New research finds that young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) are highly motivated to work but face greater vulnerability to mental health problems. The study was carried out by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London in collaboration with teams at Duke University and the University of California.
The report examines how this generation, which confronts some of the weakest job prospects in decades, experiences the transition from school to early adulthood. While NEET youth are often portrayed as unmotivated, this evaluation uses a large contemporary British cohort to separate motivation from other barriers to employment, such as mental health and skill gaps.
Researchers drew on the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative cohort of 2,232 British twins born in 1994–1995. At age 18, more than 2,000 participants were assessed for work-related attitudes and behaviors, practical and interpersonal skills, and diagnoses of mental health and substance use disorders. About 12% of the sample were classified as NEET.
The findings, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, challenge the assumption that NEET status stems from a lack of willingness to work. On measures of commitment to work and job-search activity, NEET young people reported equal or greater motivation and more active job-seeking behaviors than their peers in education, employment or training. Yet the NEET group reported fewer soft skills—such as teamwork, communication, leadership and time management—and lower optimism about future prospects.
At the same time, NEET participants displayed substantially higher rates of mental health and substance use problems. Nearly 60% of NEET young people had experienced at least one mental health issue during childhood or adolescence, compared with roughly 35% of those who were in education, employment or training. Rates of specific disorders were also markedly higher: 35% of NEET participants met criteria for depression compared to 18% of their non-NEET peers, and 14% had generalized anxiety disorder compared with 6% among non-NEET youth.
Further analysis controlled for earlier mental health vulnerability and showed that the association between NEET status and current mental health problems persisted: NEET status was linked to elevated concurrent mental health difficulties independent of childhood or adolescent mental health history. This suggests that both pre-existing conditions and experiences around disengagement from school or employment contribute to poorer mental health outcomes in late adolescence.
Professor Terrie Moffitt, a co-author from the IoPPN at King’s College London, emphasized that the evidence points away from a motivation problem and toward a combination of stress, employer preferences and early signs of serious mental illness. She noted that for many young people, the stress of wanting work but being unable to find it can worsen mental health; employers may prefer candidates who appear healthier; and early manifestations of serious mental illness can themselves lead to withdrawal from education and employment.
Co-author Professor Louise Arseneault added that NEET youth are often unfairly labeled as unwilling to work. The study finds they are equally motivated but face psychological challenges and skill deficits that reduce their chances in the labor market. The authors argue for better mental health support during the transition from school to work and for targeted training in professional “soft” skills that can improve employability.
Source: Jack Stonebridge – King’s College London
Image source: Public domain (illustrative image)
Original research: Abstract for “Committed to work but vulnerable: self-perceptions and mental health in NEET 18-year olds from a contemporary British cohort” by Sidra Goldman‑Mellor et al., Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Published online August 26, 2015. DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12459
Abstract
Committed to work but vulnerable: self-perceptions and mental health in NEET 18-year olds from a contemporary British cohort
Background:
Young people disengaged from education, employment or training (NEET) face long-term social and economic consequences, yet the causes and correlates of youth disengagement are not fully understood. This study compared work-related self-perceptions, skill sets and mental health vulnerability among NEET youth and their peers.
Methods:
Participants were drawn from the E-Risk longitudinal study, a representative UK cohort of 2,232 twins born in 1994–1995. At age 18, measures included commitment to work, job-search effort, professional and technical skills, soft skills (teamwork, decision‑making, communication), optimism about future prospects, and diagnoses of mental health and substance use disorders. Childhood mental health history was also examined.
Results:
At age 18, 11.6% of participants were NEET. NEET youth reported strong commitment to work and more intensive job-search efforts than non‑NEET peers, but they reported fewer soft skills (B = −0.98, p < .001) and less optimism about getting ahead (B = −2.41, p < .001). NEET individuals showed higher rates of concurrent mental health and substance abuse problems; nearly 60% had experienced one or more mental health problems in childhood/adolescence, compared with 35% of non‑NEET youth. Associations between NEET status and current mental health problems remained after accounting for pre-existing vulnerability.
Conclusions:
NEET status is associated with both economic disadvantage and elevated mental health vulnerability, but not with lower motivation to work. Interventions should address mental health support and development of soft skills to improve employment outcomes for this high-risk group.