Sidra Goldman-Mellor1,2, Avshalom Caspi3,4,5, Louise Arseneault5, Nifemi Ajala5, Antony Ambler5, Andrea Danese5,6,7, Helen Fisher5, Abigail Hucker5, Candice Odgers8, Teresa Williams9, Chloe Wong5, Terrie E Moffitt3,4,5. 1. Department of Public Health, University of California, Merced, CA, USA. 2. Center for Developmental Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. 3. Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. 4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. 5. Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK. 6. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK. 7. National and Specialist Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Clinic, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. 8. Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. 9. Nuffield Foundation, London, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Labour market disengagement among youths has lasting negative economic and social consequences, yet is poorly understood. We compared four types of work-related self-perceptions, as well as vulnerability to mental health and substance abuse problems, among youths not in education, employment or training (NEET) and among their peers. METHODS: Participants were from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) longitudinal study, a nationally representative UK cohort of 2,232 twins born in 1994-1995. We measured commitment to work, job-search effort, professional/technical skills, 'soft' skills (e.g. teamwork, decision-making, communication), optimism about getting ahead, and mental health and substance use disorders at age 18. We also examined childhood mental health. RESULTS: At age 18, 11.6% of participants were NEET. NEET participants reported themselves as committed to work and searching for jobs with greater diligence than their non-NEET peers. However, they reported fewer 'soft' skills (B = -0.98, p < .001) and felt less optimistic about their likelihood of getting ahead in life (B = -2.41, p < .001). NEET youths also had higher rates of concurrent mental health and substance abuse problems, but these did not explain the relationship with work-related self-perceptions. Nearly 60% of NEET (vs. 35% of non-NEET) youths had already experienced ≥1 mental health problem in childhood/adolescence. Associations of NEET status with concurrent mental health problems were independent of pre-existing mental health vulnerability. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that while NEET is clearly an economic and mental health issue, it does not appear to be a motivation issue. Alongside skills, work-related self-perceptions and mental health problems may be targets for intervention and service provision among this high-risk population.
BACKGROUND: Labour market disengagement among youths has lasting negative economic and social consequences, yet is poorly understood. We compared four types of work-related self-perceptions, as well as vulnerability to mental health and substance abuse problems, among youths not in education, employment or training (NEET) and among their peers. METHODS:Participants were from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) longitudinal study, a nationally representative UK cohort of 2,232 twins born in 1994-1995. We measured commitment to work, job-search effort, professional/technical skills, 'soft' skills (e.g. teamwork, decision-making, communication), optimism about getting ahead, and mental health and substance use disorders at age 18. We also examined childhood mental health. RESULTS: At age 18, 11.6% of participants were NEET. NEET participants reported themselves as committed to work and searching for jobs with greater diligence than their non-NEET peers. However, they reported fewer 'soft' skills (B = -0.98, p < .001) and felt less optimistic about their likelihood of getting ahead in life (B = -2.41, p < .001). NEET youths also had higher rates of concurrent mental health and substance abuse problems, but these did not explain the relationship with work-related self-perceptions. Nearly 60% of NEET (vs. 35% of non-NEET) youths had already experienced ≥1 mental health problem in childhood/adolescence. Associations of NEET status with concurrent mental health problems were independent of pre-existing mental health vulnerability. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that while NEET is clearly an economic and mental health issue, it does not appear to be a motivation issue. Alongside skills, work-related self-perceptions and mental health problems may be targets for intervention and service provision among this high-risk population.
Authors: Ralph Catalano; Sidra Goldman-Mellor; Katherine Saxton; Claire Margerison-Zilko; Meenakshi Subbaraman; Kaja LeWinn; Elizabeth Anderson Journal: Annu Rev Public Health Date: 2011 Impact factor: 21.981
Authors: Daniel W Belsky; Avshalom Caspi; Louise Arseneault; David L Corcoran; Benjamin W Domingue; Kathleen Mullan Harris; Renate M Houts; Jonathan S Mill; Terrie E Moffitt; Joseph Prinz; Karen Sugden; Jasmin Wertz; Benjamin Williams; Candice L Odgers Journal: Nat Hum Behav Date: 2019-04-08
Authors: Timothy Matthews; Andrea Danese; Avshalom Caspi; Helen L Fisher; Sidra Goldman-Mellor; Agnieszka Kepa; Terrie E Moffitt; Candice L Odgers; Louise Arseneault Journal: Psychol Med Date: 2018-04-24 Impact factor: 7.723
Authors: Sara R Jaffee; Antony Ambler; Melissa Merrick; Sidra Goldman-Mellor; Candice L Odgers; Helen L Fisher; Andrea Danese; Louise Arseneault Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2018-09 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Jessica C Agnew-Blais; Guilherme V Polanczyk; Andrea Danese; Jasmin Wertz; Terrie E Moffitt; Louise Arseneault Journal: JAMA Psychiatry Date: 2016-07-01 Impact factor: 21.596