Mental health and unemployment: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to improve depression and anxiety outcomes

Arena, Andrew F.; Mobbs, Sophia; Sanatkar, Samineh; Williams, Douglas; Collins, Daniel; Harris, M.B.; Harvey, Samuel B; Deady, Mark

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2023.05.027

Cited by 24 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…iJobs intends to increase re-employment and prevent mental health issues among its beneficiaries. Such an alternative for people experiencing unemployment is highly needed, mainly because, at the moment, there seem to be no available effective digital mental health interventions tailored to them [ 32 ]. Moreover, a web-based intervention should be easily accessible and cost-reduced, so that many unemployed people could benefit from it shortly after losing their jobs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficacy of the iJobs Web-Based Psychoeducational Intervention to Improve Job Search Behavior and Promote Mental Health Among Unemployed People: Protocol for a Waitlist Randomized Controlled Trial

Bodnaru,

Rusu,

Vîrgă

et al. 2024

JMIR Res Protoc

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Background Unemployment affects millions of people worldwide and, beyond its economic impact, has severe implications for people’s well-being and mental health. Different programs have been developed in response to this phenomenon, but to date, job-search interventions have proved to be most effective, especially the JOBS II program. The JOBS II program proved not only to be effective for re-employment but also has a positive impact on beneficiaries’ mental health (ie, reduces anxiety or depression). However, by now, this evidence-based program has been delivered only on site in the various countries where it was implemented. In the digital era, web-based alternatives to such programs are highly needed because they have the advantages of scalability and cost-effectiveness. Objective In this context, we aim to investigate the efficacy of iJobs, the web-based adaptation of the JOBS II program, on job-search intensity and effort, the quality of job-search behaviors, and job-search self-efficacy. Further, 1 month after the intervention, we will also assess the employment status and the satisfaction with the job (if applicable). This study will also investigate the effect of iJobs on well-being and mental health (ie, anxiety and depression). Methods This study is a 2-arm randomized controlled trial. The 2 independent groups (intervention vs waiting list control group) will be crossed with 3 measurement times (ie, baseline, the postintervention time point, and 1-month follow-up). The design will be a 2 (intervention vs control) × 3 (baseline, the postintervention time point, and 1-month follow-up) factorial design. iJobs is a 2-week intervention consisting of 6 modules: an introductive module and 5 modules adapted from the original JOBS II program to the web-based setting and Romanian population. The web-based intervention also has a human component, as beneficiaries receive personalized written feedback after each module on the platform from a team of psychologists involved in the project. Results The enrollment of study participants started in June 2023 and is expected to end in May 2024. The data collection is expected to be completed by July 2024. The results are expected to be submitted for publication in the summer of 2024. Conclusions This study is the first large-scale randomized controlled trial aiming to test the efficacy of a web-based adaptation of the JOBS II program. If our results support the efficacy of iJobs, they will offer the premise for it to become an evidence-based, accessible alternative for unemployed people in Romania and might be implemented in other countries. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05962554; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05962554 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/55374

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficacy of the iJobs Web-Based Psychoeducational Intervention to Improve Job Search Behavior and Promote Mental Health Among Unemployed People: Protocol for a Waitlist Randomized Controlled Trial

Bodnaru,

Rusu,

Vîrgă

et al. 2024

JMIR Res Protoc

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“…Unemployment is associated with significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety. This is a major public health concern (Arena et al, 2023).…”

Section: Relationship Between Employment and Anxiety Levelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Socio-Demographic Factors Influencing Anxiety in Hemodialysis Patients

Anggraini,

Susilo Budi Pratama

2024

JPK

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Background: Advanced chronic kidney disease patients need hemodialysis, the most used method of renal replacement therapy today. The patient will receive hemodialysis therapy for the rest of their life so that it can have a psychological effect like anxiety. Aims: This study aims to examine the socio-demographic variables affecting anxiety in hemodialysis patients. Method: This research used a cross-sectional analytical observational study design. A total sampling technique was used in this research. From 113 outpatient hemodialysis patients in March 2023, 80 samples of patients at Roemani Semarang Hospital met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria were patients undergoing hemodialysis at Roemani Semarang Hospital who were willing to participate in the study. Exclusion criteria were incomplete questionnaires, patients with impaired consciousness, patients with communication disorders, and patients using anti-anxiety medication. The information collected was primary information from questionnaires and interviews. The data were tested using the Spearman test with a significance level of p<0.05 for age and family support, and the chi-square test for gender, employment, and educational status. Results: The statistical analysis showed a p-value of 0.704 for age, a p-value of 0.020 for gender, a p-value of 0.558 for employment, a p-value of 0.138 for educational level, and a p-value of 0.000 for family support. Conclusion: The results showed a significant relationship between gender and family support with anxiety levels. The higher the family support, the lower the anxiety level. There is no relationship between age, employment, and education level with the anxiety level of patients undergoing hemodialysis at Roemani Semarang Hospital.

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“…There is considerable evidence that stressful life events, which are characterised by experiences in the environment that pose an objective and significant threat to an individual [5], are associated with increases in symptoms of depression and anxiety [5,8,12,17,26] and are also associated with brain differences in regions implicated in emotion regulation [4]. Studies have also highlighted a range of specific life stressors in symptoms of depression and anxiety, including unemployment [1], relationship difficulties [16,26], bereavement [30], natural disasters [2], public health emergencies [6], financial problems [10], and loneliness [17,26]. Furthermore, evidence for a dose-response relationship has been observed, suggesting that exposure to multiple life events has additive impacts on poorer mental health [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing a syndemics perspective on the effects of multiple adversities on depression and anxiety symptoms in a representative population sample

Batterham,

Dawel,

Murray

et al. 2024

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

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Purpose Considerable empirical evidence indicates that stressful life experiences may have a negative impact on mental health. However, it is unclear how multiple adverse experiences may intersect to influence symptoms of depression and anxiety. Using a syndemics approach to identify potential synergistic effects between major stressors, we aimed to quantify the roles of multiple recent adverse life experiences on depression and anxiety symptoms. Methods A population-representative sample of 1090 Australian adults (53% women, Mage 47 years) completed a cross-sectional survey in 2022 that assessed mental health and retrospective reports of nine specific stressful life experiences in the past year. Results The most common adverse life experiences in the past year were financial problems (64%), loneliness (63%), or a major health problem (51%). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, financial problems, personal health problems, health problems in a close contact, relationship problems and loneliness were significantly associated with both depression and anxiety symptoms (p < 0.05). There was just one synergistic interaction and one buffering interaction of combined adversities on anxiety, and no synergistic interactions of adverse experiences on depression. The perceived impact of combined adversities was associated with both depression (b = 0.59, p < 0.001) and anxiety (b = 0.48, p < 0.001). Conclusion Adversity was strongly associated with depression and anxiety. Inconsistent with a syndemics framework, there were very few synergistic relationships between different types of adversities, suggesting that different adverse experiences may independently influence mental health. The findings indicate important opportunities for early intervention to prevent depression and anxiety during difficult times.

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Mental health and unemployment: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to improve depression and anxiety outcomes

Cited by 24 publications

References 93 publications

Efficacy of the iJobs Web-Based Psychoeducational Intervention to Improve Job Search Behavior and Promote Mental Health Among Unemployed People: Protocol for a Waitlist Randomized Controlled Trial

Efficacy of the iJobs Web-Based Psychoeducational Intervention to Improve Job Search Behavior and Promote Mental Health Among Unemployed People: Protocol for a Waitlist Randomized Controlled Trial

Analysis of Socio-Demographic Factors Influencing Anxiety in Hemodialysis Patients

Testing a syndemics perspective on the effects of multiple adversities on depression and anxiety symptoms in a representative population sample

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