Qualitative Study Of Young People Research Articles

The “sneaky vape”: the affordances of time and space in the rituals of vaping versus smoking in NSW, Australia

Background Amidst national debates about the rapid uptake of vaping in Australia, we conducted in 2023 a qualitative study of young people’s perspectives on vaping and its relationship to combustible cigarette use. Methods We recruited 24 participants, both vape users and nonusers, and conducted in-depth interviews asking them to describe the rituals and cultural practices of vaping versus smoking. These interviews were grounded in participant observation. Results The “sneaky vape” emerged as a phrase many participants used to describe how people vape in contexts where it would be impossible to use combustible cigarettes, revealing how e-cigarettes provide temporal and spatial affordances which distinguish them from tobacco smoking. Conclusions The ability to use vapes anytime and almost anywhere has created new ways for people to use nicotine. Despite Australia’s smoking laws also applying to vapes, their different odors and lack of combustion mean that vapes do not always elicit the same stigma smoking does. Many of our young Australian participants, thus, considered it normal and unproblematic to vape in settings where it is prohibited by law. Yet many participants, including people who vape, also lamented the way vapes can be used anytime.

“Pouring their heart out in Sainsbury’s”: qualitative study of young people’s, parents’ and mental health practitioners’ experiences of adapting to remote online mental health appointments during COVID-19

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, technologies such as videoconferencing were used to deliver mental health appointments remotely online. For many people, this was a change from previous methods of mental healthcare receipt and delivery. We aimed to explore in-depth how practitioners, young people and parents in the UK experienced this transition.MethodsWe used qualitative methods to collect data, triangulating between free-text online survey data (n = 38), focus groups (n = 5) (3 young adult groups (total n = 11); 2 practitioner groups (total n = 7)), and semi-structured interviews (practitioners n = 8; parents n = 4). Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants held mixed views about remote appointments, which were encompassed within the five themes of: home as clinic; disrupted therapeutic relationships; difficulties with engagement; uncontained risk; and scope of care provision. While appointments at home could be regarded as more comfortable, naturalistic and accessible, it was also recognised that remoteness compromised practitioner control with consequences for their ability to monitor patient engagement, manage risk and ensure confidentiality when others were present in the home. This could create an additional burden for parents as they tried to facilitate appointments but felt unsupported in this role. Relatedly, remoteness was seen to hinder interpersonal communication, formation of trust, communication of empathy and opportunities to observe body language, all of which were deemed important to building and maintaining effective therapeutic relationships. Despite this, others thought the anonymity of a remote exchange may allow earlier disclosure. There was disagreement as to whether remote provision narrowed or expanded the scope of practice.ConclusionsWhile some had positive views of remote mental health appointments, others found them challenging. Findings highlight key areas requiring attention and mitigation in future offerings of remote provision, namely: risk management, parental burden, and problematic engagement.

Adolescent risk-taking and decision making: a qualitative investigation of a virtual reality experience of gangs and violence

Introduction: Gang involvement poses serious risks to young people, including antisocial and criminal behaviour, sexual and criminal exploitation, and mental health problems. There is a need for research-informed development of preventive interventions. To this end, we conducted a qualitative study of young people’s responses to an educational virtual reality (VR) experience of an encounter with a gang, to understand young people’s decisions, emotions and consequences.Methods: Young people (N = 24 aged 13-15, 11 female, 13 male) underwent the VR experience followed by semi-structured focus group discussions. Questions focused on virtual decision-making (motivations, thoughts, feelings, consequences) and user experiences of taking part. Data were analysed using Thematic Analysis.Results: Three themes were developed to represent how participants’ perceptions of the gang, themselves, and the context influenced virtual decisions. Social pressure from the gang competed with participants’ wish to stand by their morals and establish individual identity. The VR setting, through its escalating events and plausible characters, created an “illusion of reality” and sense of authentic decisions and emotions, yielding insights for real-life in a safe, virtual environment.Discussion: Findings shed light on processes influencing adolescent decision-making in a virtual context of risk-taking, peer pressure and contact with a gang. Particularly, they highlight the potential for using VR in interventions with young people, given its engaging and realistic nature.

"I Wouldn't Believe Her at First"-A Qualitative Study of Young People's Sexual Consent Perceptions and Negotiation in Nairobi Informal Settlements.

Forced or coerced sexual experiences have serious consequences for young people's health and well-being. Healthy sexual consent communication can foster positive intimate relationships and help prevent unwanted sexual experiences. We aimed to explore how young people in Nairobi's informal settlements construct, communicate, and negotiate sexual consent within heterosexual partnerships, given the limited insight into such experiences from resource-poor, global-south contexts. A qualitative study with young men and women aged 15 to 21 years was conducted among former participants of a school-based sexual violence prevention intervention in four informal settlements (slums) of Nairobi. Twenty-one individual in-depth interviews (n = 10 females, n = 11 males) and 10 focus group discussions (five with n = 6-11 males vs. females, respectively), that is, n = 89 in total were conducted. Data were analysed using thematic network analysis and interpreted using the Sexual script theory. Participants' endorsement of incongruent sexual scripts shaped their perceptions and negotiations of sexual consent. Young men were committed to respecting sexual consent, but promoted male (sexual) dominance, and perceived women's refusals as token resistance. Per traditional scripts of sexual chastity, young women were largely bound by their use of a "soft no" to give consent, so as to not display direct sexual interest. Actual non-assertive refusals thus risked being interpreted as consent. Young women's "actual" refusals had to be more assertive (saying a "hard no") and were described as having been influenced by skills learned during the school-based intervention. Findings highlight the need for sexual consent education to address internalized gendered norms about female token resistance, destigmatize female sexuality, reduce male dominance norms, and encourage young people's respect for both assertive and non-assertive sexual consent communication.

The importance of family support to engage and retain girls in male dominated action sports. A qualitative study of young people's perspectives.

Social support is positively correlated with physical activity (PA), especially amongst girls, but is underexplored in male-dominated action sports (e.g., mountain biking, skateboarding and surfing). This study explored family level social support needs and experiences of girls and boys in three action sports. Aspiring, current or former Australian adolescent (12-18 years; girls n = 25; boys n = 17) mountain bikers, skateboarders and/or surfers were individually interviewed (telephone/Skype) in 2018/2020. A socio-ecological framework guided the semi-structured interview schedule. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and data analysed thematically using a constant comparative approach. Family level social support was highly influential in young people's participation in action sports, with its absence a common reason for no or discontinued engagement amongst girls. Parents and siblings were the main social support providers with extended family (e.g., grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins) also notable. Participation (current/past/co-) was the main social support type followed by emotional (e.g., encouragement), instrumental (e.g., transport, equipment/funding) and informational (e.g., coaching) support. Girls were inspired/encouraged by brothers but boys were not inspired/encouraged by sisters; boys and girls co-participated with both parents but co-participating and being inspired by fathers was most common, especially amongst girls; fathers were more commonly the main transport provider if they co-participated with their child; fathers mostly provided initial coaching; only boys were taught equipment maintenance by parents. Sport-related organisations/groups have numerous opportunities to improve girls' representation in action sports by fostering family level social support through various means. Intervention strategies should be tailored to account for gendered participation differences.

Flash glucose monitoring in young people with type 1 diabetes—a qualitative study of young people, parents and health professionals: ‘It makes life much easier’

ObjectivesFlash glucose monitoring for patients with T1 diabetes avoids frequent painful finger-prick testing, thus potentially improving frequency of glucose self-monitoring. Our study aimed to explore experiences of young people using...

A qualitative study of young people's lived experiences of suicide and self-harm: intentionality, rationality and authenticity.

Suicide is a leading cause of death amongst young people and a major public health concern. Although increasing research has identified contributory and protective factors affecting youth suicide, less is known about how young people make sense of suicidal distress themselves. Using semi-structured interview methods and reflexive thematic analysis, this study explores how 24 young people aged 16-24 in Scotland, UK made sense of their lived experiences of suicidal thoughts and feelings, self-harm, and suicide attempts. Intentionality, rationality, and authenticity formed our central themes. Suicidal thoughts were categorised by participants dependent on their intention to act on them; a distinction often used to downplay the significance of early suicidal thoughts. Escalating suicidal feelings were then described as almost rational responses to adversities; whereas suicide attempts appeared to be described as more impulsive. These narratives seemed to be somewhat shaped by dismissive attitudes participants experienced in response to their suicidal distress, both from professionals and within their close networks. This impacted how participants articulated distress and asked for support. Suicidal thoughts that participants articulated as lacking the intention to act could represent key opportunities for early clinical intervention to prevent suicide. In contrast, stigma, difficulties communicating suicidal distress and dismissive attitudes could serve as barriers to seeking help, and, therefore, additional efforts should be made to ensure young people feel comfortable seeking help.

Living with pain in adolescence – a qualitative study of young people’s experiences

Living with pain in adolescence – a qualitative study of young people’s experiences

Navigating Changing Norms Around Sex in Dating Relationships: A Qualitative Study of Young People in Vietnam

Social and economic changes in Vietnam since the economic restructuring of the 1980s have caused a shift in norms about premarital sex. While expectations of female chastity remain, sex before marriage is becoming more common among young people. As the formative phase of a parent randomized controlled trial, the present study examined the normative context of sex in dating relationships from the perspectives of young women and men in Vietnam. Men (n = 12) and women (n = 9) studying at two universities in Hanoi participated in semi-structured interviews that explored perspectives on sexual relationships and sexual coercion among their peers. Thematic analysis synthesized participant narratives into broader themes. Our findings confirmed that, as social norms evolve in Vietnam, young women must navigate shifting, and often contradictory, expectations about sex and dating relationships. Women and men expressed the belief that competing sexual expectations often can limit young women’s sexual agency and contribute to the normalization of sexual coercion in dating relationships. However, some women were embracing greater sexual freedom and reframing norms in ways that reflected their sexual agency. Efforts are needed to address these conflicting expectations, to deepen young men’s understanding of this conflict, and to prevent sexual coercion in young adulthood.

Experiences of general practice care for self-harm: a qualitative study of young people's perspectives.

BackgroundSelf-harm is a growing concern and rates of self-harm in young people (aged 12–25 years) presenting to general practice are rising. There is, however, little evidence about young people’s experiences of GP care and on accessing general practice.AimTo explore the help-seeking behaviours, experiences of GP care, and access to general practice of young people who self-harm.Design and settingIn this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with young people aged 16–25 years from England with previous self-harm behaviour.MethodInterviews with 13 young people took place between April and November 2019. Young people were recruited from the community, third-sector organisations, and Twitter. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis with principles of constant comparison. A patient and public involvement advisory group informed recruitment strategies and supported interpretation of findings.ResultsYoung people described the avenues of help-seeking they employ and reflected on the mixed experiences of seeing GPs that can influence future help-seeking. Preconceptions and a lack of knowledge about accessing general practice were found to be barriers to help-seeking. GPs who attempt to understand the young person and establish relationship-based care can facilitate young people accessing general practice for self-harm.ConclusionIt is important young people are aware of how to access general practice and that GPs listen, understand, and proactively follow-up young people who self-harm. Supporting young people with self-harm behaviour requires continuity of care.

Resistance and reproduction: an arts-based investigation into young people’s emotional responses to crime

AbstractThis paper reports on a qualitative study of young people’s emotional responses to crime, underpinned by cultural criminology and interpretive phenomenology. It uses alternative approaches to explore young people’s ‘fears’ of crime via the use of arts-based methods, specifically performative drama and focus groups. The rationale is rooted in young people’s voices being largely absent from fear of crime research and the increased movement towards a more creative and less prescriptive criminology. The findings point towards the value of such approaches and argue that young people’s emotions about crime become highly gendered and age-relevant in youth and have multiple, overlapping spheres that are culturally constructed, resisted and reproduced.

The Challenges of Being Physically Active: A Qualitative Study of Young People With Type 1 Diabetes and Their Parents

BackgroundBenefits of physical activity are well recognized for youth with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), but being active is challenging. In this study, we aimed to investigate the challenges experienced by adolescents, their parents and young adults with T1DM when they are physically active. MethodsSix focus groups involving adolescents (13 to 18 years old, n=14) and young adults (19 to 25 years old, n=7) and 4 focus groups with parents (n=14) of the adolescents (13 to 18 years) were established. Data were analyzed using content analysis. ResultsAdolescents and young adults with T1DM identified challenges of unpredictability, knowledge, trust and stigma when they were physically active. Parent challenges were specifically unpredictability and trust. ConclusionsInterventions are needed that provide adolescents and young adults with T1DM and parents of adolescents with T1DM more in-depth information about managing physical activity in a manner that enhances their perceived competence and builds autonomy. Interventions can also target peer and community support.

Managing orthodontic appliances in everyday life: A qualitative study of young people's experiences with removable functional appliances, fixed appliances and retainers.

To compare young people's experiences of wearing a range of orthodontic appliances. A cross-sectional, qualitative study with purposive sampling. UK dental teaching hospital. Twenty-six orthodontic patients aged 11-17 years. Patients participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Young people reported physical, practical and emotional impacts from their appliances. Despite these reported impacts, participants described 'getting used' to and, therefore, not being bothered by their appliance. Framework analysis of the data identified a multi-dimensional social process of managing everyday life with an appliance. This involves addressing the 'dys-appearance' of the body through physically adapting to an appliance. This process also includes psychological approaches, drawing on social networks, developing strategies and situating experiences in a longer-term context. Engaging in this process allowed young people to address the physical, practical and emotional impacts of their appliances. This qualitative research has identified how young people manage everyday life with an appliance. Understanding this process will help orthodontists to support their patients.

‘I don’t think I ask questions really’

This paper presents the findings from a small qualitative study of young people’s religious and spiritual questions. In addition to the questions asked by the young people, the nature of their questioning will be explored, and their apparent lack of religious or spiritual curiosity. In conversation with the literature on curiosity, a theoretical explanation of why these young people may not be curious about religious or spiritual questions will be presented. Finally, this paper will explore how the interview itself provided an incubator for religious and spiritual questioning, as a context which seemed to provoke – and not simply capture – the young people’s questions.

Living in the shadow of unemployment -an unhealthy life situation: a qualitative study of young people from leaving school until early adult life

BackgroundDespite the magnitude of youth unemployment there is a lack of studies, which explore the relations between health experiences and labour market position in various contexts. The aim of this paper was to analyse health experiences among young people in NEET (not in education, employment or training) in relation to labour market position from leaving school until early adult life.MethodThe population consists of everyone (six women, eight men) who became unemployed directly after leaving compulsory school in a town in Northern Sweden. Repeated personal interviews were performed from age 16 until age 33. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.ResultsHealth experiences can be viewed as a contextual process, related to the different phases of leaving school, entering the labour market, becoming unemployed and becoming employed. Perceived relief and hope were related to leaving compulsory school, while entering the labour market was related to setbacks and disappointments as well as both health-deteriorating and health-promoting experiences depending on the actual labour market position. Our overarching theme of “Living in the shadow of unemployment – an unhealthy life situation” implies that it is not only the actual situation of being unemployed that is problematic but that the other phases are also coloured by earlier experiences of unemployment .ConclusionA focus on young people’s health experiences of transitions from school into the labour market brings a new focus on the importance of macroeconomic influence on social processes and contextualised mechanisms from a life-course perspective.

Living with epilepsy in adolescence-A qualitative study of young people's experiences in Singapore: Peer socialization, autonomy, and self-esteem.

Systematic reviews of quantitative research on the effects of childhood epilepsy have established its association with higher levels of psychiatric diagnosis, externalizing and internalizing problems, lower health-related quality of life, social competence, and poorer academic achievements, compared with their peers. However, much less is known about young people's experiences of living with epilepsy and its impact on their development from their own perspectives. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 young people aged between 13 and 16years. Participants were recruited as part of a larger mixed methods study examining individual and family influences on outcomes for young people with epilepsy. These young people attended an epilepsy clinic in KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore. The framework approach to data management and analyses involved both inductive and deductive generation of themes. Findings from young people's interviews provided in-depth descriptions of stressful circumstances encountered. Interconnectedness between severity of the impairment and its impact on key developmental tasks, such as independence, autonomy, and social development, were emphasized. Seizures and illness-related demands disrupted their day-to-day functioning and challenged their abilities to meet these tasks. In addition to these impairment effects, young people's experiences of social exclusion were also affected by social and environmental factors, which act as systemic barriers to participation. In turn, this has an effect on their self-esteem. Nevertheless, young people reported positive experiences, such as support from both family and friends, which served as protective factors against the stress of living with a chronic medical condition. The demands of epilepsy affect various domains of young people's lives. In order to obtain a holistic understanding of young people's inclusion or exclusion to participation, it is necessary to consider impairment effects, barriers to doing, and barriers to being.

Understanding frames: A qualitative study of young people's experiences of using standing frames as part of postural management for cerebral palsy.

Consensus opinion supports standing frame use as part of postural management for nonambulant young people with cerebral palsy. Although the rationale for standing frame use and the associated challenges have been described, little attention has been given to the users' experiences. The aim of the current study was to explore young people's positive and negative experiences, and attitudes regarding standing frame use. Framework analysis informed an open exploration of young people's opinions of standing frames. Using semistructured interviews, 12 young people with cerebral palsy (6 female) were interviewed, providing the data set for transcription and thematic analysis. The first theme "attitudes to standing frames" describes the young people's understanding of why they use standing frames. Although standing frames can be painful, some young people believe they should be endured to improve their body structure and function. There were mixed views about the impact standing frames have socially, with some young people feeling excluded from their peers, and others feeling as though standing frames helped them "fit in." Some young people are not offered a choice about how and when they use their standing frame. The second theme "challenges of standing frame use" highlights the issues with standing frame use such as manual handling, interference from siblings, and the lack of aesthetically pleasing standing frame designs. Young people report benefits related to choice, pain relief, and participation but can also cause pain, discomfort, and reduced independence and participation. Healthcare professionals should have open, informative conversations about potential benefits and challenges of standing frames on all aspects of the young people's lives, including participation and activity.

Post-trauma coping in the context of significant adversity: a qualitative study of young people living in an urban township in South Africa

ObjectiveCompared with knowledge of the post-trauma needs of young people living in developed countries, little is known about the needs of those in low-middle-income countries. Such information is crucial, particularly...

The battle of living with obsessive compulsive disorder: a qualitative study of young people's experiences.

There has been an abundance of studies that have employed quantitative methods to research obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and its neurobiology and neurochemistry. However, there appears to be a paucity of research investigating how OCD is experienced by those living with the diagnosis, particularly young people. A qualitative cross-sectional semistructured interview design was used to address this lack of research. Ten young people, aged 14-17years old, with a diagnosis of OCD were recruited from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the United Kingdom. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Four themes were identified: 'Traumatic and stressful life events', 'Responses to signs of OCD', 'The battle of living with OCD' and 'Ambivalent relationship to help'. Young people reported experiencing stressful or traumatic life events prior to obsessive and compulsive behaviour. OCD behaviours were misunderstood by the young people and others, leading to delays in finding help. A sense of shame among the young people led them to keep their OCD secret due to feeling 'crazy'. The all-encompassing nature of OCD led the young people to withdraw socially. Most of the young people experienced an inner conflict between fighting and giving in to the compulsions. Traumatic experiences may be an important factor in the development of OCD for young people, which might indicate a direction for prevention. The sense of shame and stigma needs addressing if young people are to access help earlier. Education of the public, medical professionals and educators should be a priority.

Knowledge and attitudes towards disability in Moldova: A qualitative study of young people's views

BackgroundPeople with disabilities in the Republic of Moldova continue to experience considerable discrimination and social exclusion. The Moldovan government recently affirmed their commitment to promote community integration. However, there remains limited evidence to facilitate understanding of these issues, and barriers to the integrative process. ObjectiveThis study explored the knowledge and attitudes towards disability of young people within Moldova. MethodsA qualitative approach was adopted and 3 semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with schoolchildren (n = 12), aged 13–15 years. These interviews focussed on different aspects of disability, and community integration. Pictorial and written vignettes were used to stimulate discussion. The interviews were conducted and recorded in Romanian, and were subsequently translated into English to facilitate thematic data analysis. ResultsIdentified themes included: (1) Knowledge and understanding of disability. The young people's knowledge was limited and framed by the medical model of disability; (2) Attitudes towards community integration. A bias against long-term care institutions, but differing views regarding integration; (3) Perceptions of barriers to community integration: (i) Cultural barriers. Negative, even hostile attitudes towards disability; (ii) Policy barriers. Poor support services; and (iii) Physical barriers. Ongoing issues regarding accessibility. ConclusionsPeople with disabilities in Moldova experience negative cultural attitudes linked to an outdated conception of disability itself. There are inadequate community support services and infrastructure which act as barriers to inclusion. At present, there can be limited interaction and participation of people with disabilities within local communities, and so few opportunities to refute persistent stereotypes and stigma surrounding disability.