| Abstract |
Drawing on recent research indicating that subjective economic experiences allow for determining the differences in individuals\' health outcomes, the present research tested in the Spanish population the hypothesis that a higher perceived impact of the current economic crisis is related to lower levels of subjective well-being and self-perceived health. In Study 1, participants who feel more affected by this economic downturn reported decreased subjective well-being and self-perceived health, even after controlling for gender, age, and objective and subjective socioeconomic status. Study 2 replicated this pattern of results and extended it to other (negative) health indicators (i.e., psychosomatic symptomatology, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression), controlling also for participants\' employment status. In addition, the results of this study demonstrated that the perceived impact-subjective well-being/health relationship was mediated by personal uncertainty. Finally, Study 3, using an experimental paradigm, showed that the salience of the crisis-related economic threat led to a higher negative affect compared with the control condition. Moreover, the results of this study indicated that such an effect was mediated by state-uncertainty. These findings contribute to expanding the psychological literature on the economic crises\' implications by suggesting that people\'s perceptions of the crisis could affect their well-being and health above and beyond their own objective material circumstances. |
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