Mental health is a subject which has virtually become a household topic of late. Society as a whole seems concerned, on an increasing basis, about the cases of mental illness that continue to plague our twenty-first century world and with ongoing fears about continued global economic difficulties, these concerns are only deepening. The global economic crisis has had a significant impact on our employability; jobs are not as plentiful as they once were and people are starting to find their mental health is being significantly impacted as a result.

Is There a Connection Between Unemployment and Mental Illness?

In fact, there are a growing number of studies which indicate there is a startling link between mental illness and unemployment. Certainly, it should come as no surprise that the unemployed may struggle to maintain a positive mental outlook; finding a job can be stressful in a healthy economy, let alone in one that’s currently struggling. However, the impact goes beyond simply the individual. Communities and relationships both falter when the unemployment rate starts to climb, and self-esteem, life satisfaction, and sense of purpose in life all fall accordingly. There is also a perceived loss of control over what’s going to come next that can really have a significant impact on a person’s sense of mental well being.

Depression and Unemployment: The Vicious Cycle

When someone’s unemployed, they are four times as likely to be depressed as their employed peers. This, in turn, kicks off a vicious cycle; the person feels depressed and is encouraged to go out and try to stay active, but has no real want to do so. As a result, he or she tends to look at life as it is as a depressed, unemployed person and really begins a downward spiral as far as his or her self-esteem or sense of self-worth goes. There is an increased tendency to look at life through a sense of being incapable of doing things rather than being motivated to move on and grow towards new challenges.

How Gender Impacts The Link

Mental health and unemployment tends to cross genders as well, with men tending to be more negatively impacted if they are unemployed. This could be perhaps due to the gender-socialized role of men needing to be the “hunter-gatherer” of the family; as the chief breadwinners, men are expected to be able to provide for their family and when they’re not able to do so, they may view it as a failure as a man rather than a simple reflection of tough economic times. Women tend not to be as significantly impacted in terms of their mental health, and this is possibly due to them taking on a more nurturing role in the family unit, and perhaps more readily accepting of returning home rather than going to work.

Final Note…

Unemployment and mental health issues are inextricably linked, largely due to the social influence about the importance of being employed. We all need to survive; because of the capitalist society in which we live, we very much need jobs. Not having one means not being able to provide for ourselves or our families; small wonder that this would have a significant impact on our mental health.

Questions about Mental Health? ASK JOAN.