Abstract
Method: Interviews with eight participants using photo elicitation, a method in which photographs produced by the participant are used as a stimulus and guide within the interview.
Results: Participants responded positively to using images to support a discussion about their self-harm and readily incorporated images in the interview. Four main themes were identified representing negative and positive or adaptive purposes of self-harm: self-harm as a response to distress, self-harm to achieve mastery, self-harm as protective and self-harm as a language or form of communication.
Conclusions: Employing this novel approach was useful in broadening our understanding of self-harm.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 98 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | BMC Psychiatry |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 11 Apr 2018 |
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Using photo-elicitation to understand reasons for repeated self-harm : a qualitative study. / Edmondson, Amanda; Brennan, Cathy; House, Allan .
In: BMC Psychiatry, Vol. 18, No. 1, 98, 11.04.2018.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Using photo-elicitation to understand reasons for repeated self-harm
T2 - a qualitative study
AU - Edmondson, Amanda
AU - Brennan, Cathy
AU - House, Allan
PY - 2018/4/11
Y1 - 2018/4/11
N2 - Background: Reasons for self-harm are not well understood. One of the reasons for this is that first-hand accounts are usually elicited using traditional interview and questionnaire methods. This study aims to explore the acceptability of using an approach (photo-elicitation) that does not rely on solely verbal or written techniques, and to make a preliminary assessment of whether people can usefully employ images to support a discussion about the reasons why they self-harm. Method: Interviews with eight participants using photo elicitation, a method in which photographs produced by the participant are used as a stimulus and guide within the interview. Results: Participants responded positively to using images to support a discussion about their self-harm and readily incorporated images in the interview. Four main themes were identified representing negative and positive or adaptive purposes of self-harm: self-harm as a response to distress, self-harm to achieve mastery, self-harm as protective and self-harm as a language or form of communication.Conclusions: Employing this novel approach was useful in broadening our understanding of self-harm.
AB - Background: Reasons for self-harm are not well understood. One of the reasons for this is that first-hand accounts are usually elicited using traditional interview and questionnaire methods. This study aims to explore the acceptability of using an approach (photo-elicitation) that does not rely on solely verbal or written techniques, and to make a preliminary assessment of whether people can usefully employ images to support a discussion about the reasons why they self-harm. Method: Interviews with eight participants using photo elicitation, a method in which photographs produced by the participant are used as a stimulus and guide within the interview. Results: Participants responded positively to using images to support a discussion about their self-harm and readily incorporated images in the interview. Four main themes were identified representing negative and positive or adaptive purposes of self-harm: self-harm as a response to distress, self-harm to achieve mastery, self-harm as protective and self-harm as a language or form of communication.Conclusions: Employing this novel approach was useful in broadening our understanding of self-harm.
KW - experience
KW - function
KW - motive
KW - photo elicitation
KW - qualitative research
KW - reason
KW - self-harm
KW - self-injury
KW - visual methods
KW - Qualitative research
KW - Self-injury
KW - Visual methods
KW - Reason
KW - Function
KW - Motive
KW - Experience
KW - Photo elicitation
KW - Self-harm
UR - https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85045266842&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s12888-018-1681-3
DO - 10.1186/s12888-018-1681-3
M3 - Article
VL - 18
JO - BMC Psychiatry
JF - BMC Psychiatry
SN - 1471-244X
IS - 1
M1 - 98
ER -