JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Unemployment presents a risk factor in the development and perpetuation of psychological distress. Finding support for affected individuals can be particularly challenging, which sustains a vicious cycle of psychological distress and unemployment. A systematic literature search of bibliographical databases and an additional search for grey-literature was conducted according to the Preferred Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in order to identify interventions fostering the mental health and enhance re-employment of individuals experiencing psychological distress and unemployment. Quality assessments using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tools for randomized and non-randomized trials were conducted. The initial search yielded n = 4442 results. After a multi-step extraction process, n = 17 studies remained for inclusion, each either focusing on the improvement of mental-health outcomes, re-employment or both. A heterogeneous pattern of results emerged with most interventions showing improvement in either mental health or re-employment only. Most of the studies were assessed to having a moderate to high risk of bias. The results of the systematic research indicate that low-threshold services in close cooperation with institutions and exchange with other supportive stakeholders should be fostered. Derivable overarching themes and intervention content for integrative support measures can serve as guidelines for future interventions.