According to a professor from Cardiff University, being out of work is as bad for you as smoking 400 cigarettes a day.
Professor Mansel Aylward, Director of Cardiff University’s UnumProvident Centre for Psychosocial and Disability research has analysed figures from the Office of National Statistics to reveal that young unemployed men are 40 times more likely to commit suicide than those that work. He also claims they are more likely to suffer from depression, illness, or even premature death.
Speaking ahead of a happiness and wellbeing event in London, Prof Aylward said: “There is a positive link between the feeling of happiness and level of health, so being out of work is very dangerous. If you look at the suicide rate of young adult males, it is 40 times greater for those out of work than those who have a job – that is a figure we can’t neglect.”
However, despite this growing evidence that work does make people happy, the centre is also about to present a piece of research into common health complaints which reveals that the hectic pace of life and work is having a negative impact on the mental health of people in Wales – with over 76,000 incapacity claims being made by people with mental or behavioural disorders.