I have a friend who looked up from his desk one day to see the head of HR -- who normally worked in another city -- going cubicle to cubicle. He'd stop every now and then to ask an employee to come to his office. The company was downsizing, and because employees didn't know what was happening or who was being laid off, it appeared to be random. My friend said that, because the director was dressed all in black that day, it was like the Grim Reaper going through the office plucking victims from their chairs. He was joking, but the stress in his voice was evident, as was the relief he wasn't one of the "chosen."

Downsizing is devastating on those who lose their jobs, there's no argument there. But what about those who remain at a company after downsizing has occurred? Not surprisingly, survivors of employee cuts are at greater risk of suffering mental health issues as well, according to a recent study done in Finland. Studying 27,000 municipal workers over a six year time period, researchers discovered that men who lost their jobs were most likely to seek out a prescription for psychotropic drugs like sleeping pills, anti-anxiety drugs, or antidepressants. They also found that men whose jobs survived the cuts were 50% more likely to seek out prescriptions for those same drugs, compared to men whose units weren't downsized at all.

When downsizing occurs, experts say, employees left behind feel an increase in demands being placed on them as well as heightened insecurity about the future, which may explain these findings. Interestingly, this study was done in Finland -- a country with universal health care and a strong social safety net. I'm curious what the same study would turn up if it was repeated in the United States. What do you think?