Unemployment and mental health

New analysis by the Health Foundation estimates that an increase of 900,000 people in unemployment expected by the end of the year, compared to before the pandemic, will lead to 200,000 more people with poor mental health in the UK.

It is therefore estimated that by winter 2021 there will be a total of 800,000 (or 2 in every 5) unemployed people with poor mental health.

It highlights that the relationship between mental health and unemployment is bi-directional. Good mental health is a key influence on employability, finding a job and remaining in that job. Unemployment causes stress, which ultimately has long-term physiological health effects and can have negative consequences for people’s mental health, including depression, anxiety and lower self-esteem.

Read the report here.