The Mental Cost of Job Loss: Assessing the Impact on Young Adults in Vietnam

This study shows that job loss significantly increases levels of anxiety, but not depression.

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Published: 1 August 2022

• Country: Vietnam
• Document Type: Working Paper
• Theme: Health
• Authors: Freund R., Fvara, M, Porter, C, Scott, D, Le Thuc, D

Abstract

We exploit the extensive job loss associated with the devastating fourth wave of COVID-19 in Vietnam to examine the impact of unemployment on young people’s experiences of anxiety and depression. Using data from a longitudinal study with individual and survey-wave fixed effects, we show that job loss significantly increases levels of anxiety, but not depression. Perceived financial strain and food insecurity explain up to 22% of the estimated increase in anxiety. Our results support expanding mental health programmes to explicitly target young adults who have lost their job.

This is an output of the Young Lives at Work programme

Citation

Freund R., M. Fvara, C. Porter, D Scott, D Le Thuc (2022) “The Mental Cost of Job Loss: Assessing the Impact on Young Adults in Vietnam” IZA Discussion paper 15522, August 2022, https://docs.iza.org/dp15522.pdf

Links

The Mental Cost of Job Loss: Assessing the Impact on Young Adults in Vietnam

Published 1 August 2022