| Summary: | The purpose of this thesis is to conduct an exploratory investigation into what it is like to be an unemployed university graduate with common mental health issues (i.e., depression and anxiety) from a qualitative and phenomenological perspective using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Semi-structured interviews with 12 Bachelor's degree graduates in their twenties, who have common mental health issues and have been unemployed between five and 24 months, led to the development of the three master themes of Fall from Grace, Vulnerability and Angst. These findings are explored using a range of theoretical perspectives to demonstrate the devastating impact that unemployment has on these graduates. It constitutes a developmental-existential life-crisis where they are unable to complete their rite of passage into social adulthood, leaving them vulnerable to becoming entrenched in their mental health-related difficulties and less able to overcome their unemployment. The practical implications of this work and suggestions for further research are also discussed.
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