Felicia Owadara

Employment Situation of Young Persons in Recovery Felicia Owadara

This study is carried out through the eyes of young persons in recovery in Aro Neuro-psychiatry hospital Abeokuta, Ogun-state Nigeria. It is a qualitative study and focuses on perceptions of young persons in recovery from severe mental illness on access to employment in Nigeria. It examines challenges that consumers of mental health face in the Nigerian labour market and adopted Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to make sense of participants' experiences either in the course of searching for jobs or in maintaining it. The outcomes of the study show that barriers to work for young persons in recovery from severe mental illness is complex and multiplicity in nature; essentially, socio-cultural orientations of the Nigerian society creates a major challenge, fostering stigma, and discrimination. The lack of opportunity is attributed to a general judgemental attitude and government's indifference towards this group. Lastly, it recommends a constructive approach in policy and practice to facilitate social justice for this group.