3 Employment and income Spotlight

“If you’re constantly looking at people who are living their best life and you feel like you’re not, then that can impact your mental health. Local authorities can influence people’s employment opportunities in many ways, from adopting good employment practices for their own employees, to using the Social Value Act across their commissioning. One study has found that adults in a lower socio-economic position reported larger increases in depression and anxiety following adverse experiences between April and May 2020 than adults in higher socio-economic positions. Adverse experiences included major loss of income or loss of employment. Evidence collected at the start of the first national lockdown highlighted that adults with lower incomes were more likely to report higher levels of anxiety and depression than adults with higher incomes .

• In fact, many people who endure a personal crisis find it life-enhancing in that it often leads to a breakthrough which helps them reappraise their choices and values.
• This is a difficult and stressful time for many, and some short-term increases in psychological distress and anxiety are to be expected.
• Policies announced in the Budget are rightly focused on economic recovery and tackling the expected rise in unemployment.

You think about your job all the time and start dreading Monday on Sunday. “We wish you all the depression and job search best in your future endeavours” is one of the nastiest sentences in the English language.

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As Stylist’s digital writer, Lauren Geall writes on topics including mental health, wellbeing and women’s issues. She’s also a big fan of houseplants and likes to dabble in film and TV from time-to-time. If job hunting is now your full time job, it’s important to establish a work/life balance just as you would in any role.

Depression affects all of us in different ways, but there are some things that are common amongst the majority of people living with depression. It can cause us to struggle at work, or be unable to work at all, and can leave us with money problems.

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We are all unique, and because of that we experience things differently – depression is no exception. Unlike catching a bug, there isn’t one thing that we can say ‘causes’ depression.

One in 4 UK employees reported having a physical health condition, and 1 in 5 of those employees with physical health conditions also reported having a mental health condition. People with one health condition have an employment rate of 61%, while those with 5 or more have an employment rate of 23%. As adults in employment spend a large proportion of their time in work, our jobs and our workplaces can have a big impact on our health and wellbeing. In fact, employment can impact both directly and indirectly on the individual, their families and communities.

Self-Care Tips if You’re Feeling Depressed at Work

If you have any of these symptoms regularly over a two-week period, it’s best to go to see your GP. Psychreg is mainly for information purposes only; materials on this website are not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Don’t disregard professional advice or delay in seeking treatment because of what you have read on this website. Offer your support, listen and reassure them that how they’re feeling can be improved. If your symptoms are mild, your GP may take a ‘wait and see’ approach. They may give you some advice on how to cope with symptoms then see if symptoms improve within a few weeks. 1.6 million older people are going without the care they need, and 2 million carers are older themselves.

Another found that adults with perceived financial difficulties were more likely to report sleep loss. The ROI tool focuses specifically on the impact on mental health of moving from unemployment to employment. The results can be used by local authorities, clinical commissioning groups , Jobcentre Plus and national policymakers to make the case for greater investment in health and work interventions. Just as unemployment can be a risk factor for various health conditions, long-term health conditions including MSK conditions such as back pain can also be the cause of unemployment. Those who have access to and implement adaptive coping skills handle crises reasonably well. Meanwhile, those who face problems of health and poverty often struggle to access and implement appropriate strategies. Psychologists should keep these considerations in mind when determining how unemployment affects people psychologically and how individuals can care for their mental health while unemployed.