A new study has found that people who have been hospitalized due to a mental disorder before the age of 25 have considerably poorer prospects of finding a job, as well as poor education and low income.
Researchers at the University of Helsinki found that the employment rate was the lowest among individuals who were hospitalized for schizophrenia. Less than 10 percent were employed during the follow-up period of the study, researchers reported.
Additionally, less than half of the individuals hospitalized for mood disorders worked after the age of 25.
The earnings of people with serious mental disorders in their youth were quite low and did not improve later, the study found. More than half had no earnings over the follow-up period.
The study involved more than 2 million individuals living in Finland between 1988 and 2015, who were monitored between the ages of 25 and 52.
“People suffering from mental disorders drop out from the labor market for a wide range of reasons,” said Dr. Christian Hakulinen, a postdoctoral researcher from the University of Helsinki. “However, opportunities for contributing to professional life and acquiring an education should already be taken into consideration at the early stages of treating serious mental disorders, provided the patient’s condition allows it.”
The study was published in the Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica journal.
Source: University of Helsinki