Work, worklessness, and mental health
The association between unemployment and mental disorders is complex. Some of the strongest evidence for the causal impact of losing employment on mental health comes from studies carried out during and in the years following national and international financial crises and economic recession. Mental health problems can also lead to unemployment and, once unemployed, people suffering from these conditions have difficulty finding and sustaining employment. It was taken for granted that people with disabilities associated with enduring mental health problem required a lengthy period of re-training before job seeking. More recently, this ‘train then place’ approach has been turned on its head, starting first with job placement and following this with ongoing support to both employee and employer. Research has now shown the latter to be the more effective approach across several countries albeit tempered by factors such as the state of the wider economy and availability of welfare support.