Qualitative Mental Health Research Research Articles

Commentary: Expanding the vision of Registered Reports for qualitative mental health research: A response and extension to 'Misaligned incentives in mental health research - the case for Registered Reports', Baldwin (2023).

There is a growing exploration of how Registered Reports can benefit individual researchers and wider research fields as part of a wider shift towards open research principles and practices. In 'Misaligned incentives in mental health research - the case for Registered Reports', Baldwin examines this in the context of mental health research, arguing that Registered Reports (RRs)can be a valuable solution to misaligned incentive structures in the field. However, this original piece was generally inclined towards how such incentives and the use of RRs can play out in the context of quantitative research. Such reflection is valuable, but to examine the case for RRs in mental health research as a field, we must also explore such practices within the context of qualitative research. In this commentary, we therefore expand and reframe this discussion to make the case for RRs in qualitative mental health research. We explore the place for qualitative research in the mental health research field and examine possibilities for how RRs fit within principles and practices in such methods. We discuss the various benefits and challenges of RRs in qualitative research, reflecting on our experiences as authors and reviewers of qualitative RRs and exploring how research infrastructure can facilitate engagement with this publishing approach.

Co-production to understand online help-seeking for young people experiencing emotional abuse and neglect: Building capabilities, adapting research methodology and evaluating involvement and impact.

Involving young people (YP) as co-researchers (YCoR) in mental health research is important for ethical and epistemological reasons. However, approaches to involve and evaluate 'meaningful involvement' in complex qualitative mental health research, and how to evaluate impacts (or change) for the co-researcher and the research is less well defined. This co-produced research explored the experiences of YP seeking help for emotional abuse and neglect via an online, peer-peer message board. This practical case study aims to evidence the meaningful role and impacts associated with YCoR involvement in sensitive and complex mental health research using a flexible approach to co-production. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we explored on- and off-line approaches and adapted research methodology to build relationships, knowledge, skills, and confidence withYCoR. The virtual involvement was evaluated against the five principles of co-production. Anonymous, continuous digital feedback, reflective practices and multiple dissemination outputs are used to evaluate the impact of the study on those involved and the research. Ten members of NeurOX Young People's Advisory Groupwere involved in the core project. Additional members were invited at later stages and in the dissemination of outputs. We describe a supportive, scaffolded learning approach to build capabilities and embed the lived experience of YCoR in complex qualitative research. A digital blended approach was acceptable to YCoR, principles of co-production were met and the impact/benefits of involvement are described. To demonstrate the epistemological value of involving YP we evidence YPs capabilities for involvement and the 'change' or contribution YCoR made to the research through reflective practices. This case study demonstrates how flexible approaches co-production with YCoR can be robust and responsive to balance ethical and epistemological impact in complex mental health research. Supportive, scaffolded practices and safe environments helped build the confidence and capacity of YCoRs to demonstrate valuable phenomenological insights in the analysis. YP's perspectives on how they describe 'meaningful' and impactful involvement illustrate the reciprocal benefits gained through working together. This case study describes the YCoR involvement throughout the research and dissemination of outputs. YCoR co-authors were involved in developing the outline and reviewing the draft stages of the manuscript.

Process and Outcome Evaluation of a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Intervention for Cisgender and Transgender African American Women Living with HIV/AIDS.

There is a need for evidence-based contextualized mental health interventions for persons living with HIV/AIDS. In the current study, the primary researcher conducted open trials with African American women living with HIV/AIDS (AAWLWHA) to examine the acceptability and feasibility of Project UPLIFT, a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy intervention that has demonstrated effectiveness in persons living with epilepsy. Women were recruited for a tele-delivered phone intervention group separated by gender identity, as well as participated in pre- and post-test assessments. Additionally, data on acceptability was collected. Both cis- and transgender women were highly satisfied with the intervention and demonstrated improvement in depressive and stress symptoms. The intervention seemed to be particularly feasible for cisgender women, though more qualitative mental health research may be warranted with transgender women. The current research has implications for the utility of mindfulness-based interventions such as UPLIFT, with AAWLWHA.

When Madness Meets Madness: Insider Reflections on Doing Mental Health Research

Insider–outsider relations in qualitative research have been heavily studied. Yet there is a dearth in the literature exploring how people who have experienced madness produce knowledge and overcome trying circumstances when they do qualitative mental health research with other survivors. This article fills this gap through a critical reflection on my experiences with psychosis and involuntary hospitalization and how they shaped dialogue with my participants. Situated within a narrative framework of inquiry, I reveal how self-disclosure and critical forms of relationality during interviews with 10 psychiatric survivors produced a survivor-centered knowledge that nuances biomedical understandings of mental illness and the mental health system. Practices of self-disclosure revealed how survivors and I had to navigate familial expectations as we recovered and tried to regain a sense of identity. Doing insider research also helped me overcome the periods of embarrassment and stigma in my psychosis, as I learned through critical dialogue how traumatic events can provide unique avenues for intense self-reflection and the development of greater empathy for mental health survivors. I also discuss some of the ethical concerns and limitations of having an insider status in qualitative mental health research, and how self-disclosure may present certain epistemological challenges in the research process.

Best practice framework for Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in collaborative data analysis of qualitative mental health research: methodology development and refinement

BackgroundPatient and Public Involvement (PPI) in mental health research is increasing, especially in early (pre-funding) stages. PPI is less consistent in later stages, including in analysing qualitative data. The aims of this study were to develop a methodology for involving PPI co-researchers in collaboratively analysing qualitative mental health research data with academic researchers, to pilot and refine this methodology, and to create a best practice framework for collaborative data analysis (CDA) of qualitative mental health research.MethodsIn the context of the RECOLLECT Study of Recovery Colleges, a critical literature review of collaborative data analysis studies was conducted, to identify approaches and recommendations for successful CDA. A CDA methodology was developed and then piloted in RECOLLECT, followed by refinement and development of a best practice framework.ResultsFrom 10 included publications, four CDA approaches were identified: (1) consultation, (2) development, (3) application and (4) development and application of coding framework. Four characteristics of successful CDA were found: CDA process is co-produced; CDA process is realistic regarding time and resources; demands of the CDA process are manageable for PPI co-researchers; and group expectations and dynamics are effectively managed. A four-meeting CDA process was piloted to co-produce a coding framework based on qualitative data collected in RECOLLECT and to create a mental health service user-defined change model relevant to Recovery Colleges. Formal and informal feedback demonstrated active involvement. The CDA process involved an extra 80 person-days of time (40 from PPI co-researchers, 40 from academic researchers). The process was refined into a best practice framework comprising Preparation, CDA and Application phases.ConclusionsThis study has developed a typology of approaches to collaborative analysis of qualitative data in mental health research, identified from available evidence the characteristics of successful involvement, and developed, piloted and refined the first best practice framework for collaborative analysis of qualitative data. This framework has the potential to support meaningful PPI in data analysis in the context of qualitative mental health research studies, a previously neglected yet central part of the research cycle.

The researcher in the field – some notes on qualitative research in mental health

In this published response to five studies in the present special issue, all representing qualitative research in the field of mental health, this research is approached as cultural and social practice. The five studies are looked upon as informative examples of research activity in mental health, and it is asked how that particular field is conceptualised as a form of human activity, how the authors position themselves in relation to the field, why they ask the questions they seek to answer and how epistemic queries concerning knowing and not-knowing manifest themselves and are addressed in the studies. The paper seeks to contribute to the debate on the uses of qualitative methodology in mental health research by explicating some of the differences and some of the similarities between the pieces of research at hand.

Communities, psychotherapeutic innovation and the diversity of international qualitative research in mental health

The articles in this special issue are hugely varied in terms of their country of origin (Brazil, Finland, Italy, Malaysia and the UK); theoretical influences (e.g. Lacanian theory, cultural-historical approaches and relational theories) and method of qualitative analysis (e.g. content and thematic analyses, Lacanian discourse analysis, Grounded theory, ethnography and auto-ethnography). In this commentary, I will discuss each article in turn before moving on to address some common issues including: the relationship between therapeutic innovation and research; differing implicit models of subjectivity; the need for theoretically pluralistic approaches to interpretation; and the need to incorporate the views of service users.

Conducting qualitative research in mental health: Thematic and content analyses

The objective of this paper is to describe two methods of qualitative analysis - thematic analysis and content analysis - and to examine their use in a mental health context. A description of the processes of thematic analysis and content analysis is provided. These processes are then illustrated by conducting two analyses of the same qualitative data. Transcripts of qualitative interviews are analysed using each method to illustrate these processes. The illustration of the processes highlights the different outcomes from the same set of data. Thematic and content analyses are qualitative methods that serve different research purposes. Thematic analysis provides an interpretation of participants' meanings, while content analysis is a direct representation of participants' responses. These methods provide two ways of understanding meanings and experiences and provide important knowledge in a mental health context.

O uso do método história oral nas pesquisas qualitativas: contribuições para a temática do cuidado em saúde mental

As pesquisas qualitativas em saude mental vem priorizando investigacoes sobre o cuidado percebido dentro de uma conjuntura de transformacoes sociais, politicas, culturais, ideologicas e comportamentais que tem marcado a saude mental nos ultimos anos. O artigo objetiva discutir o uso do metodo da historia oral desde a sua concepcao ate os dias atuais e sua possivel contribuicao nas pesquisas qualitativas em saude mental dentro desse novo contexto. A historia da assistencia psiquiatrica sempre esteve permeada por experiencias de exclusao e estigmatizacao, e o uso desse metodo possibilita dar voz aqueles que durante anos foram silenciados, bem como narrar a historia da transformacao da atencao em saude mental, na perspectiva dos novos protagonistas do cuidado.

Understanding homelessness, mental health and substance abuse through a mixed-methods longitudinal approach

This manuscript outlines the multiple methods utilized in a long-term follow-up of a non-traditional population: Homeless substance abusers in New Orleans. This article addresses qualitative mental health research by outlining steps taken to explore both qualitative and quantitative data sources. By way of qualitative and quantitative methods, this research examines the life course of a sample of New Orleans homeless substance abusers from the time they entered into treatment (1991) until the present and observes the quality of their social bonds and their long-term outcomes. By making use of mixed methods, this research gives a more thorough understanding of mental health, specifically examined through homelessness and substance abuse.

Qualitative research methods in mental health and psychotherapy: a guide for students and practitioners

About the Contributors. Acknowledgements. PART I Getting Started. 1 Introduction (Andrew R. Thompson and David Harper). 2 Identifying and Synthesizing Qualitative Literature (Rachel L. Shaw). 3 Ethical Issues in Qualitative Mental Health Research (Andrew R. Thompson and Eleni Chambers). 4 Participation and Service User Involvement (Alison Faulkner). 5 Qualitative Data Collection: Asking the Right Questions (Hannah Frith and Kate Gleeson). 6 Qualitative Methods for Studying Psychotherapy Change Processes (Robert Elliott). 7 Choosing a Qualitative Research Method (David Harper). PART II Methods. 8 Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in Mental Health and Psychotherapy Research (Michael Larkin and Andrew R. Thompson). 9 Existentialist-Informed Hermeneutic Phenomenology (Carla Willig and Abigail Billin). 10 Grounded Theory Methods for Mental Health Practitioners (Alison Tweed and Kathy Charmaz). 11 Discourse Analysis (Eugenie Georgaca and Evrinomy Avdi). 12 Narrative Psychology (Michael Murray and Sally Sargeant). 13 Ethnomethodology/Conversation Analysis (Mark Rapley). 14 Q Methodological Research in Mental Health and Psychotherapy (Wendy Stainton Rogers and Phillip O. Dyson). 15 Thematic Analysis (Helene Joffe). PART III Establishing Good Quality Qualitative Research in Mental Health. 16 In Pursuit of Quality (Liz Spencer and Jane Ritchie). 17 Emerging Issues and Future Directions (David Harper and Andrew R. Thompson). Index.

Qualitative Research, Culture and Ethics: A Case Discussion

This article examines ethical issues for qualitative cross-cultural mental health research. Qualitative research methods may give access to intimate aspects of participants’ lives. Data collection can be intrusive and invasive regarding sensitive experiences. The research methods may generate unique and subtle ethical problems. A case illustrating an ethical conflict is presented along with the argument for applying guidelines for biomedical research ethics in qualitative mental health research. This requires consideration of the methodological framework of qualitative methods, the pluralism of morality, and an understanding of research participation, as well as appropriate methodological strategies.