Theoretical and Applied Economics
No. 4 / 2025 (645), Winter
Poverty, unemployment, and mental health: differential impacts among university graduates in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia
University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Abstract. This paper examines the relationship between poverty, unemployment, and mental health outcomes among unemployed graduates in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia, using a cross-sectional World Bank dataset. Poverty and unemployment remain persistent challenges across Sub-Saharan Africa, undermining graduate transitions into labour markets and contributing to mental health burdens. Aim: The study seeks to explore how different levels of education intersect with unemployment and poverty to influence the prevalence of depression and mental health problems among graduates. Method: Descriptive and comparative statistical analysis was conducted on unemployment, poverty, and mental health indicators, stratified by education level, to identify patterns of differential exposure and vulnerability across the study countries. Results: The findings demonstrate significant disparities: graduates with advanced degrees experienced unemployment of 11.4%, poverty at 17.7%, and mental health challenges at 71.0%; bachelor’s degree holders recorded unemployment at 21.4%, poverty at 15.6%, and depression at 62.9%; those with some college education faced unemployment of 39.8%, poverty of 17.3%, and mental health challenges of 42.8%; while individuals with high school education or less experienced the highest unemployment at 50.6%, poverty at 12.1%, and mental health difficulties at 37.3%. These outcomes suggest that both highly educated and less educated graduates remain vulnerable, though the nature of risks differs by group. Conclusion: Unemployment and poverty have a disproportionate influence on graduates’ psychosocial well-being, with education level shaping the extent of exposure and vulnerability. Contribution: The study underscores the need for integrated policy responses that jointly address economic insecurity and mental health outcomes, thereby informing human capital development strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Contents
Dynamic risk spillovers in European Stock Markets: a TVP-VAR Approach
Co-movement and causality among exchange rates: a wavelet analysis
Financial development and economic growth in emerging economies: the mediating role of entrepreneurship
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The impact of short-run and long-run dynamics on manufacturing sector development in Indonesia and Malaysia
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Assessment of external macroeconomic imbalances in Romania
Remittances and domestic demand: evidence from Romania
How do energy consumption, natural resources, trade openness and FDI affect environmental quality in Algeria? Fresh insights from the novel DYNARDL simulations and KRLS approach
The acceleration of education: professors, AI platforms and the transformation of learning and human growth
Poverty, unemployment, and mental health: differential impacts among university graduates in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia
Assessing the relationship between institutions and economic development
Cedi depreciation and petroleum price shocks: economic interlinkages and macroeconomic implications
Effects of climate change on food security and sustainable development in Saudi Arabia: Autoregressive Distributed Lag approach
Corruption in digital environments
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Sustainable consumption and experimental economics – a bibliometric analysis
Heterogeneous and dynamic impacts of growth, urbanization, deforestation, and energy intensity on environmental degradation in Africa using the MM-Quantile regression method
Institutional governance in developing countries, political factors as drivers of institutional change: evidence from sub-Saharan Africa