The mental health implications for job seekers post COVID-19

While the physical health implications associated with COVID-19 remain front of mind, we are experiencing a second wave of concerns due to mental health issues, especially among the unemployed. Therefore, Employment Consultants working with unemployed people will need to prepared for this when working with clients.

The combination of not being able to work and the lockdown has led to many people experiencing increased levels of stress and uncertainty. At the same time, many are losing their usual sources of routine, social connection and purpose; all of which is having a significant impact on mental health.

COVID-19 has impacted more than just people's ability to go to work. It has also permeated multiple areas of wellbeing. Social psychology pioneer Marie Jahoda proposed the concept of five beneficial functions of employment that sustain wellbeing and mental health. These functions are:

• Time structure
• Social contact
• Participant in a collective purpose
• Status and identity
• Regular activity

Jahoda argued that the absence of these functions, typically due to unemployment, is harmful to people's wellbeing. When applied to the current pandemic, people have been, or still are, working from home, or they have lost their work entirely. Thus, they are not fulfilling many of the five beneficial functions and may be experiencing a decline in mental health. This has led to increased experiences of boredom, frustration, low mood, depression and anxiety, and when you consider people who have lost their work entirely, who are even less able to fulfil these functions, the risk of mental health problems increases.

The loss or reduction of these five beneficial functions points to an increase in mental health problems due to COVID-19. There is a clear link between poor mental health and difficulties in gaining employment. And while unemployed people may experience the most significant decline in mental health, the economic fallout of the virus will also make it more difficult for them to find work in an increasingly challenging labour market.

Employment consultants working to gain employment for their job seeker clients may face many complicating factors and return to work barriers like anxiety, depression, stress, alcohol use and even experiences of domestic violence. Therefore, it will be equally important to address the mental health problems experienced by job seekers as a result of COVID-19 as it is to address their practical needs in gaining meaningful employment. Increased competition of fewer jobs may mean that some people face extended unemployment even when restrictions eventually lift, a significant risk factor for further declines in mental health.

To address mental health issues, Employment Consultants may need to assist their clients by:

• Scheduling meaningful activity into each day.
• Where possible, encouraging job seeker clients to stay connected to family and friends.
• Familiarising themselves with mental health and wellbeing services to refer their job seekers should they need psychological support.
• Familiarising themselves with drug, alcohol and domestic violence services.

Employment Consultants may also need some strategies to safeguard their mental health and wellbeing, which could include relaxation techniques, effective time management, exercise, keeping a positive mindset and getting enough sleep.