Unemployment benefits, job search activity and mental health -discouraging or buffering effects?The modern welfare state forms an important buffer against individual market risks; however this buffer has now become less effective. Changes are being made in labour market policies generally by restricting access to unemployment benefits and by linking benefits to job search activity. Nevertheless, the effects of these changes are in many cases inconsistent and minor. Do unemployment benefits have an impact on job search patterns and are they associated in some way with the risks of mental health problems?