Relationship between mental health disorders and unemployment status in Australian adults

To compare the prevalence of anxiety and affective disorders among employed and unemployed patients and to compare the type of treatment received between the two groups for these disorders.

A secondary analysis of the 1997 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing of Adults cross-sectional study was undertaken.

Unemployed adults were more likely to have symptoms of anxiety (OR = 3.09, 95% CI = 2.80-3.41) or an affective disorder (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.95-2.27) or anxiety and/or affective disorders (OR = 2.53, 95% CI = 2.37-2.69). Unemployed participants with symptoms were less likely to have seen a general practitioner for treatment but when they did they received similar care to employed participants.

These results confirm studies reported elsewhere that the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and/or affective disorders is higher for unemployed people. The data provide further evidence that people with an anxiety and/or affective disorder who are unemployed are not seeking medical treatment. However, unlike previous research undertaken by our group, these results indicate that symptomatic adults who seek help receive comparable treatment in general practice irrespective of their employment status.