Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Introduction The high rate of unemployment among emerging adults (aged 18 to 25 years) is a public health concern. The risk of depression is higher among the unemployed than among the employed, but little is known about the relationship between unemployment and mental health among emerging adults. This secondary data analysis assessed the relationship between unemployment and depression among emerging adults.
Methods Data from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed. Responses to the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 provided data about the prevalence of depression. Bivariate relationships were assessed using χ tests, and multivariable adjusted odds ratios were calculated with logistic regressions. Sociodemographic variables were sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, and education. In addition, logistic regression models adjusted for health insurance status, disability, smoking, and body mass index. The analyses were completed using SAS 9.3 survey procedures to account for the complex sampling design.
Results Almost 12% of emerging adults were depressed (PHQ-8 ≥10) and about 23% were unemployed. Significantly more unemployed than employed emerging adults were classified with depression. In the final model, the odds of depression were about 3 times higher for unemployed than employed emerging adults.
Conclusion The relationship between unemployment and depression is significant among emerging adults. With high rates of unemployment for this age group, this population may benefit from employment- and mental-health–focused interventions.
Introduction
Depressive disorders are among the most common mental health problems. As a leading cause of disability, depression is related to reduced quality of life and increased risk for physical health problems. Although depression has substantial consequences throughout the lifespan, depression during emerging adulthood, the period of transition from adolescence to adulthood, influences long-term consequences through recurrent depressive episodes and worse socioeconomic outcomes. Annually, 8.3% of adults aged 18 to 25 report having had at least 1 major depressive episode.
Although many factors contribute to depression, unemployment is consistently associated with high rates of depression among adults. Unemployment may contribute to depression because of losses in social contact and status or stress related to income loss. For emerging adults, long experiences of unemployment increase the likelihood of experiencing depression throughout the transition.
The high unemployment rate among emerging adults, around 20% in 2010, is a substantial public health problem. The potential situational stressor of being unemployed and the developmental stressor of transitioning to young adulthood may combine to increase experiences of depression. However, few studies relating unemployment and depression focus on emerging adults. For example, Brown et al excluded those aged 18 to 25 in their study examining frequent mental distress and unemployment, and Galambos et al did not measure clinically significant depression in their examination of depressive symptoms among recent graduates.
Mental health among emerging adults who are not students is an underresearched topic. This study sought to assess the relationship between unemployment and depression in a sample of emerging adults who did not identify themselves as students. We hypothesized that the prevalence of depression would be higher among unemployed compared with employed emerging adults while controlling for potentially confounding covariates.