South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis isn’t just having a devastating effect on communities and the national economy: it’s also driving a spike in mental health issues among the country’s youth, including, depression, anxiety, stress, anger, fear, despair, loneliness, and social isolation.
According to Stats SA’s latest Labour Force Survey for Q2 2024, there was a 0,6% increase in the official unemployment rate, which means that 33,5% of all South Africans are unemployed, furthermore the overall expanded unemployment rate for youth aged 15-34 is 56% - and the psychological effects of this can be soul-destroying.
Aditi Lachman, head of youth programmes the Youth Employment Service (YES), said the social and psychological impact of creating jobs in communities was often ‘almost immediate’. 78% of YES Youth placed in 12-month work experiences come from grant recipient households, and 74% have dependants, meaning that getting youth working has an almost immediate ripple effect across families and entire communities.
“The research is clear: one of the insidious effects of unemployment is its effect on the mental health of the youth. So, when we create jobs, we’re not just putting people to work, but we’re lifting the burden that mental health issues impose on families and communities,” said Lachman.
According to the UNICEF South Africa U-Report poll, 60% of young South Africans felt that they needed mental health support over the past year but did not know where to get help. Increased poverty and a lack of hope for the future were the top reasons given for children and young people’s anxiety. The report also showed that 48% of young respondents are most anxious about the need to build their skills for future employment, a 16% jump on last year’s findings.
A study found this lack of diagnosis and support contributes to social challenges such as post-traumatic disorders, unemployment, workplace burnout, and addiction, which can cycle through to the next generation.
To help its current YES Youth and alumni deal with work pressures and post programme job seeking, YES has an initiative called Mindful Matters, which provides them with access to valuable online support services delivered by registered counsellors. Youth can get mental health support through remote one-on-one counselling sessions, virtual support groups, and a library of resources such as videos, podcasts and blogs.
The Mindful Matters offering has been tailored to not only build mental wellbeing in YES Youth but to encourage resilience and grit by addressing the challenges young people face in the working world, created by YES in collaboration with counselling service Syked.
According to YES research, 77% of their youth indicated that when it comes to career guidance, they rely on themselves as opposed to family, friends or mentors. With this initiative, YES has provided youth with the emotional support required when balancing work, mental health and home life.
“We’ve become so accustomed to South Africa’s unnaturally high unemployment rate, but behind the dry statistics lies a human tragedy that will ultimately affect us all, whether we like it or not. We’ve got to get more businesses to become part of the solution to our unemployment crisis. The future of our youth and economy depends on it,” said Lachman.