The Psychological Consequences of Career Indecision: A Longitudinal Analysis of Vocational Identity and Mental Health among Professionals

Abstract

The present study was conducted to study impact of career indecision, vocational identity on mental health of professionals in Pakistan.  Purposive sampling technique was used based on cross-sectional design. Sample comprised 400 professionals (100=engineering, 100= medical, 100= teaching and 100= banking professionals) were taken from different private and government origination and institutes of Haripur, Rawalpindi, Taxila and Islamabad. Age ranged from 22 to 30. Three scales were employed to career indecision, vocational identity and mental health. The results had shown that there is negative relationship between career indecision and mental health and vocational identity.  The results also revealed that there is positive relationship between vocational identity and mental health. The results further showed that female professionals have more career barriers, career decision making difficulties and more mental health problems as compared to male professionals.  Vocational identity was non-significant between male and female professionals. The result of current study showed that among engineering, medical, teaching and banking professionals; medical professionals were high on vocational identity, teachers were high on career decision making difficulties and Engineers were high on mental health as compare to bankers. Further analysis revealed that career indecision is statistically significantly negatively predicting mental health in engineering and Banking professionals. Vocational identity is statistically significant positively predicting mental health in engineering, medical, teaching and banking professionals. It would be help for pedagogical and clinical setting to reduce career decision making problems of students.  

Keywords: Career Indecision, Vocational identity, Career Barriers, Mental Health.