Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) Trajectories Across Adolescence and Early Adulthood and Subsequent Mental Health

A longitudinal study of 3,792 young people in the UK examined whether being Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) repeatedly between ages 16 and 33 was linked to mental health problems at age 33. Each additional time someone was NEET was associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, low life satisfaction, and suicide attempts. The risks were strongest when people first became NEET in their late twenties or early thirties.

Key points

• Each additional NEET occasion was associated with 29% higher odds of depression and 21% higher odds of anxiety
• Repeated NEET status was associated with 53% higher odds of lower life satisfaction
• Recent suicide attempt risk increased by 51% for each additional NEET occasion
• Associations showed dose-dependent relationships for depression, life satisfaction and suicide attempts
• First NEET entry at ages 25–33 had the strongest association with mental health problems

Limitations

The study is observational and cannot establish causation; it cannot determine whether NEET status causes mental health problems or whether mental health problems lead to NEET status. The findings apply to one UK cohort and may not generalise to other countries or populations.