Yating Wei* and Haidong Song
Objective: To explore the basic characteristics of young and middle-aged adults who are unemployed or jobless seeking psychological assistance on the hotline.
Methods: Data on general demographic information, types of concerns expressed during calls, and other relevant information were collected from young adults who sought assistance on the hotline in Hangzhou City from 2019 to 2022. The data were grouped and compared based on gender, age groups, and call time. The psychological well-being of the unemployed population was assessed by evaluating depressive symptoms and suicide risk.
Results: A total of 6,297 young adults who were unemployed or jobless seeking assistance were included in the study. Among them, 1.5% expressed suicidal ideation, 1.5% reported having a suicide plan, and 4.2% had engaged in suicidal behaviors. The proportion of severe depression (P<0.001), suicidal ideation (P<0.001), suicide planning (P<0.001), and suicide attempts (P<0.001) was higher among males compared to females. In the high-risk group, the proportion of males was significantly higher than females (P<0.001). The proportion of severe depression, suicide risk, and high-risk individuals among young adults was significantly higher than that of middle-aged and older adults (P<0.001). Significant differences were found in terms of the time of the calls, with a higher proportion of individuals with suicide plans (P<0.001) individuals preparing to engage in suicidal behavior (P<0.001) high-risk individuals (P<0.001) calling during the late night hours compared to the daytime.
Conclusion: Male, young adult group, and individuals calling during the late night hours seeking assistance have relatively poorer psychological well-being and higher suicide risk
Published Date: 2023-08-29; Received Date: 2023-08-01
