Mental health (GHQ12; CES-D) and attitudes towards the value of work among inmates of a semi-open prison and the long-term unemployed in Luxembourg

Aim: To analyse the relationships between mental health and employment commitment among
prisoners and the long-term unemployed (LTU) trying to return to work.
Method: Fifty-two of 62 male inmates of a semi-open prison (Givenich Penitentiary Centre, the
only such unit in Luxembourg), and 69 LTU registered at the Luxembourg Employment
Administration completed a questionnaire exploring: 1) mental health (measured by means of
scales GHQ12 and CES-D); 2) employment commitment; 3) availability of a support network, selfesteem,
empowerment; and 4) socio-demographic characteristics.
Results: Compared with LTU, inmates were younger, more had work experience (54.9% vs
26.1%), and more were educated to only a low level (71.1% vs 58.0%). The link between
employment commitment and mental health in the LTU was the opposite of that seen among the
prisoners: the more significant the perceived importance of employment, the worse the mental
health (GHQ12 p = 0.003; CES-D p < 0.001) of the LTU; in contrast, among prisoners, the GHQ12
showed that the greater the perceived value of work, the lower the psychic distress (p = 0.012).
Greater empowerment was associated with less depression in both populations. The education
levels of people who did not reach the end of secondary school, whether inmates or LTU, were
negatively linked with their mental equilibrium.
Conclusion: The two groups clearly need professional support. Future research should further
investigate the link between different forms of professional help and mental health. Randomized
controlled trials could be carried out in both groups, with interventions to improve work
commitment for prisoners and to help with getting a job for LTU. For those LTU who value
employment but cannot find it, the best help may be psychological support.