Mental health app helped unemployed people find jobs, national trial finds
A Northwestern University clinical trial found that the 'DRIVEN' smartphone app significantly improved job-seeking outcomes for unemployed individuals. The app combines mental health exercises with practical job-search strategies to help users overcome the demotivation associated with modern job hunting.
Why it matters
This study highlights the potential for digital health interventions to address the psychological barriers to employment in an AI-driven job market.
The app combined self-guided mental health exercises with job-seeking strategies
Journal: The Journal of Medical Internet Research
CHICAGO — Losing a job can be a life-shattering experience. And when depression complicates a job search, unemployment can become a vicious cycle.
Now, a Northwestern University-led clinical trial suggests a new intervention may break that cycle: a phone app, named DRIVEN, that combines weekly self-guided mental health exercises (to reduce stress and increase motivation) with job-seeking strategies.
In a six-week trial of 126 unemployed individuals, nearly 70% of participants who received the smartphone intervention found work, compared with about half of those who received standard job-search advice.
With millions of unemployed U.S. adults facing a difficult job market, the study authors say their intervention may be needed now more than ever.
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