Emerging adults not in education, employment or training (NEET): socio-demographic characteristics, mental health and reasons for being NEET
Abstract Background A growing group of emerging adults in many countries around the globe are not incorporated into the education system or the labor market; these have received the label “NEET: not in education, employment nor training”. We describe the mental health and socio-demographic character...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-10-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-018-6103-4 |
| _version_ | 1819064180360085504 |
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| author | Raúl A. Gutiérrez-García Corina Benjet Guilherme Borges Enrique Méndez Ríos María Elena Medina-Mora |
| author_facet | Raúl A. Gutiérrez-García Corina Benjet Guilherme Borges Enrique Méndez Ríos María Elena Medina-Mora |
| author_sort | Raúl A. Gutiérrez-García |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background A growing group of emerging adults in many countries around the globe are not incorporated into the education system or the labor market; these have received the label “NEET: not in education, employment nor training”. We describe the mental health and socio-demographic characteristics of emerging adults who are NEET from Mexico City (differentiating between NEET who are homemakers and NEET who are not) compared to their peers who are studying, working or both, in a city in which education and employment opportunities for youth are limited. A secondary objective, because of the often inconsistent inclusion criteria or definitions of NEET, was to evaluate the heterogeneity amongst NEET emerging adults in terms of their perceived reasons for being NEET and to evaluate whether different reasons for being NEET are associated with different mental health characteristics. Methods The participants were 1071 emerging adults aged 19 to 26; they were interviewed in person by an interviewer in their homes as part of a follow-up study of the Mexican Adolescent Mental Health Survey. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI) assessed psychiatric disorders, substance use and abuse, suicidal behavior and socio-demographic characteristics. Results Of the total sample, 15.3% were NEET homemakers, 8.6% NEET non-homemakers, 41.6% worked only, 20.9% studied only and 13.5% worked and studied. Of those who were NEET, 12.6% were NEET by choice. NEET non-homemakers had overall greater odds of substance use, substance use disorders and some suicidal behaviors in comparison with all their peers, whereas NEET homemakers had reduced odds. Those who were NEET because they didn’t know what to do with their life had greater odds of mood, behavioral, and substance disorders, use of all substances and of suicide behaviors compared to those who were NEET by choice. Conclusions Non-homemaker NEET who lack life goals require targeted mental health intervention. The demographic reality of emerging adults not in education or employment and the varying reasons they give for being NEET are not consistent with how NEET is often conceptualized in terms of a societal problem. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:26:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-870646f84c944dbd8dc3b3bf9ae4e87a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:26:28Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-870646f84c944dbd8dc3b3bf9ae4e87a2022-12-21T18:58:53ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582018-10-0118111110.1186/s12889-018-6103-4Emerging adults not in education, employment or training (NEET): socio-demographic characteristics, mental health and reasons for being NEETRaúl A. Gutiérrez-García0Corina Benjet1Guilherme Borges2Enrique Méndez Ríos3María Elena Medina-Mora4Psychological Research, De La Salle Bajio UniversityEpidemiologic and Psychosocial Research, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente MuñizEpidemiologic and Psychosocial Research, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente MuñizEpidemiologic and Psychosocial Research, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente MuñizEpidemiologic and Psychosocial Research, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente MuñizAbstract Background A growing group of emerging adults in many countries around the globe are not incorporated into the education system or the labor market; these have received the label “NEET: not in education, employment nor training”. We describe the mental health and socio-demographic characteristics of emerging adults who are NEET from Mexico City (differentiating between NEET who are homemakers and NEET who are not) compared to their peers who are studying, working or both, in a city in which education and employment opportunities for youth are limited. A secondary objective, because of the often inconsistent inclusion criteria or definitions of NEET, was to evaluate the heterogeneity amongst NEET emerging adults in terms of their perceived reasons for being NEET and to evaluate whether different reasons for being NEET are associated with different mental health characteristics. Methods The participants were 1071 emerging adults aged 19 to 26; they were interviewed in person by an interviewer in their homes as part of a follow-up study of the Mexican Adolescent Mental Health Survey. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI) assessed psychiatric disorders, substance use and abuse, suicidal behavior and socio-demographic characteristics. Results Of the total sample, 15.3% were NEET homemakers, 8.6% NEET non-homemakers, 41.6% worked only, 20.9% studied only and 13.5% worked and studied. Of those who were NEET, 12.6% were NEET by choice. NEET non-homemakers had overall greater odds of substance use, substance use disorders and some suicidal behaviors in comparison with all their peers, whereas NEET homemakers had reduced odds. Those who were NEET because they didn’t know what to do with their life had greater odds of mood, behavioral, and substance disorders, use of all substances and of suicide behaviors compared to those who were NEET by choice. Conclusions Non-homemaker NEET who lack life goals require targeted mental health intervention. The demographic reality of emerging adults not in education or employment and the varying reasons they give for being NEET are not consistent with how NEET is often conceptualized in terms of a societal problem.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-018-6103-4YouthEmploymentEducationMental healthMexico |
| spellingShingle | Raúl A. Gutiérrez-García Corina Benjet Guilherme Borges Enrique Méndez Ríos María Elena Medina-Mora Emerging adults not in education, employment or training (NEET): socio-demographic characteristics, mental health and reasons for being NEET BMC Public Health Youth Employment Education Mental health Mexico |
| title | Emerging adults not in education, employment or training (NEET): socio-demographic characteristics, mental health and reasons for being NEET |
| title_full | Emerging adults not in education, employment or training (NEET): socio-demographic characteristics, mental health and reasons for being NEET |
| title_fullStr | Emerging adults not in education, employment or training (NEET): socio-demographic characteristics, mental health and reasons for being NEET |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emerging adults not in education, employment or training (NEET): socio-demographic characteristics, mental health and reasons for being NEET |
| title_short | Emerging adults not in education, employment or training (NEET): socio-demographic characteristics, mental health and reasons for being NEET |
| title_sort | emerging adults not in education employment or training neet socio demographic characteristics mental health and reasons for being neet |
| topic | Youth Employment Education Mental health Mexico |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-018-6103-4 |
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