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.
Description:
A dissertation in the Department of Communication and Media Studies,
Faculty of Foreign Languages Education and Communication, submitted
to the School of Graduate Studies, in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Business Communication)
in the University of Education, Winneba
FEBRUARY, 2021