What would you like to be when you grow up? This is one of the questions we most commonly ask young children and it highlights how, from a very young age, we socialise children to have expectations of themselves regarding employment. We engender them with a belief that one day they will fulfil a certain role or hold a particular position.
Imagine then the corrosive impact unemployment can have on that child’s confidence and self-worth when they grow up only to find out that there is no job waiting for them. Sadly, more and more, this has been the experience of young people in Ireland today. Aside from the economic and social impact of unemployment, the influence that this can exert on a young person’s developing (and often fragile) mental health is of particular concern.
Research has shown that being out of work is a major risk factor for mental health difficulties. When unemployment strikes during early adulthood, which has been identified as the period of life alongside adolescence when we are most vulnerable to developing mental health problems, it makes for a particularly potent mix. Anxiety, depression and other forms of distress are all too commonly seen in young people who are out of work.
Mental health is an incredibly complex construct but ultimately it rests upon an individual’s sense of identity, belonging and purpose. Young people don’t just develop a sense of identity, belonging and purpose overnight—these are moulded and shaped by many factors and influences over many years. Anything that undermines or threatens the development of these core elements poses a very real threat to the mental health of young people.
Identity
Next to adolescence, early adulthood is a time of intense identity formation—a time for figuring out who we are and where we fit in the world. For many, employment contributes significantly to a sense of self, helping us to define how we see ourselves and how we are viewed by others. Without this framework within which to construct their own unique identities, young people can be vulnerable to feeling confused, inadequate and uncertain.
Belonging
Our mental health also derives from having a sense of belonging. We all want to feel like we fit in, that we are not alone, that we are part of a group or community. This is particularly felt by young people as they are still very much figuring out how or where they belong with others and in the world around them. Being employed often brings with it opportunities to develop a sense of connection to others and to feel less alone. On the converse, being out of work denies young people opportunities to form these connections with other people and can magnify the isolation they feel.
Purpose
Perhaps most detrimental to our mental health, unemployment robs a person of their sense of purpose. A young person who has this experience at the very beginning of their career is especially vulnerable to feeling without purpose, value or worth. A young person who is denied the opportunity to develop their own set of competencies or to demonstrate their skills and abilities, may struggle to develop self-confidence and instead may retreat from the world and lose belief in their ability altogether.
Sigmund Freud observed, "Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness." For those young people experiencing unemployment, these words can serve as a reminder that human connection and relationships with others are more important than ever in helping them through these challenging times.
Equally, work (or in the broadest sense, engaging in activities that promote a sense of agency) is central to maintaining their mental health and wellbeing. For those of us who are close to a young person who is out of work, bear in mind that a supportive relationship with one good adult is key to promoting and supporting the mental health of young people (Dooley and Fitzgerald, 2012).
Anything we can do to help young people who are struggling and out of work to find ways to meet their very human needs for identity, belonging and purpose, is crucial.
For more information visit www.headstrong.ie
