Mental health : an investigation into the barriers to employment for people with mental health difficulties in modern Ireland.
Authors
Flanagan, Fiona
Issue Date
2010
Degree
BA (Hons) in Social Science
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
This research project investigates the barriers to employment for people with mental health difficulties; the main aims of the project were to answer the following questions, What are the barriers to employment for people with mental health difficulties and do these barriers apply to Ireland as they do to Britain and America? Has these barriers increased in recent times as a result of the economic era? Are there sufficient support groups and resources in place to help people with mental illnesses remain/return to the workforce? Does the meaning of work differ for people with mental illnesses The research was carried out using qualitative methods of research and thematic analysis. Semi structured interviews were carried out on five participants. The main results indicated that there were three main barriers to employment, which were set to rise as a result of the current economy of Ireland. Results also identified that back to work services and training were not 100% effective and many did not reach those people that wanted to avail of these services. The results also identified that there was a different meaning of work for people with mental health difficulties in comparison to those that are not sufferers. The main conclusions drawn from the research was that stigmatization is the greatest barrier to employment for people with mental health difficulties and in order to reduce these barriers to employment the mind set of people would have to change through education and awareness.