Mental Health Benefits of Work: Do They Apply to Women on Welfare?

The relationship between employment and improved mental health is well documented. However, no research has documented whether this relationship applies to women on welfare. Given that women on welfare have high rates of depression and are currently being mandated into the labor market through welfare reform, understanding the connections between work and mental health has become more salient not just for mental health epidemiology but for social policies targeting employment and poverty. This study draws on data from the Welfare Client Longitudinal Study (WCLS), a representative community-based study of welfare recipients from a large county in California. Welfare applicants were interviewed as they applied for services in 2001. A sub-sample of aid recipients was randomly selected for follow-up and re-interviewed annually for 4 years post-baseline. The analyses here are confined to the 419 female recipients of the federal Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) program. Generalized estimating equations were utilized to assess the role of current employment and characteristics of job stability on depression status over time. Overall, the findings suggest that employment improves the mental health of many women on welfare. On average, the odds of depression were 27% less among currently employed women, and 29% less among women who obtained full-time work, compared to unemployed women. However, only women who reported working 10-12 months during the year reaped the benefit. These findings are of concern given that the lack of employment continuity is a growing trend in the U.S. labor market, particularly among lesser educated women