Overindebtedness, unemployment, and poor mental health - and the role of sense of control: a population-based Swiss study.

Background: Both overindebtedness and unemployment are critical life events that can result in or lead to poor mental health. What is less known is that the two partly interrelated events frequently go along with a feeling of loss or lack of control in life, which could be the main reason why they are associated with poor mental health. This has not been examined in previous research, particularly not in this combination. Methods: This study used and merged two cross-sectional data sets. Data collected in 2019 on 219 overindebted clients of the four official debt advisory centers in the Canton of Zurich were linked with a comparable subsample of 1,997 respondents from the Swiss Health Survey of 2017. The entire study population covered 2,216 adult individuals living in the Canton of Zurich. Results: The prevalence of no or low sense of control, medium to high psychological distress, and moderate to major depression was much higher among the 44 solely unemployed (36/30/12%), the 189 solely overindebted (73/83/53%), and particularly among the 30 unemployed and overindebted (93/97/60%) than among all 1,953 other survey participants (21/13/7%). Unemployment, overindebtedness, and a (resulting) lack or loss of control were all found to be strong risk factors for the two mental health outcomes under study. Associations, or rather negative health effects, were partly but not fully mediated by the sense of control. Overindebtedness much more strongly predicted psychological distress (ß = -0.37) and depression (ß = 0.17) than unemployment (ß = -0.05/0.01). The sense of control turned out to be an independent explanatory factor for poor mental health and even the strongest of all (ß = 0.49/-0.59). Conclusion: Improving a person's control beliefs could be a promising measure for preventing mental health disorders in general and in people who are unemployed and/or overindebted in particular.

Analyzing the impact of unemployment on mental health among Chinese university graduates: a study of emotional and linguistic patterns on Weibo.

Purpose: This study explores the intricate relationship between unemployment rates and emotional responses among Chinese university graduates, analyzing how these factors correlate with specific linguistic features on the popular social media platform Sina Weibo. The goal is to uncover patterns that elucidate the psychological and emotional dimensions of unemployment challenges among this demographic. Methods: The analysis utilized a dataset of 30,540 Sina Weibo posts containing specific keywords related to unemployment and anxiety, collected from January 2019 to June 2023. The posts were pre-processed to eliminate noise and refine the data quality. Linear regression and textual analyses were employed to identify correlations between unemployment rates for individuals aged 16-24 and the linguistic characteristics of the posts. Results: The study found significant fluctuations in urban youth unemployment rates, peaking at 21.3% in June 2023. A corresponding increase in anxiety-related expressions was noted in the social media posts, with peak expressions aligning with high unemployment rates. Linguistic analysis revealed that the category of "Affect" showed a strong positive correlation with unemployment rates, indicating increased emotional expression alongside rising unemployment. Other categories such as "Negative emotion" and "Sadness" also showed significant correlations, highlighting a robust relationship between economic challenges and emotional distress. Conclusion: The findings underscore the profound impact of unemployment on the emotional well-being of university students, suggesting that economic hardships are closely linked to psychological stress and heightened negative emotions. This study contributes to a holistic understanding of the socio-economic challenges faced by young adults, advocating for comprehensive support systems that address both the economic and psychological facets of unemployment.

How do labour market conditions explain the development of mental health over the life-course? a conceptual integration of the ecological model with life-course epidemiology in an integrative review of results from the Northern Swedish Cohort.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to contribute to the theoretical development within the field of labour market effects on mental health during life by integrating Bronfenbrenner's ecological model with mainly earlier theoretical work on life-course theory. METHODS: An integrative review was performed of all 52 publications about labour market conditions in relation to mental health from the longitudinal Northern Swedish Cohort study. Inductive and deductive qualitative content analysis were performed in relation to Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework combined with life-course theories. RESULTS: The following nine themes were identified: 1. Macroeconomic recession impairs mental health among young people. 2. The mental health effects on individuals of youth unemployment seem rather insensitive to recession. 3. Small but consistent negative effect of neighbourhood unemployment and other work-related disadvantaged on individuals' mental health over life. 4. Youth unemployment becomes embodied as scars of mental ill-health over life. 5. Weak labour market attachment impairs mental health over life. 6. Bidirectional relations between health and weak labour market attachment over life. 7. Macrolevel structures are of importance for how labour market position cause poor health. 8. Unequal gender relations at work impacts negatively on mental health. 9. The agency to improve health over life in dyadic relations. Unemployment in society permeates from the macrolevel into the exolevel, defined by Bronfenbrenner as for example the labour market of parents or partners or the neighbourhood into the settings closest to the individual (the micro- and mesolevel) and affects the relations between the work, family, and leisure spheres of the individual. Neighbourhood unemployment leads to poor health among those who live there, independent of their employment status. Individuals' exposure to unemployment and temporary employment leads to poorer mental health over the life-course. Temporal dimensions were identified and combined with Bronfenbrenner levels into a contextual life-course model CONCLUSION: Combining the ecosocial theory with life-course theories provides a framework for understanding the embodiment of work-related mental health over life. The labour market conditions surrounding the individual are of crucial importance for the embodiment of mental health over life, at the same time as individual agency can be health promoting. Mental health can be improved by societal efforts in regulations of the labour market.

Efficacy of the iJobs Web-Based Psychoeducational Intervention to Improve Job Search Behavior and Promote Mental Health Among Unemployed People: Protocol for a Waitlist Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Unemployment affects millions of people worldwide and, beyond its economic impact, has severe implications for people's well-being and mental health. Different programs have been developed in response to this phenomenon, but to date, job-search interventions have proved to be most effective, especially the JOBS II program. The JOBS II program proved not only to be effective for re-employment but also has a positive impact on beneficiaries' mental health (ie, reduces anxiety or depression). However, by now, this evidence-based program has been delivered only on site in the various countries where it was implemented. In the digital era, web-based alternatives to such programs are highly needed because they have the advantages of scalability and cost-effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: In this context, we aim to investigate the efficacy of iJobs, the web-based adaptation of the JOBS II program, on job-search intensity and effort, the quality of job-search behaviors, and job-search self-efficacy. Further, 1 month after the intervention, we will also assess the employment status and the satisfaction with the job (if applicable). This study will also investigate the effect of iJobs on well-being and mental health (ie, anxiety and depression). METHODS: This study is a 2-arm randomized controlled trial. The 2 independent groups (intervention vs waiting list control group) will be crossed with 3 measurement times (ie, baseline, the postintervention time point, and 1-month follow-up). The design will be a 2 (intervention vs control) × 3 (baseline, the postintervention time point, and 1-month follow-up) factorial design. iJobs is a 2-week intervention consisting of 6 modules: an introductive module and 5 modules adapted from the original JOBS II program to the web-based setting and Romanian population. The web-based intervention also has a human component, as beneficiaries receive personalized written feedback after each module on the platform from a team of psychologists involved in the project. RESULTS: The enrollment of study participants started in June 2023 and is expected to end in May 2024. The data collection is expected to be completed by July 2024. The results are expected to be submitted for publication in the summer of 2024. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first large-scale randomized controlled trial aiming to test the efficacy of a web-based adaptation of the JOBS II program. If our results support the efficacy of iJobs, they will offer the premise for it to become an evidence-based, accessible alternative for unemployed people in Romania and might be implemented in other countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05962554; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05962554. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/55374.

Risk of not being in employment, education or training (NEET) in late adolescence is signalled by school readiness measures at 4-5 years.

BACKGROUND: Not being in employment, education, or training (NEET) is associated with poor health (physical and mental) and social exclusion. We investigated whether England's statutory school readiness measure conducted at 4-5 years provides a risk signal for NEET in late adolescence. METHODS: We identified 8,118 individuals with school readiness measures at 4-5 years and NEET records at 16-17 years using Connected Bradford, a bank of linked routinely collected datasets. Children were categorised as 'school ready' if they reached a 'Good Level of Development' on the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile. We used probit regression and structural equation modelling to investigate the relationship between school readiness and NEET status and whether it primarily relates to academic attainment. RESULTS: School readiness was significantly associated with NEET status. A larger proportion of young people who were not school ready were later NEET (11%) compared to those who were school ready (4%). Most of this effect was attributable to shared relationships with academic attainment, but there was also a direct effect. Measures of deprivation and Special Educational Needs were also strong predictors of NEET status. CONCLUSIONS: NEET risk factors occur early in life. School readiness measures could be used as early indicators of risk, with interventions targeted to prevent the long-term physical and mental health problems associated with NEET, especially in disadvantaged areas. Primary schools are therefore well placed to be public health partners in early intervention strategies.

Psychological implications of unemployment among higher educated migrant youth in Kolkata City, India.

Mental health issues are intricately linked to socioeconomic background, employment and migration status. However, there remains a gap in understanding the mental health challenges faced by graduate youth in India, particularly in Kolkata City. This study aims to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of depression, anxiety, and stress among higher-educated migrant youth. A survey was conducted on four hundred migrant graduate youths aged 21-35 residing in Kolkata. Measures included socio-demographics and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression were employed to identify factors associated with mental health issues. The overall prevalence rates were 54.4% for depression, 61.8% for anxiety, and 47.9% for stress. Unemployed youths exhibited significantly more symptoms of depression and anxiety than their employed counter parts. The logistic regression model showed that unemployed youth, female sex, never married, and second- and third-time migrant youths were risk factors for high scores on the DASS-21. This study showed that mental health issues were alarming in the higher educated migrant youth. The study suggests the implementation of skill-based, job-oriented, and professional courses at the graduation level to prevent graduates from being rendered unproductive and jobless. Beside these, regular psychological support should be provided to the higher educated youth by the local governments.

Trends and regional distribution in health-related quality of life across sex and employment status: a repeated population-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the association between sex and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) based on employment status. METHODS: This was a population-based cross-sectional study. Data were collected from 1 996 153 adults aged ≥19 years who participated in the Korea Community Health Survey from 2011 to 2019. Low HRQoL was classified based on separate cutoff points (males: 0.92, females: 0.90) on the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions index. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. RESULTS: From 2011 to 2019, the trend of the prevalence of low HRQoL levels was consistently high in the order of unemployed males, unemployed females, employed males, and employed females. Regarding the regional distribution of unemployed males, the prevalence of low HRQoL was 29.5% to 43.5%. Unemployed males had a higher prevalence of low HRQoL (OR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.12-1.24) than employed males. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the prevalence of low HRQoL levels among unemployed males was consistently high at the annual trend and regional levels. Further research considering comprehensive health determinants and multidimensional public health interventions is required to prevent deterioration of HRQoL during unemployment.

Effects of parental job loss on psychotropic drug use in children: Long-term effects, timing, and cumulative exposure.

Intra-family crossover effects triggered by job losses have received growing attention across scientific disciplines, but existing research has reached discrepant conclusions concerning if, and if so how, parental job losses affect child mental health. Drawing on sociological models of stress and life course epidemiology, we ask if parental job losses have long-term effects on child mental health, and if these effects are conditional on the timing of, or the cumulative exposure to, job losses. We use intergenerationally linked Swedish register data combined with entropy balance and structural nested mean models for the analyses. The data allow us to track 400,000 children over 14 years and thereby test different life-course models of cross-over effects. We identify involuntary job losses using information on workplace closures, thus reducing the risk of confounding. Results show that paternal but not maternal job loss significantly increases the risk of psychotropic drug use among children, that the average effects are modest in size (less than 4% in relative terms), that they may persist for up to five years, and that they are driven by children aged 6-10 years. Moreover, cumulative exposure to multiple job losses are more harmful than zero or one job loss.

Worker and workplace determinants of employment exit: a register study.

BACKGROUND: Workers with chronic illness are in higher risk of unemployment. This article investigated the worker and workplace characteristics associated with labour market inclusion for workers with a diagnosed chronic illness. METHODS: Linked employer-employee register data covering all Norwegian employers and employees each month from February 2015 to December 2019 were merged with patient data from specialist healthcare (136 196 observations (job spells); 70 923 individual workers). Survival analysis was used to estimate the risk of employment exit, with age, gender, chronic illness, full-time/part-time employment, skill level, marital status, children in household, branch, share of chronically ill workers, firm size and unemployment rate as covariates. RESULTS: 85% of the study population was employed in December 2019; 58% remain employed throughout the follow-up period. Mental illness, male gender, young age, part-time employment and lower skill levels were the worker-level predictors of labour market exit. Employments in secondary industries, in firms with high shares of chronically ill workers and, to some extent, in larger firms were the significant workplace-level determinants. CONCLUSION: Only a minority of our sample of workers with chronic illness experienced labour market exclusion. Targeted measures should be considered towards workers with poor mental health and/or low formal skills. Chronically ill workers within public administration have the best labour market prospects, while workplaces within the education branch have an unfulfilled potential.

Partner's unemployment and subjective well-being: The mediating role of relationship functioning.

Unemployment affects not only the subjective well-being of the individual, but also that of the partner. Based on the life course perspective and the spillover-crossover-model, we examine the mediating role of relationship functioning for such crossover effects of partner's unemployment on subjective well-being. We also test whether gender differences in the mechanism of relationship functioning can explain the larger overall crossover effects on women compared to men. We use data from the German Family Panel pairfam (2008/09-2018/19), which provide more direct and comprehensive measures of relationship functioning than previous research, and allow us to examine couples' communication and interactions, their conflict styles and behaviors, relationship satisfaction, and perceived relationship instability as mediators. To analyze the impact of the partner's transition to unemployment on subjective well-being, we use fixed effects panel regression models and the product method of mediation analysis to estimate the indirect effects of relationship functioning. The results show that a partner's transition to unemployment has a negative impact on one's own well-being. The effects are more pronounced for women than men which can be partly explained by gender-specific effects of the partner's unemployment on various aspects of relationship functioning, rather than by differential effects of the latter on one's own well-being.

The effects of an interdisciplinary employment program on paid employment and mental health among persons with severe mental disorders.

PURPOSE: This study evaluates the effects of the interdisciplinary employment program 'Work As Best Care (WABC)' on employment participation and mental health of persons with severe mental disorders. METHODS: WABC is a 'work first' employment program for unemployed persons with severe mental disorders in which employment professionals work closely together with mental health professionals. In a longitudinal non-randomized controlled study, participants of WABC (n = 35) are compared with participants of the control group (n = 37), who received regular employment support. Participants were followed for 1 year and filled out questionnaires on individual characteristics and health at baseline, after 6 and 12 months. This information was enriched with monthly register data on employment status from 2015 until 2020. Difference-in-differences analyses were performed to investigate changes in employment participation among participants of WABC and the control group. A generalized linear mixed-effects model was used to compare changes in mental health (measured on 0-100 scale) between the two groups. RESULTS: Before WABC, employment participation was 22.0%points lower among participants of WABC compared to the control group. After starting WABC, employment participation increased with 15.3%points per year among participants of WABC, compared to 5.6%points in the control group. Among all participants of WABC, no change in mental health was found (ß 1.0, 95% CI - 3.4; 5.5). Only female participants of WABC showed a significant change in mental health (ß 8.0, 95% CI 2.6; 13.4). CONCLUSION: To enhance employment participation of persons with severe mental disorders, an interdisciplinary 'work-first' approach in which professionals of employment services and mental health services work in close collaboration, is of paramount importance.

The contribution of morbidity and unemployment for the reduced labor market participation of individuals with neurofibromatosis 1 in Finland.

Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is a multisystem disorder associated with, for example, a high risk for cancer, a variety of behavioral and cognitive deficits, low educational attainment and decreased income. We now examined the labor market participation of individuals with NF1. We analyzed the numbers of days of work, unemployment, and sickness allowance among 742 Finnish individuals with NF1 aged 20-59 years using nationwide register data from Statistics Finland and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. The individuals with NF1 were compared with a control cohort of 8716 individuals matched with age, sex, and the area of residence. Individuals with NF1 had a significantly lower number of working days per year than the controls (rate ratio [RR] 0.93, 95% CI 0.91-0.95). Unemployment (RR 1.79, 95% CI 1.58-2.02), and sickness absence (RR 1.44, 95% CI 1.25-1.67) were more frequent in the NF1 than in the control group. The causes of sickness allowances were highly concordant with the previously reported morbidity profile of NF1 including neoplasms, cardiovascular disease, mental and behavioral diseases, and neurological diseases. In conclusion, NF1 significantly interferes with labor market participation via both unemployment and morbidity. Unemployment seems to cause more days of not working than sickness absence.

Job loss and mental disorders: International evidence from the early stages of COVID-19 outbreak.

Using a rich individual level dataset from six countries, we examine the relationship between job loss and mental disorders during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. We consider four indicators of mental disorders based on their severity, viz. anxiety, insomnia, boredom, and loneliness. We draw our conclusions based on two groups of countries that differ by the timing of their peak infections count. Using a logit and a two-stage least squares (TSLS) regression methods, we find that the people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic are more likely to suffer from mental disorders, especially insomnia and loneliness. Additionally, people with financial liabilities, such as housing mortgages, are among those vulnerable to anxiety. Women, urban residents, youth, low-income groups, and tobacco users are more prone to mental disorders. The findings from this research have significant policy implications on infectious disease control measures and mental health conditions due to lockdowns and social distancing.

Risk of unemployment and work disability among refugee and non-refugee migrants with incident psychotic disorders in Sweden and Denmark.

BACKGROUND: Unemployment and work disability are common among individuals with non-affective psychotic disorders (NAPDs) but it is unknown whether rates differ among migrants and native-born individuals. The present study aimed to compare the risk of these outcomes during the first 5 years of illness in non-refugee migrants, refugees and native-born individuals with NAPDs in Sweden and Denmark-two countries with different immigration policies and models of early psychosis care. METHODS: Using national registers, we identified all individuals aged 18-35 years in Sweden and Denmark who received an incident NAPD diagnosis between 2006 and 2013 (N = 6750 and 8320, respectively). Cohorts were followed for 5 years to determine the days of unemployment and sickness absence (analyzed using zero-inflated negative binomial models) and the time to receipt of disability pension (analyzed using complementary log-log models). RESULTS: Relative to their native-born peers, refugees and non-refugee migrants in Sweden and non-refugee migrants in Denmark were significantly less likely to have zero unemployment days (OR range: 0.54-0.72) and all migrant groups experienced more unemployment days (IRR range: 1.26-1.37). Results were largely unchanged after adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical factors. In the adjusted model, both Swedish migrant groups and refugees in Denmark were more likely to experience zero sickness absence days than native-born individuals (OR range: 1.48-1.56). Only refugees in Denmark were at greater risk of disability pension. CONCLUSIONS: Non-refugee migrants and refugees with NAPDs in both Sweden and Denmark are particularly vulnerable to experiencing unemployment. Targeted interventions may help to reduce these disparities and promote long-term work ability among migrant groups.

Understanding the association between county-level unemployment and health stratified by education and income in the southwestern United States.

Past research on the relationship between unemployment rates and population health has produced mixed findings. The relationship can be influenced by the kinds of health outcomes observed, time frame, level of geographic aggregation, and other factors. Given these mixed findings, there is a need to add to our knowledge about how unemployment rates and population health are related. There is limited research that examines the association of unemployment rates with both physical and mental health, while simultaneously stratifying populations by income and education levels. Using survey-based self-reported data, this first population-based study examined the association between unemployment rates and physically and mentally unhealthy days in the southwestern United States, by county-level stratification of income (high and low) as well as education (high and low), from 2015 to 2019. After controlling for covariates, associations were modelled using negative binomial regression, with autocorrelative residuals, and were reported as rate ratios (RR). Overall, we found that a 1% rise in unemployment rates was significantly associated with an increase in physically unhealthy days [adjusted RR 1.007; 95% CI, 1.004-1.011, P < 0.001] and mentally unhealthy days [RR 1.006; 95% CI, 1.003-1.009, P < 0.001]. Upon stratification, a significant risk was found among the high education and high income category [RR 1.035; 95% CI, 1.021-1.049, P < 0.001], as well as for the high education and low income category [RR 1.026; 95% CI, 1.013-1.040, P < 0.001]. A better understanding of how unemployment is associated with the health of communities with different education and income levels could help reduce the burden on society through tailored interventions and social policies not only in the United States, but also in other developed nations.

Can welfare states buffer technostress? Income and technostress in the context of various OECD countries.

Many workers are experiencing the downsides of being exposed to an overload of information and communication technology (ICT), highlighting the need for resources to cope with the resulting technostress. This article offers a novel cross-level perspective on technostress by examining how the context of the welfare state influences the relationship between income and technostress. Showing that individuals with higher income experience less technostress, this study argues that the welfare state represents an additional coping resource, in particular in the form of unemployment benefits. Since unemployment benefits insure income earners in the case of job loss, the negative effect of income on technostress should increase with higher levels of unemployment generosity. In line with these expectations, empirical results based on original survey data collected in collaboration with the OECD show that the impact of income on technostress varies across welfare state contexts. Implications for public health and policymakers are being discussed.

The gendered associations between precarious employment and mental health in working-age Australians: A longitudinal analysis using 16 waves of the HILDA survey.

Unemployment and precarious employment (PE) are routinely found to be associated with poorer mental health. Importantly, women are over-represented in PE (due to disproportionate unpaid care demands), yet a gender lens has been lacking in much of the extant literature. This study addresses several gaps by reconsidering how PE can be conceptualised from a gender perspective and examining the impact of differing levels of multidimensional PE on the mental health of working-age Australians. Utilising sixteen annual waves (2005-2020) of the HILDA survey, this longitudinal study employed mixed-effects analysis and Mundlak modelling to examine the association between PE and mental health in working-age (25-64yrs) adults. Mental health was assessed using the MHI-5 scale. A multidimensional PE scale (based on objective and subjective indicators) was developed and three levels of precarity were modelled. 19,442 participants were included in the analyses and all models were stratified by gender. We found women experience greater exposure to PE in Australia, and our results showed a ubiquitously strong and negative association between PE and mental health in both women and men, across all levels of PE, with a dose dependent association observed with increasing PE. Additional adjustment for prior mental health slightly attenuated effect sizes, but the strength and direction of all associations were unchanged. This study provides longitudinal evidence of the detrimental impact of PE on the mental health of working age Australians, highlighting the importance of labour regulations and employment policies to minimize PE for all adults. However, given women's differential exposure to PE, this study also reinforces the urgent need for gender-sensitive social policies to address continued inequity in the division of unpaid household labour to promote a more equitable paid labour market into the future.

Self-Reported Mental Health and the Demand for Mental Health Care After a Labor Market Shock: Evidence from the Spanish Great Recession.

This research examines the mental health inequalities between employed and unemployed individuals among the fluctuations over the business cycle. To analyze whether a recession affects self-evaluated mental health and consequently increases the demand for mental health care, I exploit the sudden increase of the unemployment rate in Spain during the period 2007-2009. First, I analyze the impairment of self-evaluated mental health as a consequence of the Great Recession and if it prevails during the economic recovery. In addition, I estimate if the effect on self-reported mental health is reflected in demand for mental health care. The results from an event study design show that the economic downturn increases the differences between employed and unemployed individuals in self-evaluated mental health. However, and despite the continuous improvement in unemployment, the mental health gap remained unchanged between 2014 and 2017, which could imply the persistence of some lasting impacts of the Great Recession on mental health. Nonetheless, I find a reduction in the differences of using drugs related to mental health during the period 2011-2012, when I estimate the largest inequalities in self-evaluated mental health.

Gig work and mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic: A gendered examination of comparisons with regular employment and unemployment.

The rise of the platform economy during the Covid-19 pandemic has stimulated extensive discussions about whether gig workers can obtain equivalent mental health benefits of regular paid employment. Drawing on nationally representative data in the UK, this study aims to examine (1) whether transitioning from no paid work to gig work during Covid-19 is associated with better or worse mental health compared with those who remained not employed and those who became employed in regular jobs; (2) what mechanisms can explain the mental health differences; (3) how the patterns may differ by gender. The results show that transition into gig work is associated with better mental health compared with those who remained not employed, but this pattern is only for male (rather than female) gig workers and can be largely explained by their better financial situation and lower level of loneliness. For both men and women, the transition into gig work is associated with worse mental health compared with the transition into regular employment, but the mechanisms vary across genders. For male gig workers, both higher levels of financial precarity and loneliness in gig work can explain their mental health disadvantages compared with regular workers, but for female gig workers, none of them is at work. These findings facilitate a better understanding of the health consequences of the gig economy, revealing important gender-differentiated socio-psychological mechanisms through which gig work shapes mental health.