Are CBT interventions effective with disadvantaged job-seekers who are long-term unemployed?

Research into effective interventions for the negative psychological impacts of long-term unemployment has been sparse. One intervention, based on cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), has been successfully implemented in two studies with long-term unemployed professionals and youth. Can these findings be generalized to disadvantaged job-seekers who are long-term unemployed? Local support services for unemployed people located within disadvantaged areas in Sydney were approached to recruit volunteer participants. Participants were assigned in random blocks to a brief group CBT training programme or a non-CBT skills-based comparison programme. Telephone administered questionnaires completed before each course and 12 weeks later assessed psychological health variables (general mental health, self-esteem, hopelessness, optimism, self-efficacy) and success in job finding. Analyses are based on the 57 CBT group participants and 43 comparison group participants who completed 12-week follow-up assessments. Both gro...