Unemployment Is Worse for Mental Health Than a Bad Job. Yes, Really.

Once, I had the shittiest job. Toxic workplace, bullying, the kind of place that made you feel sick before you even got out of bed. I hated every second of it.

Then, I had six months of unemployment—no structure, no purpose, no reason to even set an alarm. Just floating, feeling like an extra in the movie of life. The emptiness, the detachment, the pointlessness of it all.

And I honestly don’t know which one was worse for my mental health.

We talk a lot about how work breaks people—and it does. But what we don’t talk about enough is how, in the right environment, work can actually save people. The truth is, long-term unemployment can do more damage to your mental health than a bad job. Work gives us purpose, structure, and connection—the things that help us stay mentally well.

So maybe the question isn’t just how do we protect mental health at work? Maybe it’s also how do we help people who are struggling find work that supports their mental health in the first place?"

The Hidden Mental Health Crisis: No Work at All

Work gives us all the things that actually improve mental well-being. ?Yet, in the UK alone, 1 in 10 working-age adults are now permanently out of the workforce due to mental health reasons, with many having never worked a single day in their lives. And here’s where it gets tricky—the longer someone stays out of work, the harder it is to get back in. It’s a vicious cycle of fear, avoidance, and deteriorating mental health.

There’s a similar trend in the U.S. The Rutgers Study, found that up to 90% of U.S. adults with serious mental health conditions like depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder are unemployed.

Yet studies also show that people with mental health challenges who find employment live longer, have better physical health, and experience fewer relapses of mental illness. Work provides:

·?????? Structure and stability

·?????? Social interaction and connection

·?????? A sense of identity and competence

·?????? Financial independence and

·?????? Access to better healthcare

Dr. Karen L. Jacob of McLean’s Gunderson Residence puts it simply:

"Working has been shown to help stabilize people struggling with mental health conditions. It provides daily structure and meaningful experiences. It helps people practice the skills they learn in therapy, like managing emotions and social interactions. The sense of competency that comes from work is invaluable.”

The Workplace Mental Health Paradox

I was just having a conversation with someone about toxic workplaces, and it still amazes me how, even in this day and age, poor management, bullying, and toxic work environments are so prevalent.

So, here’s the irony:

·?????? Work can be the thing that saves people, but it can also be the thing that breaks them.

·?????? The same environment that gives people structure, purpose, and stability can also strip them of their confidence and push them into depression.

?It’s a double-edged sword, and too many workplaces are still on the wrong side of it.

A workplace can be:

·?????? A sanctuary—where people find meaning, connection, and self-worth.

·?????? A battlefield—where toxicity, micromanagement, and poor leadership grind people down.

It shouldn’t be a lottery. Work should be a protective factor in mental health, not a cause of the problem.

Thought: In Botswana unemployment could be as high as 30% what impact must that be having on mental health?

So, Where Do We Go From Here?

Policymakers and business leaders need to stop looking at work and mental health as separate conversations. If we’re serious about addressing the global mental health crisis, we need to be equally serious about getting people back into work —but in a meaningful, supportive way.

Here’s what needs to happen:

?Not by forcing people into roles that aren’t suited to them, but by:

·?????? Creating supportive pathways into work for those with mental health struggles, rather than writing them off.

·?????? Redesigning workplaces to be more inclusive—flexibility, support, and mental health accommodations should be the norm.

·?????? Challenging the outdated belief that ‘work-life balance’ means working less. In reality, having no work at all is far worse for mental health than working hard in a job that gives you purpose.

There’s an old English adage that says, “Hard work never killed anyone.”

That’s debatable.

But here’s what we do know: Being out of work for too long? It messes with your head. The longer you're unemployed, the harder it is to get back in—and the worse you feel.

A good job can actually protect your mental health. The right workplace gives you purpose, structure, and connection—things that keep your mind in a better place.

And let’s be honest—'work-life balance' doesn’t mean much if there’s no work to balance it with. Having nothing to do, no salary, and no sense of purpose? That’s not balance. That’s just… stuck.