Personal control as a mediator and moderator between life strains and psychological well-being in the unemployed

This study surveyed 214 unemployed adults on well-being, the latent (status, social support, activity, time structure, collective purpose) and manifest benefits (financial strain) of employment, and personal control. We tested whether personal control would predict well-being over and above the effects of the latent and manifest benefits, and tested whether it moderated or mediated the relationship between the latent and manifest benefits and well-being. Personal control explained additional variance over and above the latent and manifest benefits; it moderated the effect of both activity and financial strain on well-being; and it mediated the relationship between financial strain, time structure, collective purpose, status, and well-being. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.