THURSDAY, Nov. 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Job insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with self-reported anxiety and depression among U.S. young adults, according to a study published online Nov. 9 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Kyle T. Ganson, Ph.D., from the University of Toronto, and colleagues evaluated the associations between job insecurity and symptoms of anxiety and depression among U.S. young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis included results from 4,852 young adults (aged 18 to 26 years) participating in the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey (June 15 to 30, 2020).
The researchers found that 59 percent of participants experienced direct or household employment loss since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, 38 percent of respondents were expected to experience direct or household employment loss in the coming four weeks. Nearly two-thirds of participants (64 percent) reported feeling down, depressed, or hopeless; three-quarters reported being anxious, nervous, or on edge; and just over two-thirds (67 percent) reported having little interest or pleasure in doing things. Recent direct or household employment loss as well as expected direct or household employment loss were associated with a greater risk for poor mental health on four measures.
“It is important to support young people through robust unemployment benefit programs, as well as developing policies that expand health insurance and mental health treatment access,” the authors write.
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