Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Study Research Articles

“It’s what we perceive as different”: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of Nigerian women’s characterization of their health during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundHealth has historically been adversely affected by social, economic, and political pandemics. In parallel with the spread of diseases, so do the risks of comorbidity and death associated with their consequences. As a result of the current pandemic, shifting resources and services in resource-poor settings without adequate preparation has intensified negative consequences, which global service interruptions have exacerbated. Pregnant women are especially vulnerable during infectious disease outbreaks, and the current pandemic has significantly impacted them.MethodsThis study used an interpretive phenomenological analysis study with a feminist lens to investigate how women obtained healthcare in Ebonyi, Ogun, and Sokoto states Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic. We specifically investigated whether the epidemic influenced women’s decisions to seek or avoid healthcare and whether their experiences differed from those outside of it.ResultsWe identified three superordinate themes: (1) the adoption of new personal health behaviour in response to the pandemic; (2) the pandemic as a temporal equalizer for marginalized individuals; (3) the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal health care. In Nigeria, pregnant women were affected in a variety of ways by the COVID-19 epidemic. Women, particularly those socially identified as disabled, had to cross norms of disadvantage and discrimination to seek healthcare because of the pandemic’s impact on prescribed healthcare practices, the healthcare system, and the everyday landscapes defined by norms of disadvantage and discrimination.ConclusionIt is clear from the current pandemic that stakeholders must begin to strategize and develop plans to limit the effects of future pandemics on maternal healthcare, particularly for low-income women.

Full title: “Hopes, worries and expectations” experiences of pregnancy with inflammatory bowel disease: An interpretative phenomenological analysis study

Background and AimsInflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) affects many women of childbearing age. High levels of voluntary childlessness and high levels of pregnancy-related fears have been reported amongst these patients in several quantitative studies. We investigated the lived experiences of pregnant patients to better understand decision-making processes around family planning. MethodsNine participants between 7 and 34 weeks pregnant (6 Crohn's Disease/3 Ulcerative Colitis), with an age range of 22–39 were recruited prospectively from three United Kingdom hospitals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and audio recorded. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to interpret the data. ResultsTwo main themes emerged: 1) IBD is perceived as a threat to family planning; and 2) healthcare professional advice, support, and reassurance was important. IBD was viewed as a potential threat to fertility and reproductive health. Consequently, women's lived experience of pregnancy is shaped by anxiety and pregnancy-related worries for mother and baby. Mothers actively sought out expert medical assurances to alleviate some of the perceived fears. ConclusionPrevious research has repeatedly found that women with IBD exhibit high levels of pregnancy-related worries and anxieties. Our findings find that high levels of anxiety are due to patients’ perceptions that IBD is a threat to their reproductive health and their offspring. Women relied on a medicalized discourse to understand their IBD experiences during pregnancy and actively sought biomedical resources for assistance before and during pregnancy. Consultants should be aware that when dealing with pregnant patients, some women may experience anxiety and require extra support.

Giving voice by doing with not doing through: Collaborating with tactile sign language interpreters in interpretative phenomenological analysis research involving older deafblind people

There is a dearth of qualitative research into deafblind people’s experiences, impoverishing our understanding of the phenomenon and contributing to deafblind people’s social exclusion. As an approach which seeks to amplify the perspectives of participants from so called ‘vulnerable groups’, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) appears ideally suited to qualitative research exploring the experiences of the deafblind population. However, one strategy for facilitating the inclusion of deafblind people in qualitative research is the involvement of tactile sign language interpreters, and some have argued that phenomenological methods, such as IPA, be avoided where interpreters are involved. Nevertheless, those promoting IPA encourage flexibility and creativity in its use. Using the example of a UK based study exploring vulnerability among older deafblind people, this paper illustrates how tactile sign language interpreters were involved in IPA research. The criteria for evaluating the management of interpreters in qualitative research devised by Squires are used to frame critical reflection on the necessary adaptation of IPA, and the authors contend that IPA study involving tactile sign language interpreters can successfully give voice to older deafblind people when careful attention is paid to the interpreters’ credentials, role, and positionality, and it is acknowledged that IPA research is completed with not through the interpreters.

Exploring Healthcare Providers' and Women's Perspectives of Labor Companionship during Childbirth: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Study.

A labor companion of choice during childbirth is crucial for improving women's birth experience and confidence to give birth. Labor companions provide various benefits, including enhanced communication, emotional support, non-pharmacological pain relief, and better healthcare. However, little is known about the supportive actions of labor companions with respect to women's needs during labor and birth, as well as healthcare providers' perceptions of labor companions. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the perceptions of healthcare providers and women regarding labor companions. The study utilized an interpretative phenomenology research design. Data collection involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 14 participants. The sample consisted of mothers, physicians, and nurses, ensuring a diverse range of perspectives. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted for data analysis. Five themes were identified: (a) impact of companionship, (b) benefits for healthcare providers, (c) companion roles, (d) loneliness and alienation of mothers, and (e) challenges of implementation. The findings indicated that the presence of a companion reduces the need for unnecessary medical interventions and eases the workload of healthcare providers. Without a companion, mothers often feel lonely and disconnected during the birthing process. The presence of companions is often hindered by space limitations in delivery rooms, the absence of clear policies, and lack of childbirth education programs for companions. Clear policies, education programs, and adequate space are essential for implementing and promoting labor companionship during childbirth.

The Lived Experience of Play and How It Relates to Psychological Wellbeing: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) Study Amongst Undergraduate Students from Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health Professions' Programmes in the United Kingdom.

Current literature acknowledges that undergraduate students undertaking programmes in medicine, nursing, and allied health professions experience occupational stress which presents as a detriment to mental health, psychological wellbeing (PWB), and burnout. Strategies to improve the wellbeing of students have been slow to embed and have had limited impact, indeed the issue of declining wellbeing amongst this group is escalating. Studies from the business literature suggest that organisations that foster a playful environment reap benefits in terms of employee wellbeing. This interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) study explored the lived experiences of play amongst undergraduate students from medicine, nursing, and allied health professions' programmes in the clinical practice setting. The resultant findings offer some unique empirical insights into the types of play that the students engaged in, ranging from informal banter with peers and patients to artful, sophisticated, cocreated play. The study also revealed insights about the factors which facilitate play, notably the "big personalities" on the ward. The factors which limited play are related to the tension between being a health professional and the enactment of play as well as hierarchical factors. Crucially, the study found that the practice of play induced key hedonic and eudaimonic PWB benefits to the students, ranging from positive affect to improved relationships, a sense of meaning, and a positive learning environment, offering original empirical insights. These findings have not been observed previously and shine a conceptual light on a previously unknown phenomenon.

Dynamics of intercultural communication: Papuan in Gorontalo

<p>This research discusses the dynamics of communication between two different cultural groups applied by ten Papuan student informants in Gorontalo and at the same time identifies that Gorontalo, which according to the researcher's observations has no cases, information, incidents of discrimination against Papuans, has the possibility of discrimination. This research uses Mark Orbe's Co-cultural theory with an interpretive phenomenological analysis study. The results of the research show that the minority group of Papuan students in Gorontalo uses communication dynamics using accommodation, which is a form of establishing good ties with the majority group without losing the original identity of Papuans. Assimilation is also the second dominant dynamics used by Papuan students in Gorontalo, namely adopting the culture of the dominant group. And there is discrimination in the Gorontalo area even though there are no records, cases or even official information.</p>

“Everything Seems to Be the Right Eye in Our Family”: Intergenerational Family Living with Facial Eye Disfigurement: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

This paper presents the lived experience of an intergenerational family, spanning three generations living with Facial Eye Disfigurement (FED). Living with vision loss and FED is estimated to affect nearly 8 billion people worldwide. Inadequate attention is paid to the impact of Living with FED (LwFED) on the lives of individuals. This research offers a deep dive into the lived experiences of one family LwFED. This family comprises a grandfather (deceased), son, wife, and child, all of whom have lived or live with FED. In this Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study three interviewees are deemed the experts. Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted by Zali who lives with FED. Our findings speak of childhood and subsequent issues living with FED (LwFED), family experiences of living with family members with FED while simultaneously LwFED themselves, shared stories and role modelling. We discuss LwFED healthily through the creation of a safe family space through acceptance, belonging, and support. We introduce and discuss the role of the eyelid, functioning versus non-functioning. We offer insights and understandings of an intergenerational family living with LwFED to advance research and inform practice within diverse fields.

Is It Safe Enough? An IPA Study of How Couple Therapists Make Sense of Their Decision to Either Stop or Continue with Couple Therapy When Violence Becomes the Issue.

Couple therapists will encounter couple violence in their practice at some point. In this context, one of the main questions they must address is whether to continue with conjoint sessions. This study explores how couple therapists make sense of their decision whether or not to continue with conjoint sessions when violence has become an issue. This qualitative study used four semi-structured focus groups and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyse the data from the twelve experienced couple therapist participants. Our IPA analysis led to three main group experiential themes across the focus groups: (1) Is it safe enough? (2) Do we have a joint and regenerative project? (3) Three key sources for sense making. Partner violence challenges the realm of couple therapy. This article explored how the couple therapists orient themselves and grapple with decision making when violence becomes an issue. The article offers unique insights regarding what the therapists orient themselves towards and how they try to form an impression of whether to continue conjoint sessions. We outline immediate clinical implications and propose measures for building individual and organisational capacity regarding "clinical sense making". Suggestions for further research are also addressed.

Exploring AP English Students’ Experience with the Open World Simulation of Henry David Thoreau’s Experiment

Technological advancements continue to present a variety of learning opportunities for students. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study is to seek an understanding about students’ experiences with a virtual reality (VR) activity in an Advanced Placement English course. Analyzing the observations and interactions the participants undergo with VR informs the story of their journey with the technology. Additionally, their immersion in the VR environment emphasizes active learning and experiential learning theoretical concepts. The benefits of this study may help educators understand students’ interpretations of VR and ways in which they engage with interactive digital activities.

A longitudinal interpretative phenomenological analysis study of athletes' lived experiences in elite disc golf competitions.

Gaining the inside perspective of an elite athlete throughout the competitive season provides a unique approach to understand the lived experience during multiple competitive events. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how elite disc golf athletes perceive and interpret their experiences of performing during various training and competitive events over the course of an elite disc golf season. Two elite disc golf athletes, one man and one woman, were recruited using homogeneous purposive sampling. The participants were interviewed three times and observed during three competitive events, as well as before and after a training session. A longitudinal interpretative phenomenological analysis (LIPA) was adopted to capture temporal and dynamic changes of the participants' lived experiences. The findings illustrated the athletes' personal experiences of performing during competitive disc golf events, with both athletes' experiences of competition changing during the season. Their competitive experiences appear to relate to the meaning disc golf has for the athletes, which in this study had both an experiential and existential level of meaning over time. Such a finding illustrates the importance of honoring athletes' unique experiences in making sense of their performances during an elite disc golf season. Taking the time to understand athletes' perceptions of their personal experiences appear important in attempting to understand their sense-making of their hot cognition before, during, and after competitions.

Investigating oral presentation anxiety of freshmen English major students in a Philippine higher educational institution

The objective of this Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study is to gain a deeper understanding of how Freshmen English Major Students in a Philippine Higher Educational Institution experience and cope with anxiety related to oral presentations. Semi-structured interviews were carried out using a group of students who struggle with oral presentation anxiety. The interviews are recorded, transcribed, manually coded, and thematically examined. This qualitative study focuses on examining the students' perception of their anxiety, its causes, coping mechanisms, and its impact on their academic performance and well-being. The results reveal five themes for the encountered problems: (1) apprehension and distress in oral presentations (2) resource scarcity and readiness deficiency results to constrained engagement (3) the spotlight fears and trembling grip on stage (4) medium hurdles like encountering language disruptions and intrusions (5) the struggles with regards to one’s well-being; and six themes for the coping strategies: (1) emotional respite in human connections (2) mental resilience and adaptation (3) the calming rhythm for stress relief (4) harnessing movement and artistry for coping showcases embodied expressions (5) embracing emotional equilibrium through the power of acceptance in coping (6) unique coping strategy and perspective. The findings of this study add to a better understanding of the influence of this anxiety on student progress and assist in designing therapies to help this population's anxiety about oral presentations.

“If I don’t like it, I’ll just pop the phone down!”: Reflecting on participant and researcher experiences of telephone interviews conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about sudden, profound shifts in working practices, including in qualitative research, where telephone or virtual interviews became necessary alternatives to face-to-face interviews given COVID-19 distancing measures. In this reflection, we discuss our group’s transition to using telephone interviews to carry out an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study with 18 older adults living with age-related macular degeneration, a chronic, progressive eye disease causing central vision loss. Rather than focusing on the ‘pros and cons’ of the telephone modality compared to face-to-face interviews, we aim to provide a reflexive account of the telephone interview experience from both the researchers’ and participants’ perspectives within the unique context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Integrating these perspectives, we suggest that telephone interviews can generate rich data while being an accessible, comfortable mode of data collection for many participants. Provided there is reflection on how the context shapes the interview encounter, we suggest that telephone interviews can play an important role as part of a more pluralistic approach to qualitative data collection.

Pulled from the Shoreline in Search of Spacious Spirituality: Journeys of Spiritual Distress, Resilience, and Posttraumatic Growth for Women of Evangelical Christian Backgrounds in a Canadian Context

Religion and spirituality (R/S) provide possibilities for healing, resilience, meaning making, and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in the aftermath of trauma. Still, R/S may also be the precursors and/or sources of harm, resulting in experiences of spiritual distress (SD). While extensive research has examined the positive mental health impacts of R/S, its potential harms are under-investigated. Addressing this gap, this article draws on findings from an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study with four women of evangelical Christian (EC) backgrounds who have experienced SD. The women’s stories revealed SD as an isolating and profoundly tension-filled experience characterized by painful relational loss, fraught belonging, existential uncertainty, and acute spiritual pain. Several women used the term “trauma” to describe their experiences. This study evidences the tender and isolating complexity of SD. For the women, spirituality served as both a cause and a perpetuator of trauma, and as a vehicle for transcendent meaning making in response to wounding. Ultimately, spirituality is tangled in the women’s distress while also playing a role in their posttraumatic growth. Implications include a call for increased awareness and advocacy regarding SD, as well as a trauma-informed, spiritually sensitive, curious posture from practitioners supporting clients with SD to foster posttraumatic growth.

Exploring the needs of stroke patients after discharge from rehabilitation centres in Saudi Arabian communities: An IPA qualitative exploratory study design.

There are about 29 strokes per 100,000 people, annually, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). These patients require long-term rehabilitation services to enhance recovery and independence in the community. Currently there are limited long-term rehabilitation services in KSA and research is needed to establish pathways for provision of community-based rehabilitation (CBR). To develop effective new CBR models, understanding the experiences and needs of stroke patients in KSA who have undergone poststroke care services is essential. This study aims to gain insight into stroke patients' needs after their discharge from rehabilitation centres in Saudi Arabia. An interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was undertaken using semi-structured interviews. Participants were eligible if they had a stroke, completed their in-hospital rehabilitation sessions and had been discharged within the past three years. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using interview guides. Transcripts were translated and analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Twenty-four (15 males and 9 females) participants were recruited from two hospitals in KSA. The key findings suggested that patients experienced limited community rehabilitation services postdischarge unless they were financially able to pay for private therapy. Coping barriers including Medical, Psychological, Social, and Financial and facilitators including Faith, Recovery, Social support and leisure were identified. Participants suggested strategies to improve services within hospital and community for rehabilitation, needs of staff, access to services and ongoing care. Further work is required to develop, implement and evaluate a community rehabilitation intervention that includes education, and self-management elements to support stroke survivors in the community in KSA.

Exploring how absence of judicial freedom undermines press freedom in Ethiopia

This qualitative phenomenological study explores how private press journalists perceive, narrate and interpret their personal challenges and hardships they faced with the judicial system of Ethiopia. In addition, this study explored lived experiences of the journalists and their effort to fight to get a proper court trial in the country. To explore those challenges, and hardships the study considered a time framework embedded the late Prime Minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi's tenure. The study used a theory of Alfred Schutz's “Life World” as a lens to provide a “pure” description of the participants' lived experiences. The theory entails a thorough assessment of the participants' encounters and a focus on their lived experiences concerning lack of freedom of judicial system. The data was obtained through a semi-structured interview, which is widely regarded as the most effective method for gathering information for an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study. Interviews with the journalists were conducted and transcribed with the goal of allowing participants to tell their own stories. The interview transcripts were studied one by one, and each transcript was read and reread to uncover themes that were then organized and further investigated. This study discovered that private press journalists undergo a variety of problems, hardships, and sufferings as a result of lack of free judicial system in Ethiopia during Meles Zenawi's nearly quarter-century rule. Thus, we propose that if we want to see true freedom in every dimension, including press freedom, the legal system must be totally free from the grip of political power and cease functioning like a puppet and doing what it is instructed.

When a Child Dies by Suicide: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Study.

Suicide is a global concern for the well-being of families. When parents experience their child's death by suicide, their well-being can be substantially impaired. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of parents whose children died by suicide. Data were collected from 25 mothers through interviews between 2019 and 2021 and analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. The data revealed five superordinate themes, including (1) who am I; (2) the unrelenting questions; (3) my existence on earth is brutal and cruel; (4) grief; and (5) the meaning. Each superordinate theme includes two to four supporting clusters. Parents' grief associated with a child's suicide is overwhelming and paralyzing but is often a journey to find the meaning or the reason for the death. Parents are traumatized and emotionally vulnerable. Healthcare providers need to support parents who lose their children to death by suicide.

The humbled pivoting voyeur and the shelved and boxed grieving parent - a story of real-time qualitative research in the COVID-19 pandemic

This reflexive piece uniquely discusses the challenges faced by a researcher (PhD Student) conducting real-time longitudinal research during the COVID-19 pandemic. It draws on data gathered from the author's reflexive diary and participant transcripts from an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study utilising online diaries and semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked about their experiences of shielding their children, who were born preterm, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The note, reflectively and transparently, describes the research experience from the perspective of the PhD student. It explores the complex relationship formed between the researcher and participant, and the impact of this relationship throughout the research process. The piece highlights unforeseen and unintended psychological consequences of research during a global pandemic.

Individuals with restrictive eating disorders' experience of the introduction of calories on menus in England: An interpretative phenomenological analysis study.

In April 2022 the Calorie Labelling (Out of Home) Regulations came into effect in England where cafés, restaurants, and takeaways with over 250 employees were required to provide calorie labelling on menus. Concerns have been raised regarding the potential negative impact this could have on individuals with eating disorders (EDs), yet this has not been explored using qualitative methodology. Eleven participants with a current or previously diagnosed restrictive ED were interviewed in September 2022. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to explore their experience of the introduction of calories on menus. Using IPA we established six themes and seven subordinate themes. These included the introduction of calories on menus as an 'attack' on individuals with EDs; the prominent visual display of calories as an attentional pull; normalising of calories counting; the impact on behaviour; and associated strategies for managing. This contributes to research surrounding the implications for public health policies on individuals with EDs, especially their ability to reinforce and amplify disordered thoughts and behaviours, and the need for greater consideration of how to minimise impact and potential harm of large public health campaigns.

Recovery journey of people with a lived experience of schizophrenia: a qualitative study of experiences

BackgroundMental health recovery involves an integration of clinical and psychosocial frameworks. The recovery journey of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and the factors that influence it have been extensively studied. Because the recovery journey is culturally influenced, we examined the recovery process expriences of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia in China, focusing on the influence of a Confucian-dominated collectivist and family-centred culture.MethodsAn Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study was conducted; data were gathered through in-depth interviews with 11 individuals with lived experience of schizophrenia.ResultsFour themes were identified in this study: traumatic illness experiences, influence of the family, motives for recovery, and posttraumatic growth, comprising ten subthemes. “For the family” and “relying on oneself” are the main drivers of recovery for individuals with a Chinese cultural background. Some people believe that taking care of themselves is an important way to ease the burden on their families and treat them well. There is a link between ‘for the family’ and ‘relying on oneself.ConclusionsIndividuals living with schizophrenia in China have undergone significant traumatic experiences and have profound interactions with their families. Post-traumatic growth reflects an increase in the individual’s connection to others and individual agency. It also suggests that the individual is not receiving enough support outside of the family. The impact of individual agency and family relationships should be considered in services that promote recovery, and clinic staff should enhance support outside the home to the individuals.

Supervision experiences of trans/gender expansive counselors‐in‐training: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

AbstractClinical supervisors should be culturally competent working with transgender or gender expansive (TGE) counselors‐in‐training; however, minimal research exists regarding TGE counselors’ experiences in supervision. This interpretative phenomenological analysis study explored the supervision experiences of five TGE counselors‐in‐training. Findings revealed four super‐ordinate themes and two sub‐themes, and implications are discussed.