A life course perspective on mental health problems, employment, and work outcomes
本研究追踪荷兰青少年12年，发现童年至青年期心理健康问题的不同轨迹（如高稳定、下降等）与22岁时的就业状况和工作特征（如工时、收入）显著相关，尤其内化问题轨迹者劳动市场过渡更困难。
Objectives Little is known about how employment and work outcomes among young adults are influenced by their life-course history of mental health problems. Therefore, the aims of this study were to (i) identify trajectories of mental health problems from childhood to young adulthood and (ii) investigate the association between these trajectories and employment and work outcomes among young adults. Methods Data were used from 360 participants of the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS), a Dutch prospective cohort study, with 12-year follow-up. Trajectories of externalizing and internalizing problems were identified with latent class growth models. Employment conditions and work outcomes (ie, psychosocial work characteristics) were measured at age 22. We assessed the association between mental health trajectories and employment conditions and work outcomes. Results Four trajectories of mental health problems were identified: high-stable, decreasing, moderate-stable and low-stable. Young adults with high-stable trajectories of externalizing problems worked over six hours more [B=6.71, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.82-10.6] and had a higher income [odds ratio (OR) 0.33, 95% CI 0.15-0.71], than young adults with low-stable trajectories. Young adults with high-stable trajectories of internalizing problems worked six hours less per week (B=-6.07, 95% CI -10.1- -2.05) and reported lower income (OR 3.44, 95% CI 1.53-7.74) and poorer psychosocial work characteristics, compared to young adults with low-stable trajectories. Conclusions Among young adults who had a paid job at the age of 22 (and were not a student or unemployed), those with a history of internalizing problems are less likely to transition successfully into the labor market, compared to other young adults.