Constructed identity and employment support needs of persons with schizophrenia, a case of selected organizations in Ghana

Abstract

The research study focused on investigating the constructed identities and employment support needs of persons with schizophrenia in some selected organisations in Ghana. It further sought to identify the kind of identities constructed by the persons with schizophrenia at the workplace and the motivations behind the constructed identities. It employed a case study as its research design. Purposive sampling was also employed as the sampling technique for the study. The data collection method used for the study were interviews and observations. Communication Theory of Identity and Identity Negotiation Theory were also employed to aid in answering research questions one and two. Supported Employment Model was also employed to help respond to research question three. With the aid of the theories and models employed in the study, the research revealed that the kinds of identity constructed by the persons with schizophrenia at the workplace are individual identity, illness identity, stigmatised identity with an emphasis on concealable stigmatised identity and professional identity. Enrichment, engulfment, rejection, and personal convictions were the motivations behind the constructed identities of the schizophrenic at the workplace. The study also discovered that distraction, self-controlling, and defensiveness are utilised by persons with schizophrenia who have undergone supported employment as a coping strategy in the workplace. The study concluded that it is prudent to employ the schizophrenic since it aids in their recovery. It was also evident that employing persons with schizophrenia also gives them some social recognition. Furthermore, the study established that persons with schizophrenia who have undergone supported employment are more inclined with coping strategies at the workplace than those who have not gone through supported employment.