Neuroticism and mental health outcomes for long-term unemployed youth attending occupational skills training programs

Abstract

This paper reports on short-term mental health outcomes for long-term unemployed youth who attended 16 week occupational training programs in Australia. Outcomes for 30 participants were compared with 52 waiting-list control subjects. Results were also analysed controlling for the independent variable of neuroticism to determine the influence of personality on outcomes. Courses were government funded Youth Conservation Corps programs, and consisted of work experience in National Parks (70%), and class-room training (30%). Measures used were the Rosenberg (1965) self-esteem scale, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (Goldberg, 1972, 1978), and the 12-item neuroticism scale from the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Eysenck, Eysenck & Barrett. 1985). The courses resulted in significant improvements in self-esteem for participants, but not reductions in psychological distress. High pre-course levels of neuroticism were associated with poorer well-being for all subjects. For participants, post-course psychological distress scores, but not self-esteem scores, remained associated with neuroticism. Level of neuroticism was not related to well-being outcomes. Implications are that well-being is related to personality as well as situational and personal agency variables.