In a survey of the economic activity and health of 25 year-olds, researchers found that for every person in stable work who said they had poor mental health, there were 2.36 unemployed people who responded in an equivalent way. And this was after other background factors – including gender, ethnicity, social class, and prior mental health – had been taken into account.

Unemployed survey participants were also less likely to report having good general health than their counterparts in stable work.

With youth unemployment far higher than the UK average, the findings suggest that links between unemployment and poor mental and physical health will have a disproportionate impact on young people.

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