Psychological symptoms and loneliness in unemployed people diagnosed with mental illnesses

Purpose: Loneliness is a pervasive phenomenon that is linked to adverse health outcomes. Unemployed individuals with mental illnesses (UMIs) constitute a high-risk group, with substantial implications for both health and vocational (re)integration. This study aims to gain deeper insights into the relationships between psychological problems and symptoms of psychopathology and loneliness in UMIs.

Methods: Our research is based on a sample from LIPSY, a project that aims to maintain or restore employability. Two regression analyses were conducted on a sample of unemployed participants diagnosed with a mental illness (ICD-10: F-code) with the outcome variable loneliness (UCLA). In the first analysis, age, gender, education, cohabitation status, and social network size (LSNS-6) were used as predictors; in the second one, the nine symptom dimensions (SCL-90) - (1) Somatization, (2) Obsessive-Compulsive, (3) Interpersonal Sensitivity, (4) Depression, (5) Anxiety, (6) Anger-Hostility, (7) Phobic Anxiety, (8) Paranoid Ideation, (9) Psychoticism -were added.

Results: Our sample included 397 participants with an average age of 35.8 years, 53.1% were female. The final regression showed significant positive associations between higher levels of education, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression, and the outcome loneliness, and a significant negative relationship between Somatization and loneliness.

Conclusion: The high scores on all SCL-90 dimensions, and the links identified between Somatization, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression, and loneliness highlight the importance of psychological screening and/or diagnostics in this high-risk group and offer several starting points for prevention measures as well as interventions.