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Trends in young adults' mental distress and its association with employment: Evidence from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1993-2019.

Gagné, T; Schoon, I; Sacker, A; (2021) Trends in young adults' mental distress and its association with employment: Evidence from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1993-2019. Preventive Medicine , 150 , Article 106691. 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106691. Green open access

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Abstract

Few have examined how employment is linked to trends in mental health among young adults across economic contexts in more recent years. To better understand the burden of non-employment and mental distress in this age group, this study examines the association of short-term (<1 year) and long-term (1+ year) out-of-work status with mental health across three recessions among young men and women ages 18-34. We report sex-stratified estimates of frequent mental distress (FMD), out-of-work status, and their association through adjusted prevalence ratios across 27 cycles of the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (1993-2019). We found that FMD increased by 112% in men and 120% in women between 1993 and 2019, with 55% (men) and 44% (women) of this increase occurring between 2016 and 2019. Short-term (PR men = 1.53, 95%CI 1.46-1.61; PR women = 1.34, 95%CI 1.29-1.40) and long-term (PR men = 1.61, 95%CI 1.51-1.71; PR women = 1.28, 95%CI 1.22-1.34) out-of-work status were each associated with a higher risk of FMD during this period. The magnitude of associations between long-term out-of-work status and FMD significantly varied across cycles, and was strongest after the 1991 recession in men and the 2008 recession in women. Whereas employment represents an important determinant of mental health among young adults, particularly during economic downturns, it did not suffice to explain the rise in mental distress in this age group in more recent years.

Type: Article
Title: Trends in young adults' mental distress and its association with employment: Evidence from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1993-2019.
Location: United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106691
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106691
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Behavioral risk factor surveillance system, Employment, Mental health, United States, Young adults
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Epidemiology and Public Health
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10131375
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