title: Mental health trajectories from childhood to young adulthood affect the educational and employment status of young adults: results from the TRAILS study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Young adults at work without basic educational level (BEL), and young adults in Neither Employment, Education nor Training (NEET) are at high risk of adverse employment outcomes. Evidence lacks on the impact of mental health problems during childhood, adolescence and young adulthood on employment outcomes of young adults. Therefore, the aims of this study were to (1) identify trajectories of mental health problems from childhood to young adulthood and (2) investigate the relation between these trajectories and the educational or employment status of young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were used from the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS), a Dutch prospective cohort study with 9-year follow-up. Trajectories of mental health problems measured at ages 11, 13.5, 16 and 19 years were identified in 1711 young adults with latent class growth models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Young adults with high-stable trajectories of total problems, from childhood to young adulthood, were more likely to work without BEL or be in NEET at age 19, than to be at school or to work with BEL (28.0% vs 16.0%, p=0.01). The same was found for externalising problems (35.3% vs 23.2%, p=0.02). For internalising and attention problems, no statistically significant differences were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young adults with high-stable trajectories of mental health problems from age 11 to 19, were at risk of adverse employment outcomes. Interventions reducing mental health problems in childhood may improve the educational or employment status of young adults and their chances for successfully entering the labour market.
authors: Department of Health Sciences, Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Veldman
authors: Department of Health Sciences, Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Sijmen A
authors: SA
authors: Reijneveld
authors: Department of Health Sciences, Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Josue Almansa
authors: JA
authors: Ortiz
authors: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Frank C
authors: FC
authors: Verhulst
authors: Department of Health Sciences, Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Ute
authors: U
authors: Bültmann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000069451:Long Term Adverse Effects; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D009426:Netherlands; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D011446:Prospective Studies; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: EDUCATION; EMPLOYMENT; LONGITUDINAL STUDIES; Life course epidemiology; MENTAL HEALTH