Employment and occupational outcomes following adolescent-onset mental illness: analysis of a nationally representative French cohort

Background: There has been little work into the relative effects of adolescent-onset, as compared to lifetime, mental illness on employment, income and occupational outcomes in adulthood. Methods: Using data from the Santé et Itinéraire Professionnel Survey, a nationally representative survey of 13 648 French working-age people to investigate prospective associations between self-reported mental illness and employment, income and occupational outcomes. We further investigated whether these outcomes would differ for those reporting an onset of mental illness prior to 18 years of age. Results: Adolescent-onset mental illness was associated with poorer employment outcomes, significantly increased risk of employment in low-skilled occupations, as well as reduced monthly wage earnings. Conclusions: Results extend understandings of the risks of adolescent-onset mental illness on employment and occupational outcomes and suggest that vocational recovery services should take these factors into account when designing support services for adolescents with mental health problems, particularly for males.