Improving mental health status and coping abilities for long-term unemployed youth using cognitive-behaviour therapy based training interventions

This paper reports on immediate and long-term well-being outcomes for a gro up of long-term unemployed youth who attended specially devised training co urses based on the cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) model. The courses wer e aimed specifically at improving the mental health of participants, and pr oviding them with coping skills to deal better with the negative consequenc es of prolonged unemployment. Results for participants were compared with a waiting-list, control group. Outcomes investigated were well-being (psycho logical distress, self-esteem, positive and negative affect), and coping be haviours (social support, self care, recreation, and cognitive coping strat egies). Behavioural plasticity effects were also examined by comparing outc omes for participants who had higher distress scores prior to the course wi th participants who reported lower scores at that time. Immediate benefits were identified for both mental health and coping behaviours, and many of t hese benefits persisted into the long term. Participants with higher levels of pre-course psychological distress improved more than their low distress ed counterparts, supporting the behavioural plasticity hypothesis. Copyrigh t (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.