The Dangers of Being Unemployed and Out of School

"What once seemed like a rare event is becoming all too common: A young adult in their 20s at home, on their computer, and not in education, employment or training. Referred to as NEETs, these young people now represent as many as one in five youth worldwide, and as much as 12 percent of all young adults in countries like the United States and Canada, where economic opportunities should, in theory, be more plentiful."

"The toll of being NEET on young people's mental health can be devastating. Higher rates of depression, loneliness, anxiety and a persistent pattern of languishing are typical of youth who have no reason to get out of bed in the morning and few prospects of tomorrow being much better. Some young people appear to be more at risk than others: One Dutch study found that early experiences of mental health challenges predicted chronic disengagement from school and work as young people enter their 20s."

"Anecdotally, I know of three families dealing with exactly this problem, and in all three cases, the parents have been unable to do anything to help except provide their adult children with access to a computer, food, laundry service, a bedroom and in a few instances, the expectation that they contribute to their family's daily chores. In every case, the argument for the status quo is the same: There are simply no jobs out there and no way to change the situation."

Many young adults in their 20s live at home, use computers, and are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). NEET rates reach as high as one in five youth globally and about 12 percent in some high-income countries. Being NEET correlates with higher rates of depression, loneliness, anxiety, and a persistent pattern of languishing. Early mental health challenges increase the risk of chronic disengagement from school and work. Family experiences often include parents providing basic needs while young adults remain inactive and claim lack of job opportunities. In some cases, parental insistence on changing career goals may be necessary.

Read at Psychology Today