Spain is one of the European Union countries with the lowest employment rates. It also has a very high percentage of temporary employment contracts. One of the most affected groups is young people.

It is on them that the new study focused. The researchers looked into the relationship between the form of the beginning of working life and subsequent absenteeism (absence from work) due to mental disorders.

The study was conducted on a group of 1,379 people who were between 18 and 28 years old in 2002. It was indicated that between 2012 and 2014, all of these individuals had experienced absenteeism due to mental disorders at least once. The researchers analysed what the first years of the participants' working lives looked like.

Working in large companies as a potential advantage

- This is a new approach that assessed how different contracts, employment situations, unemployment or periods without social security can affect the development of mental health in young people who are just entering the labour market, said Mònica Ubalde-López of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, coordinator of the study .

Participants with a more stable working life were less likely to have days when they were absent from work through mental health problems.

The study also showed that working in large companies at the start of a career was associated with better mental health at a more mature age.

The authors remind us that job insecurity is currently increased by the coronavirus pandemic.

- Our results show that an uncertain labour market can shape the future health of young people. This should also be taken into account in future public health policy, they added.