Paula Reavey is Professor of Psychology and Mental Health at London South Bank University. This i... more Paula Reavey is Professor of Psychology and Mental Health at London South Bank University. This interview took place at the Qualitative Methods in Psychology (QMiP) and History & Philosophy of Psychology (HPP) joint 2019 conference at Cardiff Metropolitan University, where Paula led a workshop on visual methods and delivered a keynote speech. Best known for her pathbreaking work on visual methods and multimodality (Reavey, 2011), she has also distinguished herself with her innovative, interdisciplinary work in the field of mental health, space and embodiment. Susanne Langer (Senior Lecturer in Psychology, MMU) and Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez (Lecturer in Psychology, Middlesex University), who are both associate editors of the QMiP Bulletin asked the questions.
BackgroundMindfulness‐based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a relapse‐prevention intervention for peo... more BackgroundMindfulness‐based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a relapse‐prevention intervention for people experiencing major depression. Three qualitative meta‐syntheses investigating experiences of taking part in MBCT and/or Mindfulness‐based Stress Reduction (MBSR) across different diagnostic populations reported themes including control, choice, group processes, relationships and struggles. As multiple studies have been published since, we aimed to update, systematically review and synthesize the experiences of participants with depression taking part in MBCT.MethodsFour databases were searched systematically (PsycInfo, Web of Science, Medline and CINAHL) up to and including 12 November 2021. Twenty‐one qualitative studies met the review criteria. All papers were rated as fair using a quality appraisal tool. Meta‐ethnography was applied.ResultsAcross 21 studies of participants with current or previous depression who had participated in MBCT, three overarching themes were developed: ‘B...
Background: Long-term conditions (LTCs) are increasingly important determinants of quality of lif... more Background: Long-term conditions (LTCs) are increasingly important determinants of quality of life and healthcare costs in populations worldwide. The Chronic Care Model and the NHS and Social Care Long Term Conditions Model highlight the use of consultations where patients are invited to attend a consultation with a primary care clinician (practice nurse or GP) to complete a review of the management of the LTC. We report a qualitative study in which we focus on the ways in which QOF (Quality and Outcomes Framework) shapes routine review consultations, and highlight the tensions exposed between patient-centred consulting and QOF-informed LTC management. Methods: A longitudinal qualitative study. We audio-recorded consultations of primary care practitioners with patients with LTCs. We then interviewed both patients and practitioners using tape-assisted recall. Patient participants were followed for three months during which the research team made weekly contact and invited them to com...
Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 2021
BackgroundUnderstanding the processes underlying non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) is important giv... more BackgroundUnderstanding the processes underlying non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) is important given the negative consequences of this behaviour. Qualitative research has the potential to provide an in‐depth exploration of this. There has been limited research regarding the interpersonal processes associated with NSSI; therefore, a meta‐synthesis was conducted to investigate this.MethodsA search of PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and CINAHL electronic databases from date of inception to November 2020 was conducted. In total, 30 papers were included in the final review. A meta‐ethnographic approach was utilized to synthesize the data.ResultsTwo overarching themes were found. Within ‘Powerful relational dynamics’, NSSI was cited as a response to participants becoming stuck in aversive or disempowering relational positions with others. Within the ‘Taking matters into their own hands’ subtheme, NSSI was reported as a way for participants to get interpersonal and emotional needs met.Li...
Our aim in writing this book was to disseminate both the method and the findings of the sociologi... more Our aim in writing this book was to disseminate both the method and the findings of the sociological autopsy study. We begin this final chapter by summarising what we see as the book’s contribution and then we address the question of suicide prevention, including the ways in which our sociological autopsy study can potentially inform prevention.
BackgroundUK health policy seeks to reduce unscheduled care use in people with LTCs. It is not kn... more BackgroundUK health policy seeks to reduce unscheduled care use in people with LTCs. It is not known how people choose between available health-care options in times of health crisis. We conducted a qualitative study to improve understanding of why patients use unscheduled care.
This paper is based on my experience of applying for ethics approval from two different Local Res... more This paper is based on my experience of applying for ethics approval from two different Local Research Ethics Committees (LRECs) in the context of fieldwork with people suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) in the Manchester area. I argue that LRECs are a form of audit intended to remove relationships from the decision process and to change practice. By focusing on the category of ‘informed consent’ and how it is conceptually and bureaucratically constructed, I analyse the ways in which ethics committees are able to preserve the notion of individual choice while at the same time defining its parameters. In so doing, ethics committees interfere with the efforts of people, such as the ones I worked with, to become productive in culturally-specific ways, for instance by being involved in research. I conclude by reflecting on how the removal of the relational dimension of research through bureaucratic technologies, such as ethics committees, affects anthropologists.
The online community of the manosphere uses social media channels such as Twitter to promote a mi... more The online community of the manosphere uses social media channels such as Twitter to promote a misogynist agenda. Feminist research has identified two key elements to their activism online: the harassment of women and the development of a discourse that presents feminism as threatening to men. Our research examined Twitter content produced in pursuit of both objectives to understand how the manosphere constructs masculinity and femininity. Analysis of the content identified three discursive strategies that we term: co-opting discourses of oppression, naming power, and disavowal by disaggregation. They serve to cast men as victims, construct women as a monstrous other, and reinstate gendered power hierarchies through a constant invocation of the female body within discourses of rape. Though powerful, these strategies are riven with tensions and bind manosphere masculine identities to the very women they wish to eradicate. Manosphere activism has escaped the virtual and leaked into th...
A qualitative approach was used to explore how online web forums might facilitate recovery and th... more A qualitative approach was used to explore how online web forums might facilitate recovery and the process of coping. Ten online web forums written by young people who have personally experienced the death of a parent formed the data of this study. Previous research suggests forum users do not receive the supportive reactions from face-to-face interactions that they desire. Thematic analysis found that forums created an environment where young people can process the bereavement of a parent. Forums allowed young people to use their experience of bereavement to positively support others with similar experiences. The findings imply that the process of using forums can positively impact individuals who have experienced the loss of a parent. This supports recommendations by professionals, to consider online forums as a coping strategy. This study presents one of the few analyses of web forums written by young people who have experienced parental bereavement.
In this final empirical chapter we offer a more objectivist reading than has been provided so far... more In this final empirical chapter we offer a more objectivist reading than has been provided so far. Detailed quantitative analysis of the 100 cases included in our sociological autopsy is presented alongside a more general assessment of the demography of suicide in England and Wales. What we say here should be read in light of what we have already said in earlier chapters, not least because this should guard against the dangers of reifying the relationships that are described below. The meaning of quantitative analysis cannot simply be read off the relationships that are identified but requires a ‘plausible narrative’ that links variables together as sequences of comprehensible human action (Reiner, 2007). In seeking to provide such a narrative, we have drawn on the results of our qualitative work, including that presented below, as well as recent developments in life-course criminology and longer standing psychoanalytic perspectives. We begin by describing two murder-suicide cases, which illustrate the way in which we have sought to move from statistical relationships to sequences of comprehensible human action. Neither formed part of our dataset and each was identified after we had developed our analysis, providing some kind of external validity. Both cases attracted considerable media attention, presumably because the murders meant they stood out from the much larger number of suicides that occur each year.
Paula Reavey is Professor of Psychology and Mental Health at London South Bank University. This i... more Paula Reavey is Professor of Psychology and Mental Health at London South Bank University. This interview took place at the Qualitative Methods in Psychology (QMiP) and History & Philosophy of Psychology (HPP) joint 2019 conference at Cardiff Metropolitan University, where Paula led a workshop on visual methods and delivered a keynote speech. Best known for her pathbreaking work on visual methods and multimodality (Reavey, 2011), she has also distinguished herself with her innovative, interdisciplinary work in the field of mental health, space and embodiment. Susanne Langer (Senior Lecturer in Psychology, MMU) and Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez (Lecturer in Psychology, Middlesex University), who are both associate editors of the QMiP Bulletin asked the questions.
BackgroundMindfulness‐based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a relapse‐prevention intervention for peo... more BackgroundMindfulness‐based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a relapse‐prevention intervention for people experiencing major depression. Three qualitative meta‐syntheses investigating experiences of taking part in MBCT and/or Mindfulness‐based Stress Reduction (MBSR) across different diagnostic populations reported themes including control, choice, group processes, relationships and struggles. As multiple studies have been published since, we aimed to update, systematically review and synthesize the experiences of participants with depression taking part in MBCT.MethodsFour databases were searched systematically (PsycInfo, Web of Science, Medline and CINAHL) up to and including 12 November 2021. Twenty‐one qualitative studies met the review criteria. All papers were rated as fair using a quality appraisal tool. Meta‐ethnography was applied.ResultsAcross 21 studies of participants with current or previous depression who had participated in MBCT, three overarching themes were developed: ‘B...
Background: Long-term conditions (LTCs) are increasingly important determinants of quality of lif... more Background: Long-term conditions (LTCs) are increasingly important determinants of quality of life and healthcare costs in populations worldwide. The Chronic Care Model and the NHS and Social Care Long Term Conditions Model highlight the use of consultations where patients are invited to attend a consultation with a primary care clinician (practice nurse or GP) to complete a review of the management of the LTC. We report a qualitative study in which we focus on the ways in which QOF (Quality and Outcomes Framework) shapes routine review consultations, and highlight the tensions exposed between patient-centred consulting and QOF-informed LTC management. Methods: A longitudinal qualitative study. We audio-recorded consultations of primary care practitioners with patients with LTCs. We then interviewed both patients and practitioners using tape-assisted recall. Patient participants were followed for three months during which the research team made weekly contact and invited them to com...
Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 2021
BackgroundUnderstanding the processes underlying non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) is important giv... more BackgroundUnderstanding the processes underlying non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) is important given the negative consequences of this behaviour. Qualitative research has the potential to provide an in‐depth exploration of this. There has been limited research regarding the interpersonal processes associated with NSSI; therefore, a meta‐synthesis was conducted to investigate this.MethodsA search of PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and CINAHL electronic databases from date of inception to November 2020 was conducted. In total, 30 papers were included in the final review. A meta‐ethnographic approach was utilized to synthesize the data.ResultsTwo overarching themes were found. Within ‘Powerful relational dynamics’, NSSI was cited as a response to participants becoming stuck in aversive or disempowering relational positions with others. Within the ‘Taking matters into their own hands’ subtheme, NSSI was reported as a way for participants to get interpersonal and emotional needs met.Li...
Our aim in writing this book was to disseminate both the method and the findings of the sociologi... more Our aim in writing this book was to disseminate both the method and the findings of the sociological autopsy study. We begin this final chapter by summarising what we see as the book’s contribution and then we address the question of suicide prevention, including the ways in which our sociological autopsy study can potentially inform prevention.
BackgroundUK health policy seeks to reduce unscheduled care use in people with LTCs. It is not kn... more BackgroundUK health policy seeks to reduce unscheduled care use in people with LTCs. It is not known how people choose between available health-care options in times of health crisis. We conducted a qualitative study to improve understanding of why patients use unscheduled care.
This paper is based on my experience of applying for ethics approval from two different Local Res... more This paper is based on my experience of applying for ethics approval from two different Local Research Ethics Committees (LRECs) in the context of fieldwork with people suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) in the Manchester area. I argue that LRECs are a form of audit intended to remove relationships from the decision process and to change practice. By focusing on the category of ‘informed consent’ and how it is conceptually and bureaucratically constructed, I analyse the ways in which ethics committees are able to preserve the notion of individual choice while at the same time defining its parameters. In so doing, ethics committees interfere with the efforts of people, such as the ones I worked with, to become productive in culturally-specific ways, for instance by being involved in research. I conclude by reflecting on how the removal of the relational dimension of research through bureaucratic technologies, such as ethics committees, affects anthropologists.
The online community of the manosphere uses social media channels such as Twitter to promote a mi... more The online community of the manosphere uses social media channels such as Twitter to promote a misogynist agenda. Feminist research has identified two key elements to their activism online: the harassment of women and the development of a discourse that presents feminism as threatening to men. Our research examined Twitter content produced in pursuit of both objectives to understand how the manosphere constructs masculinity and femininity. Analysis of the content identified three discursive strategies that we term: co-opting discourses of oppression, naming power, and disavowal by disaggregation. They serve to cast men as victims, construct women as a monstrous other, and reinstate gendered power hierarchies through a constant invocation of the female body within discourses of rape. Though powerful, these strategies are riven with tensions and bind manosphere masculine identities to the very women they wish to eradicate. Manosphere activism has escaped the virtual and leaked into th...
A qualitative approach was used to explore how online web forums might facilitate recovery and th... more A qualitative approach was used to explore how online web forums might facilitate recovery and the process of coping. Ten online web forums written by young people who have personally experienced the death of a parent formed the data of this study. Previous research suggests forum users do not receive the supportive reactions from face-to-face interactions that they desire. Thematic analysis found that forums created an environment where young people can process the bereavement of a parent. Forums allowed young people to use their experience of bereavement to positively support others with similar experiences. The findings imply that the process of using forums can positively impact individuals who have experienced the loss of a parent. This supports recommendations by professionals, to consider online forums as a coping strategy. This study presents one of the few analyses of web forums written by young people who have experienced parental bereavement.
In this final empirical chapter we offer a more objectivist reading than has been provided so far... more In this final empirical chapter we offer a more objectivist reading than has been provided so far. Detailed quantitative analysis of the 100 cases included in our sociological autopsy is presented alongside a more general assessment of the demography of suicide in England and Wales. What we say here should be read in light of what we have already said in earlier chapters, not least because this should guard against the dangers of reifying the relationships that are described below. The meaning of quantitative analysis cannot simply be read off the relationships that are identified but requires a ‘plausible narrative’ that links variables together as sequences of comprehensible human action (Reiner, 2007). In seeking to provide such a narrative, we have drawn on the results of our qualitative work, including that presented below, as well as recent developments in life-course criminology and longer standing psychoanalytic perspectives. We begin by describing two murder-suicide cases, which illustrate the way in which we have sought to move from statistical relationships to sequences of comprehensible human action. Neither formed part of our dataset and each was identified after we had developed our analysis, providing some kind of external validity. Both cases attracted considerable media attention, presumably because the murders meant they stood out from the much larger number of suicides that occur each year.
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Papers by Susanne Langer