Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39910607›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Prevalence of mental disorders and work ability among unemployed individuals in Germany: a register-based analysis of socio-medical assessments by the Federal Employment Agency between 2016 and 2021.

Patrik Roser, Kirsi Manz, Norbert Scherbaum, Gabriele Lotz-Metz, Andreas G Franke

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Health-related quality of life of unemployed individuals diagnosed with a mental illness: a cross-sectional study.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Patrik RoserDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstraße 174, 45147, Essen, Germany. patrik.roser@uni-due.de.
Kirsi ManzDepartment of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Norbert ScherbaumDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstraße 174, 45147, Essen, Germany.
Gabriele Lotz-MetzFederal Employment Agency, Medical Services, Nuernberg, Germany.
Andreas G FrankeFederal Employment Agency, Medical Services, Nuernberg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe interactions between unemployment and mental health are complex. However, broad and current epidemiological data about the mental health status of unemployed individuals in Germany are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence rates of mental disorders and work ability among all unemployed people who underwent socio-medical assessment by the Federal Employment Agency (FEA).

methodsSocio-medical assessments between 2016 and 2021 were taken from the FEA database and analyzed regarding sociodemographic characteristics, mental disorders and work ability. Standard descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

resultsA total of 4,249,028 unemployed individuals were assessed. Of these, 2,213,048 persons (52.1%) had at least one psychiatric diagnosis (mean age 40.6 ± 13.5 years, 51.7% female). Mood disorders (53.9%), neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (43.9%), as well as substance use disorders (15.3%) showed the highest prevalence rates among mental disorders and accounted for about 80% of all psychiatric diagnoses. About 40% of them were evaluated to be able to work full time.

conclusionsPsychiatric morbidity among unemployed people is high. However, a significant proportion of them was assessed to be able to return to the labor market. Therefore, close collaborations between unemployment agencies and mental health care institutions as well as specific re-integration programs including supported job placement and vocational training, long-term job coaching as well as integrated mental health care are required in order to improve mental health status, prevent further chronification, avoid labor market exit, and increase employment rate.

Indexed as

Mental DisordersUnemploymentWork Capacity EvaluationAdultFemaleGermanyGovernment AgenciesHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceRegistriesYoung AdultEpidemiologyMental disordersPublic healthUnemploymentWork ability

Identifiers

PMID39910607
PMCPMC11800403

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.