FACTORS PREDICTING MENTAL WELL-BEING AMONG THE SOUTH AFRICAN WORKING AGE POPULATION

An individual’s mental well-being is the base on which all the other quality factors of life could be influenced. Examining the association of socioeconomic and demographic variables with mental health conditions provides an initial approach to understanding contributors to the prevalence of mental health conditions among the general South African working age population (i.e. men and women aged 15 to 64 years). This study accordingly looks at the socio-economic and demographic profile of mental illnesses among the South African working age population by ascertaining factors predicting mental well-being. Using weighted, secondary survey data from Statistics South Africa’s General Household Survey (GHS), the results show that employment status accounts for the biggest contributor to mental well-being among the working age population. The risk of persons likely to report themselves to be suffering from both single and multiple types of mental illnesses relative to no mental illnesses for persons who were not employed was also found to be higher than for those who were employed. Other socio-demographic contributors to mental well-being include gender, population group, age and education.