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Graduating students are foisted with the consequences of a social justice issue inflicted upon them as a result of underemployment and unemployment. These students are restricted from attaining the best quality of life and state of well-being due to a gap in available resources. Underemployment is defined by one of three things: a working individual receiving inadequate hours to sufficiently pay for necessities; are working in a position below their qualifications; or are individuals who quit work and haven’t looked for any in the past four weeks due to an inability of finding a job aligning to their chosen field. Unemployment is when an individual actively seeking work is unable to obtain a job (Chen, 2019). Across the globe, youth unemployment is greater than any other age group, characterizing this as a serious matter. The issues about a lack of employment have the potential to adversely impact all dimensions of health, with literature emphasizing the impact on mental health. Of those unemployed, 28% suffer anxiety, 1 in 4 experience depression, 41.2% are stressed and 1 in 10 have panic attacks (Morgan, 2015). More alarmingly, as all aspects of health are intertwined and interdependent, their state of mental well-being is at substantial risk. Due to the high youth unemployment rates on the Sunshine Coast, graduate students attending Nambour State College (NSC) are at incredible risk of these determinants of health. In response, a resource has been designed to mitigate or prevent the consequences relating to mental health. This evaluation report will articulate the prospective influence of a five-minute video and fridge magnet designed to facilitate and enable students to make proactive decisions regarding their health. Considering the circumstances, it is incontestably crucial health promotion occurs before graduation.
Transitioning to work or further education during adolescence is a significant post-schooling experience. It is characterized by starting partner relationships, metamorphosing from a youth to an adult (Huegaerts, Spruyt & Vanroelen, 2018), biological changes, normative exploration and learning of independence, and social and economic challenges where they are faced with adult obligations and responsibilities (Healthy People, 2019). A report published in March 2019, states 14.7% of youths residing on the Sunshine Coast are unemployed (Brotherhood of St Laurence, 2019). September 2019 data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics illustrate a 23.4% underemployment rate for youths across Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2019, table 22, data 2 DH). Matt Hobson, Solutions 4 Youth Employment Coalition Manager vocalised that,
“Young people account for 40 percent of the world’s population – the largest youth generation in human history – but they are disproportionately affected by unemployment. This is a persistent problem. Approximately 30 percent of young people are not in employment, training, or education, and around the world, young women are worse off. We need to act now, and we need to act together if we are going to realize the significant opportunities presented by this many young people today” (The World Bank, 2015).
The intangible costs to youths are a loss of confidence, hope, and self-esteem. This in turn costs Australia $7.2 billion/annum in mental health expenses (Youth Action, 2018). Other costs include homelessness, poor health, social isolation, loss of potential, and scarring (Brotherhood of St Laurence, 2014). Youth underemployment and unemployment are also a direct burden to the community, undermining its social fabric. 790 million hours of work are lost each year due to youth unemployment, equating to $15.9 billion lost annually in Gross Domestic Product to the Australian economy (Youth Action, 2018). It also weakens productive capacity, reduces national growth, and uses public service money (Brotherhood of St Laurence, 2014). The World Health Organisation (2019), defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. In addressing this issue, it is necessary to consider the social determinants of health, as illustrated in Figure 1, if youths are to be holistically addressed in their well-being.
The designed resource addresses students going through this critical time in life and has the potential to mollify both tangible and intangible costs. It enables youth to take action and make proactive decisions regarding personal and societal health, and it acts as a preventative measure, mitigating potential barriers to mental health literacy, stigma and discrimination, and the health care system. The video goes for five minutes, discusses the importance of NSC student’s health, and also provides five ‘tips’ on how to stay mentally healthy while unemployed. Accompanying this is a fridge magnet designed to remind students of these tips to ensure they are more likely to engage with the resource on a long-term basis. A short survey conducted, encompassing the entire NSC grade 12 cohort, revealed disquieting responses. Firstly, less than 2% believed socio-economic status had a great influence on their health. A clear outcome of unemployment is a loss of income. As studies highlight, this directly provokes poor mental health, often causing feelings of low self-worth, low self-esteem, stress, anxiety, and depression (House of Representative Committee, Unknown). The survey also revealed almost 100% of students agreed “underemployment and unemployment can negatively influence health”. However, only 62.5% of the cohort responded ‘true’ to, “unemployed people have higher mortality and more illness than people who are employed”. This illustrates their lack of understanding of the degree of impact employment status can personally have. Because “work provides a sense of identity and a feeling of self-esteem”, a loss of employment stimulates negative feelings that affect their ability to cope; acting as a barrier to gaining employment and recommencing the cycle (M. Harris, E. Harris, & Shortus, 2010). Because this group demonstrates a clear absence of understanding of the effects of financial status, another concern relates to their naivety of living choices. Graph 1 depicts the living intentions of graduates in 2020. 76% of students plan to live away from home, and most also stated they will be relying on their jobs as a source of income. This covertly illustrates the risk of developing poor mental health.
The video also focuses on mental health as unemployed NSC students are 43% more likely to develop mental health illnesses than their employed peers. The longer these students remain unemployed and without appropriate strategies, their probability of irreversible scarring is increased. It is widely known that many unemployed students who have or haven’t developed mental illness choose to not use mental health services (Staiger, Waldman, Rusch, & Krumm, 2017). This video is subsequently beneficial, as it can promote the maintenance and betterment of mental health as an alternative option.
Health promotion currently fails to equip graduates with the necessary knowledge, skills, and capabilities to transition healthily from school. Having said this, this designed resource has the potential to adequately prepare graduates and is supported through literature and frameworks.
The World Health Organisation (2006) advocates the use of the peer-based aspect, as they declare, “peer-delivered health promotion was found to be effective, compared with teacher-led interventions, and this approach was highly valued by the young people involved”.
The intervention also uses WHO’s Ottawa Charter Action Areas. Through the video’s informative nature, the accumulation of tips develops their skills and knowledge, closing a gap and reducing consequences for all members of society. The resource also creates a supportive environment by encouraging peers to help one another, and by promoting a lifestyle that will create an environment encouraging safe, stimulating, and enjoyable conditions that will enable them to reach their full health potential.
One piece of literature in particular also highlighted the effectiveness of videos about younger generations. For example, they said, “Instead of seeking information through other sources, a simple video posted on social media was more effective” (O’Reilly, Dogra, Hughes, Reilly, George, & et al, 2018). As the designed resource can also be posted on social media, this infers potential positive effects. Of the eight best principles of health practice the resource engages in the following: an evidence-informed practice, considers all social determinants of health, provides equity by removing barriers, and creates supportive environments. One downfall of the resource is its failure to address social stigmas and social justice issues caused by myths surrounding unemployment.
The resource also utilizes aspects of the RE-AIM framework. This framework is designed to encourage program designers and evaluators of essential “elements including external validity that can improve the sustainable adoption and implementation of effective, generalizable, evidence-based interventions” (Re-AIM, 2019). The most potentially successful element utilized by the program is its ability to ‘reach’ the target group. This resource can reach the population in two manners: by uploading it on the school’s Facebook page and by promoting it during the compulsory last week of school in tandem with other elements. This resource acts as a part of an effective health promotion tool, and a multitude of other interventions are required for effective targeting. As the students displayed financial naivety, it would be best if this resource was shown during a discussion on the importance of health and its relation to finances. The potential ‘efficacy’ of this resource is also demonstrated through the students’ responses, indicating it will engender positive effects, quality of life, and economic outcomes. One unemployed youth stated, “The video was informative and has helped me to understand the importance of my health. The tips also make it seem easier for me to take care of my health”. This response implies the student has obtained knowledge and skills that will enable them to make dynamic improvements and action to their health; achieving the objectives of the intervention.
Other promotional tools that could substantiate efficacy include budgeting tips and advice, a free group consultation with a nutritionist or resources on how to eat healthily, support on Centrelink applications, an online resource, and what organizations to approach when struggling. When students are enlightened about the impact of social determinants of health, it can assist in mitigating the associated health concerns to under and unemployment. The construction of future resources intended for use at NSC should encompass humor, be based on the nature and personality of the cohort, and focus more on informing students about the value of their health and its impact on society.
As opposed to resource creation, the school should work in collaboration with external facilities to develop a youth transitioning support group and include educational and participatory classes.
Facilitators for sharing the resource include easy distribution, potential social media use, no monetary costs, easy use and compatibility, minimal use of institutional time, and peer desire to improve their future outcomes. One barrier, on the other hand, is the unmotivated nature of youths to engage in strategies. Another is the resistance to changing social and cultural attitudes surrounding mental health. Due to the short and long-term health concerns of this target group and society, the need to educate graduates is dire.
The sensitive transitioning period for young people is vital in determining future health outcomes and the well-being of the community. Underemployed and unemployed youth are confronted with health concerns about all aspects of health. Poor mental health is a major consequence experienced by the majority during a formative time that dictates the future health of the individual and economy, clearly illustrating its need for addressment. It is pertinent to the economy and well-being of individuals and the broader community that young graduates are equipped with strategies, and empowered to make proactive decisions regarding health concerns they are at risk of in post-high-school life. The educational system presents an exemplary opportunity to target a wide range of students at a low cost and in an effective manner. It is vital schools use this unique circumstance to share health resources to mitigate future ramifications. Health is the major aspect of quality of life, determining the globe’s welfare. Urgent action is required to attenuate consequences of both reversible and irreversible nature.
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