TITLE:
A Fall from Grace: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Unemployment in UK University Graduates with Common Mental Health Issues
AUTHORS:
Christopher J. Cockshott, Gundi Kiemle, Paula Byrne, Mark B. Gabbay
KEYWORDS:
University Graduate Unemployment, Graduate Expectations, Stigma and Shame, Common Metal Health Issues, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.9 No.1,
January
25,
2021
ABSTRACT: An exploratory investigation into the experiences of
unemployed university graduates with common
mental health issues (i.e., depression and anxiety) was conducted using
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Analysis of semi-structured
interviews with 12 graduates in their twenties, all of whom had been unemployed between five and 24 months with common mental
health issues, generated themes relating to “Loss of Expectation and
Disorientation”, “Waste, Failure and Blame”, and “Stigma and Shame”.
Participants had experienced a “Fall from Grace”—a descent from a vaunted position of
high-esteem and importance as university graduates, with seemingly bright
prospects for a privileged future, into a lowly state of unemployment with
mental health issues, leaving them feeling tarnished. These findings are
discussed in relation to the literature on graduate
unemployment, crisis and stigma, raising some practical issues for universities, including counselling services, and how they
can better manage the transition to employment for their graduates.