Lisa Morris, PhD

Phone: 207.780.5876
E-mail: lmorris@usm.maine.edu

Maine Rural Health Research Center
University of Southern Maine
400 Congress St.
Portland, ME 04101

Completed Projects (1)

Impact of Mental and Emotional Stress on Rural Employment Patterns, Lead researcher
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic: Mental health
This study will use the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to investigate how mental health symptoms affect employment patterns, and the extent to which these effects differ by rural and urban residence.

Publications (1)

Rural-Urban Differences in Work Patterns Among Adults With Depressive Symptoms
Author(s): Lisa Morris, Stephenie Loux, Erika Ziller, David Hartley
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Topic: Mental health
Report Number: Working Paper #38
Date: 03 / 2008
This study addresses the issue of poor mental health among young to middle-career rural residents and how their employment may be affected. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), a nationally representative survey of adults, the authors investigate how depressive symptoms affect employment patterns, and the extent to which such effects differ by rural and urban residence. Analysis of the data identified the rural sample as more likely to be married, have less education, are less likely to be black or Hispanic, and less likely to have health insurance than the urban sample. For both rural and urban subjects, individuals with depressive symptoms work less than those not depressed. Although the findings indicate no significant difference between depressed rural and urban residents in maintaining employment, questions remain about rural access to mental health services, such as employee assistance, productivity on the job, and the survival or coping strategies of rural workers with depressive symptoms.

Topics Centers Researchers Other Resources Search		Lisa Morris, PhD Maine Rural Health Research Center Phone: 207.780.5876 E-mail: lmorris@usm.maine.edu Maine Rural Health Research Center University of Southern Maine 400 Congress St. Portland, ME 04101 Completed Projects (1) Impact of Mental and Emotional Stress on Rural Employment Patterns, Lead researcher Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topic: Mental health This study will use the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to investigate how mental health symptoms affect employment patterns, and the extent to which these effects differ by rural and urban residence. Publications (1) Rural-Urban Differences in Work Patterns Among Adults With Depressive Symptoms Author(s): Lisa Morris, Stephenie Loux, Erika Ziller, David Hartley Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center Topic: Mental health Report Number: Working Paper #38 Date: 03 / 2008 This study addresses the issue of poor mental health among young to middle-career rural residents and how their employment may be affected. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), a nationally representative survey of adults, the authors investigate how depressive symptoms affect employment patterns, and the extent to which such effects differ by rural and urban residence. Analysis of the data identified the rural sample as more likely to be married, have less education, are less likely to be black or Hispanic, and less likely to have health insurance than the urban sample. For both rural and urban subjects, individuals with depressive symptoms work less than those not depressed. Although the findings indicate no significant difference between depressed rural and urban residents in maintaining employment, questions remain about rural access to mental health services, such as employee assistance, productivity on the job, and the survival or coping strategies of rural workers with depressive symptoms.