Depressive symptoms and employment status among Belgian adolescents

The association of employment status and depressive symptoms was assessed by means of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale in a population of 898 male and female subjects aged 16 to 21. The unemployed subjects (N = 300) scored significantly higher on depressive symptoms than did the students (N = 300) or the employed workers (N = 298) even when gender was controlled. Although the quantity of depressive symptoms differed, the nature of the symptoms experienced was similar in the three groups. Affective symptoms were more common than symptoms in somatic or interpersonal areas, suggesting that in adolescence and young adulthood there is a high degree of affective disturbance. We conclude that primary unemployment is associated with a substantial degree of depressive morbidity.