Effect of Unemployment on Self-Concept and Psychological Distress Among Young Adults in Aba, Abia State, South East Nigeria

Youth unemployment remains a critical socio-psychological challenge in Nigeria's South East zone, where high educational attainment coupled with limited formal sector employment creates significant psychological vulnerability among young adults. This study examines the effect of unemployment on self-concept and psychological distress among young adults in Aba, Abia State. A descriptive survey design is applied to 250 unemployed young adults aged 18 to 35 years recruited through purposive sampling from three social welfare centres and youth community groups. The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale are administered alongside a questionnaire capturing unemployment duration, prior employment history, educational level, and social support availability. Descriptive statistics, t-test, and Pearson correlation are computed in SPSS. Literature from South East Nigerian urban studies identifies prolonged unemployment as significantly associated with negative self-concept, reduced self-efficacy, and elevated anxiety and depression, with social stigma of unemployment operating as a mediator. Identity Theory and the Psychological Impact of Unemployment Model by Warr provide the conceptual framework. Findings are anticipated to reveal that unemployment duration significantly predicts psychological distress severity and negatively impacts self-concept, with implications for psychosocial interventions targeting unemployed youth in Abia State. Keywords: unemployment, self-concept, psychological distress, young adults, Abia State.