Examining the impacts of casual labour on mental healty of youths

Youth unemployment and economic vulnerability have compelled many young people in urban Malawi to engage in casual labour (ganyu) as a primary means of survival. While ganyu provides short-term income, its implications for youth mental health remain inadequately explored. This study examined the impacts of casual labour on the mental health of youth in Chilinde, an urban settlement in Lilongwe, Malawi. A qualitative exploratory design was employed, involving in-depth interviews with 20 youths aged 15–24 years engaged in casual labour. Data were analysed thematically to examine socio-economic drivers of ganyu, mental health outcomes, coping mechanisms, and the role of social support.

Findings indicate that poverty, unemployment, limited educational opportunities, and early family responsibilities are the main factors pushing youth into casual labour. Engagement in ganyu was associated with stress, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, low self-esteem, and depressive symptoms, largely due to irregular income, physically demanding work, and exploitative labour conditions. Youth relied on informal coping strategies such as family and peer support, prayer, rest, and leisure activities, although some reported alcohol use. Social support played a protective role; however, the absence of structured mental health services and youth empowerment programmes increased vulnerability. The study concludes that casual labour is a survival strategy with significant negative implications for youth mental health and recommends integrated economic and psychosocial interventions. These findings highlight the urgent need for context-specific policies that address youth livelihoods, promote decent work conditions, and integrate accessible mental health support within urban community development and social protection programmes nationwide sustainably.