King's College London
Young people who are not in education, employment or training
(NEET) are committed to working but vulnerable to experiencing mental health
problems, according to a new study by researchers from the Institute of
Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London,
Duke University and the University of California.
The current generation of young people faces the worst job
prospects in decades, yet previous research into how 'NEET' youths feel about
their own prospects and how unemployment affects their mental health is scarce.
The study, published in the Journal of Child Psychology
and Psychiatry, found that NEET participants showed greater vulnerability
for mental health issues, including higher rates of mental health and substance
abuse problems. However, when interviewed about attitudes toward work and
actual job-seeking strategies they had used, the NEET youth reported higher
levels of commitment to work and more job searching behaviours, as compared to
non NEET youth in the sample.
Nearly 60 per cent of NEET youths had already experienced more
than one mental health problem in childhood or adolescence, compared to around
35 per cent of young people who were in education, employment or training. 35
per cent of NEET participants suffered from depression compared to 18 per cent
of non-NEET youths and 14 per cent had generalised anxiety disorder, compared
to 6 per cent of their non-NEET peers.
The researchers also found that NEET participants were less
equipped to succeed in the job market, reporting fewer 'soft'skills such as
problem-solving, leadership and time management.
Professor Terrie Moffitt, co-author of the study from the IoPPN
at King's College London, said: 'Our findings indicate that while the struggle
to find work appears to take its toll on the mental health of young people,
this does not appear to be an issue of motivation. The majority of 18-year-olds
we spoke to were endeavouring to find jobs and committed to the idea of work,
although they are perhaps hampered by a lack of skills that would serve them
well in the job market.
'Compared to their peers, NEET young people are also contending
with substantial mental health problems, including depression, anxiety,
substance abuse and aggression control.'
In a follow-up analysis the researchers accounted for
pre-existing vulnerability to mental health problems and found that the impact
on mental health remained large and statistically significant in nearly all
cases.
Professor Moffitt added: 'We think that NEET status and mental
health problems may occur in tandem in young people for a number of reasons.
First, the stress of wanting to work but being unable to can be harmful to
mental health; second, employers tend to prefer applicants who seem healthier
and third, because early manifestations of serious mental illness can in itself
include disengagement from education and employment.'
Professor Louise Arseneault, co-author from the IoPPN, said:
'Young people who are neither working nor studying are often assumed to be
unmotivated or unwilling to work, yet our study suggests that they are just as
motivated as their peers -- but many face psychological challenges that put
them at a disadvantage when seeking employment.
'It is crucial that young people are better supported by mental
health services as they make this challenging transition from school to
employment, and that they be trained in professional 'soft'skills which could
help them in the search for employment.'
