Employment

There are many ways in which employment can be a valuable part of our overall well-being. Benefits of working include:

– Income and financial stability, which in turn can positively impact our quality of life
– Set daily routines and build a sense of structure
– Opportunity for social activities and making social supports
– Personal achievement
– A sense of purpose
– Building a sense of status and identity

For those living with a mental illness, employment is an opportunity to build well-being and help promote recovery. On the other hand, unemployment also has a big impact on one’s well-being. Studies have shown that those who are unemployed but receive the same amount of income assistance as they earned while they were working still experienced a loss of well-being.  Some ways that unemployment, especially when you didn’t plan it, may affects your well-being:

– Increased levels of stress
– Lower self-esteem
– Fear and uncertainty about the future
– Social isolation
– Stigma (Personal and Societal)
– Increased risk of problematic substance use
– Increased risk of a mental illness
– Experience worsening symptoms of a mental illness

Please see employment resources below or CMHA Regina Branch Vocational Program for more information.

References:

CMHA BC Division. (2014). Unemployment, Mental Health and Substance Use. Retrieved from CMHA British Columbia Division: https://cmha.bc.ca/documents/unemployment-mental-health-and-substance-use/