Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Research Articles (Page 1)

ABSTRACT For women who experienced sexual abuse during childhood, motherhood represents a period of heightened psychological vulnerability, often reactivating past trauma and influencing the development of the maternal bond. This qualitative study, grounded in an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, explores the experiences of ten women involved in judicial proceedings who had been victims of early sexual abuse. Drawing on their life narratives, the analysis highlights the specific psychological effects of parenthood within trajectories shaped by trauma. Pregnancy, childbirth, and the early stages of motherhood are perceived as critical periods, often marked by fears of trauma recurrence, loss of control, and unconscious projections onto the child. These projections, frequently linked to the child’s gender, may evoke symbolic identifications with either the aggressor or the victim, rendering the initial bonding process particularly complex. The mother – child relationship is often strained by a tension between overprotection, mistrust, and uncertainty regarding maternal competence. However, for some participants, this period of crisis also contained transformative potential. For several women, motherhood became a pivotal moment that led to the disclosure of past abuse, the initiation of psychological work, and the beginning of a reconstruction process. The desire to protect their child served as a powerful catalyst for change. These findings highlight the importance of clinical support attuned to the traumatic and identity-related dimensions of motherhood in order to foster mentalization processes and prevent the intergenerational transmission of trauma.

ABSTRACT This study explores the experience of child psychotherapists who work with silent children. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of four child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapists and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to examine the unique meaning that participants attributed to their work with their silent patients. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data: formulations of the silent child – ‘just different’; technique and cautious adaptation – ‘I needed to try something different’; the therapist’s feelings; and the tension between the need for support, and resistance to accessing it. This study aims to highlight the value of long-term work with silent children and strengthen understanding of the need for a mixed approach, which includes psychoanalytic technique and its cautious adaptation, to enliven the withdrawn child. The child psychotherapist’s skill of working with nonverbal communication based on infant observation and countertransference is central, but flexibility is also required.

Palliative care-while overlapping with but distinct from end-of-life care-involves multidisciplinary teams providing medical, psychosocial, and existential support to patients and families facing serious illness. While prior research has examined professional identity in palliative care, the existential dimensions of identity formation-what it means to be a palliative care professional-remain largely underexplored. To explore the lived experiences of palliative care professionals, focussing on how their professional identity is constructed through the existential notion of "being," and to identify implications for advancing international education and workforce policy. Semi-structured interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Reflexivity, peer debriefing, thick description, and an audit trail were applied to ensure rigour and transparency. Fourteen Italian palliative care professionals from diverse disciplines (nursing, medicine, allied health) working primarily in community-based services. One Group Existential Theme emerged: Being, encompassing four subthemes-Meaning of Being, Ways of Being, Being Present for Others, and Reasons for Being Present. Across these, participants framed their identity not only around technical competence but also around emotional presence, relational depth, and ethical commitment to dignity in dying. This study advances existing literature by integrating the existential dimensions of "being" into professional identity theory. Findings highlight the need for international education and workforce strategies that embed reflective practice, emotional competence training, and peer-support structures alongside technical instruction, to sustain professionals in death-related work.

Care-experienced mothers represent a vulnerable population at the intersection of complex childhood adversity and the challenges of parenthood, making them a crucial focus for research on mental health. The current study aimed to explore how care-experienced women perceive and manage the impact of motherhood on their mental health. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, we examined how care-experienced mothers interpret and make sense of motherhood and mental health in their specific contexts. Through the analysis of five mothers' interviews, four superordinate themes were identified: (1) The value and fragile benefits of motherhood; (2) When the past and present collide; (3) The value and power of identities; and (4) Engagement with services: the push and pull. The findings suggest that care-experienced mothers are more vulnerable to distress when their identities are solely tied to motherhood and when they experience power imbalance in support services. This highlights the importance of fostering self-worth beyond the maternal role and the need to provide accessible non-stigmatizing services. It is therefore important for policymakers and health professionals to work in collaboration with care-experienced mothers to establish compassionate, tailored, and ongoing support beyond statutory care. This support will be crucial in helping mothers with care histories maintain better mental health and consequently equip them to develop healthier relationships with their children and themselves.

Novice therapists often experience a complex interplay of self-doubt, emotional strain, and professional uncertainty as they transition from training to independent clinical practice. This study explored the lived experiences of novice cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) therapists, focusing on the challenges of early practice and the strategies employed to support regulation and growth. Seven early-career CBT therapists participated in semi-structured interviews, and data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Two overarching themes were identified: professional identity challenges and self-beliefs, and strategies for emotional regulation and continuous development. Participants reported difficulties managing anxiety, boundary-setting, and integrating their professional and personal selves, particularly when working with complex presentations such as grief, self-harm, and personality disorders. At the same time, supervision, personal therapy, peer and family support, and ongoing professional development were seen as crucial in building resilience and sustaining competence. The findings suggest that training and professional structures should place greater emphasis on reflective practice, boundary management, and preparation for emotionally charged cases, while framing supervision as both a clinical and emotional resource. By highlighting the perspectives of novice therapists, the study underscores the importance of supportive systems in fostering resilience and sustainable professional growth.

ABSTRACT Leisure activities are recognized as offering opportunities for personal development. However, few studies have examined how the aesthetic leisure activity of breakdancing serves as a meaningful pathway for young individuals’ personal growth amid the significant pressures they face within contemporary societies. Employing an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach, this study explores the impact of breakdancing on personal growth via self-determination theory. Based on in-depth interviews with seven amateur B-boys in South Korea, the study indicates that breakdancing can foster a growth mindset amidst widespread societal challenges, promote a positive self-image and healthy lifestyle, and strengthen a sense of social community connection.

Purpose Interpersonal trauma and self-harm are highly prevalent for women in custody. Compassion-focussed therapy (CFT) has previously demonstrated some efficacy and acceptability in these areas but not with a highly complex population. This study aims to design a CFT intervention for women in the forensic setting. Design/methodology/approach As part of the pilot process, interviews were conducted to gather data on the experiences of the two therapists. Data was then analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis and important themes identified. Findings Findings were grouped into three group experiential themes: therapeutic integrity, therapeutic processes, compassion in action. Based on this, a therapeutic model detailing essential components of practice was proposed. Practical implications The model of therapeutic practice outlined in this paper provides a description of essential therapeutic components for practitioners delivering CFTi. It also provides a potential benchmark for the future delivery of CFT interventions with forensic populations. Originality/value This is the first time that a CFT trauma-informed model of practice has been described for use with an extremely vulnerable population of women in custody. This study represents the clinical experiences of a very limited number of highly trained practitioners who have extensive experience working with women in custody who have substantial clinical needs including self-harm.

Background/Objectives: Public health emergencies disrupt school routines and child development, elevating psychosocial risk. The long-term influence of school-based participatory arts, particularly drama pedagogy, has not been sufficiently explored. This study examined teachers’ retrospective perceptions of the four-year effects of a large-scale, remotely delivered drama-based intervention on children’s psychosocial well-being and school community resilience. Methods: We conducted a retrospective interpretative phenomenological study with 23 primary-school teachers who implemented a seven-week, drama-based program with children aged 10–12 during a public health emergency. Semi-structured interviews were conducted four years post-implementation and analyzed following the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, using the Community Resilience Framework as a sensitizing theoretical lens. Results: According to teachers’ retrospective accounts, participatory arts were perceived to function as a complementary public-health-oriented practice, helping maintain children’s connection to school, and were associated with strengthening trust, creativity, and solidarity, as well as supporting communication, emotional expression, adaptability, and collaborative skills. Teachers reported that stable rituals and drama-based practices appeared to foster a sense of safety amid disruption; over time, some of these practices were reported as becoming part of everyday school routines, which teachers associated with continuity and collective resilience. Conclusions: Integrating drama-based interventions into school health and psychosocial crisis-readiness may strengthen pediatric public health strategies and may help education systems to respond to future emergencies. These findings reflect teachers’ perceptions of sustained influence and suggest the perceived value of arts-based methods in developmental/behavioral support and school community resilience. By addressing emotional regulation, peer connection, and psychosocial adaptation within school settings, the intervention reflects the preventive and promotive dimensions of pediatric public health, emphasizing the school’s role as an environment that supports children’s overall mental and developmental health.

To highlight how Longitudinal Experiential Concepts can be used as conceptual anchors within Longitudinal Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to gain temporal interpretative phenomenological insights, a lack of which can be a criticism levelled at novice nurse or midwife researchers utilising phenomenological research methods. Longitudinal Experiential Concepts were utilised as a novel methodological adjunct to Longitudinal Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in a study of the lived experience of perinatal anxiety by a midwife researcher. Longitudinal Experiential Concepts were identified following assimilation of Group Experiential Themes and while building the interpretative narrative account across all three data collection time points, with reflexive annotations facilitating their formulation. Within a longitudinal vertical (by time point) analysis, Longitudinal Experiential Concepts can add a horizontal view, giving a contemporaneous and dynamic perspective on the experiential threads woven throughout the temporal experience. Use of these conceptual anchors, enabled with reflexive prompts, can prevent the fragmentation that potentially occurs when examining moments in time in Longitudinal Qualitative Research, facilitate clarity in the temporal view of the whole phenomenon and enable phenomenological insights. A novel addition to the Longitudinal Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis method, Longitudinal Experiential Concepts as conceptual anchors can encourage deeper holistic thinking about the less immediately obvious facets of experience and temporal progression and give the novice nurse or midwife researcher a means to robustly access the phenomenological attitude. These principles may be applicable more broadly within other Longitudinal Qualitative Research approaches. The use of Longitudinal Experiential Concepts in Longitudinal Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis can enable nurses, midwives, and other clinical health researchers to produce high-quality, robust longitudinal phenomenological research. This is important due to the popular use and value of these methods aiming to generate new understanding of health conditions and improve patient care. Patients and members of the public were involved in the design of the original research study. Their contributions included reviewing study plans, ensuring the research was in line with the priorities of women experiencing poor perinatal mental health, guiding the researchers on the acceptability of the proposed approach to recruitment and data collection and reviewing participant information and study marketing materials. We gratefully acknowledge Get Me Out the Four Walls, Norfolk, for their support enabling this.

Abstract Over the last few decades, considerable attention has been directed towards formative assessment as a means of enhancing educational institutions. However, in Italy, this form of assessment has received comparatively little attention from researchers and has been identified as an underdeveloped educational practice when viewed in the context of other national school systems. Despite the recent reform in primary schools, which made formative assessment mandatory, it appears that the longstanding gap between educational research and policy has not been fully addressed, thus limiting the potential for transforming teacher assessment practices. The passage, in 2020, of the last school reform in this school system dramatically changed the assessment practices teachers are expected to enact in the classroom. More specifically, teachers switched from summative assessment, which had been extensively used for decades, to formative assessment. In light of growing concerns about teacher assessment literacy and the increased focus on formative assessment within this school system, a phenomenological interview study was conducted to examine how Italian teachers understand and implement formative assessment, in the context of the national professional development programme they attended. Three rounds of interviews were performed with 10 expert teachers. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) revealed an unclear conceptual understanding of the theory and practice of formative assessment. While the interviewees reported difficulties in putting the ambiguous policy requirements into practice, they also emphasised that the professional development programme offered little help. Finally, implications for research and practice in supporting teacher assessment literacy are discussed.

Background Gender identity has been viewed in a restrictive way within psychological practice. The dominant discourses of intervention, evaluation and gatekeeping of gender diversity have had a long and severe impact on the well-being of trans people who access mental health services, resulting in distrust and discontent. It is fundamental to interrogate this unitary, Western paradigm of mental health care not only through non-Western alternatives but also from within the periphery of the West. Method In the current study, Spain and Greece were compared as two non-equidistantly peripheral frameworks to investigate trans mental healthcare. Initial qualitative fieldwork from both countries was conducted from February 2020 to June 2021, using semistructured interviews with trans people (n = 17), with follow-ups in 2023 and 2024. Thematic analysis and interpretative phenomenological analysis were employed. Findings Participants revealed the continuous presence of severe inequalities and microaggressions within psychological settings, which are aggravated by societal conceptions of transness as pathological, as well as by professionals’ lack of specialized knowledge. Interviewees also reported discrepancy between their accompaniment expectations and professionals’ requirements. Discussion Experiences in the two countries differed in several of the themes, however, regional differences might potentially overshadow the cross-cultural ones. Future research should offer more qualitative inquiries to further dispute homogeneous and rigid conceptions of transness in psychology.

This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of residents in Benin City's self-help housing settlements, examining how subjective meanings and daily practices shape housing satisfaction. Through in-depth interviews with 10 purposively selected residents and observational field notes, the research employs Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to uncover five key themes: housing as autonomy and identity, cultural anchors of satisfaction, contextual definitions of adequacy, place-ballets of daily routines, and community embeddedness. The findings challenge conventional housing assessment metrics by demonstrating how residents derive satisfaction from incremental construction processes, cultural continuity, and social networks rather than formal infrastructure standards. Grounded in David Seamon's place-ballet theory and Kim Dovey's concept of home as paradox, the study argues for housing policies that recognize the phenomenological dimensions of dwelling. The research contributes to urban studies literature by centering resident experiences in informal settlement discourse and suggests new directions for culturally attuned housing policy in Nigeria's rapidly urbanizing context.

This article challenges the marginal status of email interviews in qualitative research. It argues that neuro-normative assumptions underpin prevailing ideals of ‘good’ research, privileging qualities aligned with neurotypical modes of interaction. Such qualities include verbal, real-time communication and bodily co-presence. Drawing on an interpretative phenomenological analysis study with women diagnosed in adulthood with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), this article challenges these neuro-conventions of research. It argues that email interviews enabled embodied engagement and disrupted normative temporalities by allowing participants to regulate sensory environments and engage on their own terms, in their own time. The asynchronous and written format of email interviews facilitated participant agency, supported their well-being, and enabled reflexivity for both participant and researcher. This produced rich, authentic data and enabled ethical research practices grounded in autonomy, beneficence, and justice. Reframing email interviews as a neurodivergent-affirming method, this article highlights their potential as a robust, inclusive and theoretically generative approach within qualitative research.

ABSTRACTPurposeInternational university students (ISs) experience elevated rates of psychological distress due to the unique challenges of living and studying in a new country. Nonetheless, their utilisation of mental health services tends to be low. This study aimed to explore ISs' experiences of help-seeking via the Scottish primary healthcare services.MethodsA qualitative design using semi-structured interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was employed. The sample included nine female ISs from a range of cultural backgrounds, who sought mental health support from the Scottish primary healthcare services within the previous year.ResultsParticipants' help-seeking experiences, contextualised within the challenging, liminal reality of living and studying in Scotland as an IS, were hindered by challenges with navigating two healthcare systems simultaneously and culturally-mediated attitudes towards mental health. Positive and negative experiences of patient-GP interactions had a considerable impact on participants' subsequent help-seeking endeavours.ConclusionsTransnational and relational lenses are key for understanding ISs' help-seeking. Beyond individual factors, help-seeking trajectories hinge on perceived quality of patient-doctor relationships and the accessibility of both local and home-country systems. These findings highlight the need for universities to implement targeted mental wellbeing interventions for ISs, and primary care to improve the quality patient–GP interactions.

ABSTRACT Aims/Background South Asian women may be more likely to experience distress following childbirth and risks linked with birth trauma. Additionally, South Asian women have been shown to be less likely to receive subsequent support, compared to White women. Therefore, this study explored how South Asian women make sense of birth trauma and seek support. Design/Methods This study employed a qualitative design with interpretative phenomenological analysis. Public and participant involvement, reflexivity and trauma-informed approaches guided research processes. Recruitment was conducted using purposive and snowball sampling methods. The study was advertised through third sector organisations, specialist postnatal research groups and social media. Eight participants with birth trauma experiences completed a semi-structured interview. Results Interpretative phenomenological analysis developed four themes ‘the power of maternity/obstetric healthcare professionals’, ‘loss of connection’, ‘disentangling discrimination’ and ‘pervasive cultural stigma in motherhood’. Findings highlighted the power differentials between maternity healthcare professionals and discriminatory interactions. The birthing experience represented a multitude of losses for South Asian women, which underpinned longstanding distress. Formal support seeking was limited by cultural stigma and mistrust of the National Health Service. Conclusions This research identified the complex interplay of negative experiences and mistreatment during childbirth, contributing to birth trauma in South Asian women. Clinical implications include improving the relational experience and well-being of South Asian women during childbirth. Research implications include continuing to situate South Asian women’s voices in maternal/perinatal research and service developments.

ABSTRACT The increasing number of elderly people in Indonesia underscores the need for knowledge about the vulnerabilitiesand health issues affecting the elderly population. Furthermore, the lack of skills among carers and the healthcaresystem to provide adequate, preventive, and dignified care makes it essential to initiate action. The main goal is to disseminate the research results and introduce the multidimensional frailty assessment questionnaire to healthcare providers in Community Health Centres. The procedures commenced through collaboration with the Dinas Kesehatan Kota Bandung. The participatory action technique was employed to incorporate research findings into community service activity through joint planning. Two phases of the program: workshop and follow-up. Discussion, demonstration, and re-demonstration within peer groups were utilized for workshops, with site visits to obtain feedback from participants randomly. 12 Community Health Centres participated in this community service initiative. Six sites were designated for research, while six other sites are situated near Bandung Kulon. Each Community Health Centre was invited to send two representatives, including the principal and the individual responsible for geriatric polyclinics (n=24). This study utilized the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The results showed that the workshop effectively improved the knowledge and skills of most healthcare workers, with a p-value of 0.001 (<0.05). Furthermore, the follow-up phase involved exploring healthcare providers’ perspectives on the use of frailty screening for elderly patients at Community Health Centres, which yielded three main themes: Theme 1, Tools and Instruments Used in Screening; Theme 2, Challenges in the Screening Process; and Theme 3, Optimization and Adaptation of the Screening Process. This workshop demonstrated an improvement in critical thinking, problem-solving, and other cognitive skills among healthcare workers. Additionally, the perspectives of primary healthcare providers regarding the implementation of frailty screening for elderly patients at Community Health Centres emphasized the importance of multidimensional frailty assessment for elderly visitors to the centres. Keywords: Community Service Program, Knowledge, Practice, Workshop

An interpretative phenomenological analysis of voluntary stuttering experiences of adults who stutter.

Lady and the champ: The shared career experiences and retirement transition of a champion jockey and his partner.

Beliefs of teachers who are blind related to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Jordan.

Youth activism has gained considerable attention in recent years, partly due to the global climate movements. Central to these movements are digital platforms, as the online and offline spheres become increasingly intertwined. To better understand youth activism and the complex interplay between the online and physical realms, we conducted an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), focusing on youth climate activists in Hungary and Czechia. The IPA approach allowed us an in-depth exploration of activists’ lived experiences, with a particular focus on the digital dimension. By placing young people’s lived experiences centre stage, we argue that young people show a deep involvement in activism, akin to having a job where they learn new skills, experience burnout, form new communities and use digital tools to enhance their visibility, while maintaining boundaries. Our analysis shows that activism becomes a space for non-formal learning, helping youth navigate challenges in both online and offline worlds.