GUIDE TO LEADING POLIcIEs, PRAcTIcEs & REsOURcEs ...

art IImplications for Employmentand Well-beingUltimately, employment is a key to economic,social and psychological wellbeing,community reintegration, familyfinancial stability, and more. Therefore,employment practices, collaboration withbusinesses and industries, and more arecritically important to the post-service lifecourse of veterans leaving service. Publicpolicy that supports integrated services,one-stop information gathering, referraland access to services, and other initiativesto streamline reintegration into civiliansociety will play an important role. Communities,including the civilian population,civic organizations, businesses andindustries, healthcare, educational institutions,public officials, and others havesignificant roles to play in the reintegrationof veterans.A review of relevant research illustratesstrong associations between poor healthoutcomes and unemployment, with over40 articles related to the topic. 17 One studyexplored the relationship between unemploymentand mental health, and foundthe most significant predictor of mentalhealth during unemployment was engagementin activity and perception of beingoccupied. 18 Another recent study discussedthe interactions between gender, familyrole, and social class, and found that“The financial strain of unemploymentcan cause poor mental health, and studieshave reported the beneficial effectsof unemployment compensation in suchcontexts. However, unemployment canalso be associated with poor mental healthas a result of the absence of nonfinancialbenefits provided by one’s job, such associal status, self-esteem, physical andmental activity, and use of one’s skills.” 19The study found that unemploymentimpacted the mental health of women lessthan men, in part due to family care responsibility,which kept them engaged inactivity. Additionally, the study found thatreceiving benefits during unemploymentwas correlated with better mental healthoutcomes. Voluntary or involuntary jobloss, particularly followed by periods ofunemployment, also negatively impactshealth. Among health conditions whichare linked to job loss were hypertension,heart disease, and arthritis. 20 Additionalnegative health outcomes attributed tounemployment included depression, substanceabuse, and even suicide. 21However, there are mitigating measures,including benefits, access to healthcare,community engagement, productive use oftime, family responsibilities and more. A recentstudy found: “The unemployed receivingunemployment compensation or benefitsfrom other entitlement programs didnot report significantly higher depression18 INSTITUtE FOR veterans and military families