Out of the labour force and out of school: a population-representative study of youth labour force attachment and mental health

This study examines youth mental health at the nexus of work and education, with a focus on youth who are both out of the labour force and out of school. Using data from a nationally representative sample of Canadian youth ages 15-29 (n = 4883), this study examines the relationship between self-reported symptoms of depression, distress, and life-satisfaction and five distinct categories of labour market and educational attachment (employed non-students, employed students, students, unemployed youth, and youth out of the labour force and school). Main associations were estimated using logistic and ordered-logit regression. Stratified analyses were done to examine whether associations differed by youth socioeconomic status (SES). Study findings indicate that being unemployed has distinct associations with mental health compared with being out of the labour force and out of school. Unemployed youth had higher odds of depression, greater distress, and lower life-satisfaction, whereas the mental health of youth who were out of the labour force and out of school were not significantly different than employed non-students. There was some indication that being out of the labour force and out of school may be associated with higher life satisfaction for high-SES youth, but estimates were not statistically significant.