A metaphorical analysis of employment barriers and support needs in psychosis

This study uses metaphor analysis to explore the employment-related experiences of people living with psychosis and those around them such as family, community members, professionals and employers. Data was derived from transcripts of 14 focus groups and 31 interviews conducted during a qualitative study of the employment barriers and support needs of people living with psychosis. The sample comprised participants drawn from six key stakeholder groups, namely people diagnosed with a persisting psychotic disorder, care-givers, health professionals, employers, employment providers and local community members. Transcripts from focus groups and interviews were imported into NVivo 10 and explored through the lens of a metaphor analysis. The study identified three common metaphorical themes used by participants to describe their experiences of job seeking and employment: a combat theme; a sports theme and a journey theme. The study demonstrates that metaphor analysis can be a useful form of triangulation to enrich our understanding of the employment barriers and support needs of people living with psychosis.