70% of Unemployed Find Jobs with Mental Health App
A six-week trial of the DRIVEN app, which combines mental health exercises with job-seeking strategies, shows promising results in helping unemployed individuals find work, outperforming standard job-search advice
A recent six-week trial of a mental health app called DRIVEN has shown promising results in helping unemployed individuals find jobs. The trial, which involved 126 unemployed individuals, found that nearly 70% of participants who used the app found work, compared to about half of those who received standard job-search advice.
The DRIVEN app was developed by Inspiration at Work and combines weekly self-guided mental health exercises with job-seeking strategies. The app offers job-search tips and three video sessions with a job coach, in addition to six weeks of self-guided mental health exercises. These exercises were built using strategies from behavioral activation.
The trial was led by Northwestern University and published in The Journal of Medical Internet Research. Stewart Shankman, a professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, is the senior author of the study. According to Shankman, the app's approach is particularly relevant in today's job market, where the use of AI in application materials and evaluation can be demotivating and frustrating for job seekers.
## Why it matters The study's findings are significant, given the challenges faced by millions of unemployed U.S. adults in a difficult job market. Losing a job can be a life-shattering experience, and when depression complicates a job search, unemployment can become a vicious cycle. The DRIVEN app may offer a much-needed intervention to break this cycle, by providing a systematic approach to job searching that also addresses mental health.
The app's focus on small actions to build job-search momentum is also noteworthy. By providing job-search tips and mental health exercises, the app helps users to stay motivated and focused on their job search. As Shankman noted, it takes an intervention like DRIVEN to systematically advise people on how to get back in the market and find work nowadays.
## What happens next The study's findings suggest that the DRIVEN app may be a valuable tool for unemployed individuals looking to find work. Further research and development of the app could lead to its wider adoption and use, potentially helping many more people to find employment and break the cycle of unemployment and depression.
