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Employment and Mental Health

7 December 2023

The links between employment and mental health are well established.

  • Working can give people a sense of identity and provide regular interaction and shared experiences with people outside of their immediate family
  • It can provide a sense of personal achievement
  • Structured routines help give direction to the day and promote the need for prioritisation and planning
  • Employing people with mental illness can reduce stigma in the workforce

 

Unfortunately, people with mental illness are less likely to hold stable employment. Approximately 37 per cent of people with lived experience of mental illness, or 67 per cent with severe mental illness, are not in the workforce compared to 22 per cent of people without mental health conditions.

Employment programs that help people with mental illness reintegrate into the workforce form a crucial part of the recovery journey. This document provides links to the large body of evidence supporting these programs.

File Type: pdf