A particularly vulnerable generation?

Alternatives to stereotypical represAlternatives to stereotypical representations of mental distress in the working lives of young people

Abstract

Work-related mental health problems are particularly pronounced among young people under the age of 30, and they are increasing. Work-related psychological distress is a complex phenomenon; therefore, new scientific formats are needed to avoid oversimplification and stereotyping. This article investigates whether poetic representations in combination with art photography can contribute to nuanced knowledge about young people’s work-related mental distress. The empirical starting point is 50 qualitative interviews with young people between the ages of 22 and 31, who are in their first job as graduates and have experienced mental health problems in their working lives. Psychological dissatisfaction encompasses all forms and degrees of work-related psychological strains described by the young people themselves. The article draws inspiration from post-structuralist research on transgressive writing and from theories of art history on photography as a representational form. The article argues that popular science descriptions of generations often place the responsibility for psychological distress on individual young people or an entire generation. Poetic representations, on the other hand, invite us to empathize with life situations where mental health problems are not static and detached from socio-material conditions, but rather relational, mobile, and contextually embedded. The photographs further emphasize the work-related context, encouraging empathy and reflection across generational divides through reference to a shared visual culture.