Work Issues for Young People with Psychosis: Barriers to Employment

Abstract

Young people who have had a mental illness face significant barriers to both gaining and maintaining employment. A study, using a qualitative design and consisting of two focus groups, was conducted to identify the issues experienced by young people diagnosed with psychosis wanting to gain employment. The participants were 10 registered clients of an Australian mental health service that had a specialised early psychosis programme. The themes identified in this study concerned loss, low self-confidence and self-esteem, stigma, treatment issues, the need for support, and difficulties in identifying and achieving goals. Further research is warranted to gain a greater understanding of the type of programme that would best assist young people to gain and maintain employment.