research
Underemployment
impacts mental health
The value of employment for
people with disabilities has
associated with considerable declines
in the mental health of people with
been highlighted in recent disabilities.”
of Melbourne. the Household, Income and
research from the University
D
Dr Milner used data from
Labour Dynamics in Australia
(HILDA) survey – a longitudinal,
nationally representative study of
r Allison Milner from the Australian households – to assess likely to experience greater pay
Centre for Health Equity in whether the presence of disability inequity and greater job insecurity
the School of Population modified the association between than those without disability.
and Global Health has conducted
several studies into disability and
employment.
Her most recent research,
published in the Journal of
underemployment and mental health.
She said disabilities were reported
“The combination of these
disadvantages is likely to go some
in about 15 per cent of the data way to explaining why people with
sample overall. disabilities experience greater
Being underemployed was
declines in their mental health when
Epidemiology and Community reported by 23.62 per cent of people they report underemployment
Health, found people with disabilities with disabilities, compared with 19.54 compared with those without
are more likely to experience per cent of people without disabilities. disability.”
underemployment and are more likely
Dr Milner said the estimates
She said that in Australia and many
to have their mental health adversely obtained indicated that the combined other countries of the Organisation
affected by it. effect of being underemployed for Economic Cooperation and
and having a disability on mental Development, there is a renewed
compared with other workers, people health was greater than the summed commitment to improving the
with disabilities are much more likely independent risks of having employment outcomes for people
to experience greater pay inequity disabilities and being underemployed. with disabilities.
Dr Milner (pictured right) said
and greater job insecurity than those
without disability.
“We sought to examine whether
Dr Milner said that more so than
“At the same time, we know that
other groups, people with disabilities there is worsening underemployment
are at greater risk of exclusion from and an increasing concern that
being underemployed – defined employment, as well as other forms of employment is becoming ever-more
as when a person wants to work social and political exclusion. precarious, particularly for the most
more hours, but these hours are not
“People with disabilities are also
vulnerable in the community,” she said.
attainable – has a different effect more likely to face multiple types of on the mental health of people social and economic disadvantage and attention on how to ameliorate
when they do and do not report compared with those without the effects of underemployment on
disabilities,” she said. disabilities,” she said. the mental health of persons with
“There is increasing evidence that
poor-quality working conditions are
linkonline.com.au
“We also know that workers
reporting disabilities are much more
“There is a need for more research
disabilities.”
www.research.unimelb.edu.au
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