Exploring Relationships Between Job‐Search Strategy, Substance Use, and Economic Constraints

ABSTRACT Employment is an important factor in psychosocial functioning and recovery from mental health and substance use disorders, but it may be difficult to attain among individuals facing challenges related to substance use and economic constraints. A possible area of intervention to support individuals in recovery is job‐search strategy, the quality of which is related to employment outcomes. We examined the relationships among haphazard job searching, economic constraint, substance use, and the related experience of pre‐employment drug screening in a sample of 500 currently employed US veterans with histories of substance use addiction. Bivariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted to identify correlates and examine specific relationships among variables. We found that age, education level, and economic constraint were related to haphazard job searching, but substance use type and patterns of use were not. While the experience of a pre‐employment drug screen was not related to haphazard job searching, being denied a job due to pre‐employment drug screens during a job search and subsequent feelings of discouragement were associated with haphazard job searching. Implications for the relationships among these variables and career counseling considerations are discussed.