Behavioural plasticity and mental health outcomes for long‐term unemployed attending occupational training programmes

This paper reports on immediate and delayed mental health outcomes for a group of long‐term unemployed individuals who attended occupational skills/personal development training courses. Results for participants were compared with a waiting‐list control group. Outcomes investigated were well‐being (depression, psychological distress, self‐esteem, life‐satisfaction, guilt, anger, helplessness), attitude to work (employment expectations, employment commitment, employment value) and life‐situation (social support, financial strain, use of community resources). Immediate benefits were identified for five of the well‐being and one attitude‐to‐work variables. Few gains persisted at follow‐up. Behavioural plasticity effects for well‐being and attitude‐to‐work variables were identified by comparing outcomes for participants who had lower scores prior to the course with participants who reported higher scores at that time.