Coping strategies of unemployed families

The purpose of this study was to determine the coping strategies used by families undergoing unemployment. Data collected from a 95-item questionnaire, developed and tested at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln since 1975, was mailed to 150 persons and/or their spouses who were currently unemployed or had been unemployed in the past. Ninety-five Questionnaires (45 males and 50 females) were returned for a response rate of 63.6 percent. The respondents all lived in the Omaha, Nebraska area and were asked to express in narrative form their feelings about unemployment and the crisis they experienced. The F-COPES instrument, Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales, was included in the questionnaire and measured family coping patterns. The overall test/retest reliability of the F-COPES was.81. Analysis of variance was used to test for significant coping patterns and gender effects. Mobilizing the Family to Acquire and Accept Help, an external strategy, was used most frequently by the respondents, followed by Reframing, an internal strategy, and seeking spiritual support, an external strategy. Acquiring social support, an external strategy, was fourth, and Passive Appraisal, an internal strategy, was last. There was no significant difference between gender. Results of this study suggest that unemployment is a traumatic event for the unemployed individual and all members of the family system. Job loss affects families psychologically, socially, and financially. Support groups play an important role in recovery from unemployment. The respondents in this study relied heavily on internal resources such as reframing family problems and possessing confidence in family problem-solving abilities. This study was designed to include both minority and white families; however, the low return rate of minority respondents (11%) suggests the data are more representative of the family value structure of the white population in Omaha, Nebraska. This study suggests the need for research in new social programs designed to aid families in coping with the stressors related to unemployment; an evaluation of the state unemployment system to meet the needs of the unemployed population; and increased training for counselors and social workers in the psychological and social stresses of unemployment