Youth unemployment and health outcomes: the moderation role of the future time perspective

The extent to which young people think about the future, called time perspective, and their affective view (positive/negative) was related to their current socioeconomic situation. Specifically, we assessed the relationship between the NEET condition and self-perception of adulthood and health and aimed to verify the moderating role of future-time perspective among 450 Italian young adults (150 NEET, 300 Non-NEET). We found a key role for future-time perspective for NEET status and self-perception of adulthood, anxiety/depression, withdrawal, and aggressive behavior, but not for rule-breaking behavior. This evidence suggests the possibility of career interventions to improve future orientation to reduce health problems.