effects across all groups of workers. Redeploying and supporting surplus employees through the career change process-rather than forcing them to become unemployed-makes a substantial difference as to whether they will suffer from depressive symptoms.
conclusionsWhile depressive symptoms affect both unemployed and survivors, a just and socially responsible downsizing process is important for the emotional health of workers.
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