Job search app improves employment rates and reduces depression symptoms

Researchers at Northwestern University conducted a clinical trial in the United States to test a smartphone app designed to help unemployed people find work while managing depression.

The app, called DRIVEN, combines job-seeking strategies with weekly self-guided mental health exercises. These exercises use behavioral activation, which encourages people to complete small tasks to build momentum and motivation for larger goals. The trial included 126 unemployed adults who had never earned more than $100,000 annually and reported elevated depressive symptoms.

Participants were split into two groups. One group used the DRIVEN app, which provided job tips, three video sessions with a coach, and mental health exercises. The other group received standard job-search advice through weekly emails containing links to resources. The intervention group spent more time preparing for and pursuing jobs compared to the control group. Participants using the app also reported better moods and fewer depressive symptoms.

The study found that 68.3% of the people using the app found employment, while 50.8% of those receiving standard advice found work. Stewart Shankman, a professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, stated that the app may help reduce the stigma of mental health treatment because it focuses on finding a job rather than treating depression.

The team is now looking for ways to provide the app to the public through state employment agencies and private companies that assist laid-off workers.