Director of Clinical Services, Emma Steiner, Featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer: ‘I Feel Stuck’: Philadelphians Struggle with The Effects of Unemployment on Mental Health
December 1, 2020 | When Joe Ronca locked the doors of Kawaii Kitty Cafe in Queen Village on March 15, he thought the popular spot, which he co-owned with his partner Kristin Eissler, would be open again after a few months. The couple quarantined at home and prepared to ride out the pandemic, like hundreds of other small-business owners in Philadelphia.
Through the spring and summer, Ronca and Eissler tried to find a more sustainable business model during the pandemic for Kawaii Kitty Cafe, where patrons pay to interact with the cafe’s cats. They sold merchandise online and at pop-up events. The couple also began streaming video games on their Facebook page, featuring adoptable cats. They were buoyed for a few months by donations, and grateful they were able to place the remaining cats in foster homes. Ronca, who worked as a videographer before opening the cafe, filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) in April, which also helped.
But by fall, Ronca and Eissler realized it was no longer feasible to hold onto their lease for the cafe.
“I want to wave a magic wand and make it better for her, but I feel stuck,” Ronca said.
Ronca is among the millions of Pennsylvanians who filed for PUA, many of whom are still having issues accessing benefits while also struggling to process all they’ve endured this year.
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate is 7.3% as of October, 2.7 percentage points higher than the same time last year. Unemployment rates spiked in April at 16.1%, and have gradually decreased since, although certain sectors such as hospitality and retail are still struggling to recover jobs lost in the spring. And last month Philadelphia introduced new restrictions to manage the rising number of COVID-19 cases, causing some employees in those industries to go through a second round of layoffs.
Research quantifies what most of us probably have assumed: Unemployment does nothing positive for mental health. A 2015 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that young adults who were unemployed were three times more likely to report depression, compared to those who were employed. A survey published last month in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that of the 5,000 Americans aged 18 to 26 who responded, 60% lost their jobs since March or lived with someone who did, and 40% expected to lose their jobs in the next four weeks. The individuals who had lost their jobs were more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Emma Steiner, a therapist.
DAVID MAIALETTI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Increased stress may be one of the reasons people experience symptoms of depression and anxiety during unemployment, said Emma Steiner, director of clinical services at the Council of Relationships, a Philadelphia nonprofit that provides counseling, including free and low-cost therapy. Plus, job loss can damage self-image, she said.
“The loss of a job is a really significant loss,” Steiner said. “Jobs often have a lot to do with how we think about ourselves, identity and purpose. There’s also a sense of identity that may come with being able to provide for other people, or yourself. Shame can be really profound when you lose a job. Your negative beliefs about yourself can be reinforced, and depression can be related to that.”