Unemployment and mental health: A neglected relationship

This paper reviews aspects of the existing theoretical and data base relating to unemployment and mental health. The literature indicates that job loss has predictable effects on individual sense of well-being and, further, that the effects differ in particular populations related to variables such as age, gender, and occupational background. The literature also suggests that early intervention after unemployment is likely to be important in ameliorating the undesirable effects on psychological well-being. Finally, the paper chastises mental health policymakers, especially in the United States, for their failure to devote resources to encourage investigations into mental health implications for workers and the unemployed.