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Doctoral researchers report higher levels of stress and are at an elevated risk of mental ill health compared with undergraduate students and whole population normative data. Evaluating their reported coping strategies is essential for universities to develop interventions to address this. Content analysis was used to code 182 reported reactions to stress gathered via a qualitative survey. A framework based on a model of occupational stress in academic settings and additional inductively driven categories were used to code the data. It was also coded into maladaptive and adaptive responses. The most common adaptive strategies included 'cognitive coping', 'social support' and 'active leisure'. Maladaptive strategies included 'rumination', 'overworking' and reports of having 'no strategy' to cope. Sub-group analyses showed some differentiation in coping strategies by gender and whether DRs were academic staff whilst frequencies of reported categories revealed different strategies were adopted at different stages of programmes. Based on these findings, the authors acknowledge that coping is a multi-dimensional process. The implications in terms of developing supportive interventions and mitigating less adaptive coping strategies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometriosis is associated with extensive physical and emotional difficulties, yet there is little research investigating the impact of the diagnostic journey particularly for younger women. Using semi structured on-line interviews and an interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study explored nine young women’s experiences of the diagnostic process and the significance of support during this period. Three main themes emerged: ‘the pursuit of a diagnosis’, ‘adjusting to a new normality’ and ‘the importance of effective support’. These experiences revealed clinical shortcomings and potential improvements to current guidelines and practices to facilitate a more emboldening process for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has been widely researched amongst women, studies investigating how men experience a CFS diagnosis is limited. This study utilised an interpretative phenomenological approach to interview five men who have a medical diagnosis of CFS. Six themes emerged to demonstrate the participants' experiences prior to, during and after obtaining their CFS diagnosis. Findings revealed that participants were initially reluctant to accept their condition, confounded by their perception that symptoms compromised their sense of masculinity. They also felt that healthcare professionals had limited recognition of CFS leading them to seek social support and legitimisation from other sources. The struggle to come to terms with a different lifestyle and sense of masculinity prevailed. Such knowledge could be effectively utilised by researchers, practitioners and employers to facilitate an increased understanding of male accounts of the condition and more bespoke interventions where required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging in term-time employment appears to be becoming a common feature of contemporary UK student life. This study examined the ways in which a cohort of full-time non-traditional aged students negotiated paid employment whilst pursuing a full-time higher education course in Wales. Taking a qualitative approach to explore this further, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 non-traditional age students, and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings indicated that participants felt compromises had to be made in both academic and social spheres in order to accommodate conflicting time demands; there was a desire to maintain the quality of life experienced before entering university; and the impact of working and studying presented challenges for both their academic engagement and personal relationships. These findings will be discussed in relation to the extant literature, and debate around how higher educational institutions may seek to address and acknowledge these issues is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although extensive research has investigated the benefits of physical activity in cystic fibrosis, minimal exploration of the experiences for individuals from a qualitative, phenomenological perspective has been carried out. The aim of this study was to explore the subjective experiences of physical activity for individuals with cystic fibrosis. The health-care team, at an Adult Cystic Fibrosis Unit in the United Kingdom, recruited 12 participants to take part. Interview data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. A central theme of ‘self-monitoring’ emerged from the accounts and was embedded in the three super-ordinate themes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the responses of individuals who have undergone genetic testing for familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) where no genetic mutation has been identified. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 patients and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was employed. This article describes three inter-related themes: ‘feeling in limbo’, ‘exploring causes of raised cholesterol’ and ‘contradictions in talk about diet’. Although participants generally adhered to medication and engaged in healthy lifestyles, the findings have clinical implications for how genetic test results are communicated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim: To consider accounts of first time mothers with a self-reported negative birth. Within these self reports, the analysis explored the role the midwife might play in the negative birth experience and discusses the importance of birth narratives for mothers. Background: For first time mothers who report negative births, the reality of the experience is typically incongruent with expectations. Limited research has explored the narratives of such women, especially after a long period of time has elapsed after the birth. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five participants who had reported a negative birth experience at least 1 year previously. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of the data was performed. Results: Feelings of depersonalisation, a struggle to make sense of what happened and a sense of betrayal remained vivid in the participants' narratives long after the event. Participants indicated that they would have welcomed an opportunity to informally discuss and attempt to understand the events of their birth, either while still in the maternity unit, or with their GP at the post-natal follow up. Conclusions: The findings highlight that participants reported sharing post-birth stories could go some way to negating the legacy of a negative birth experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To consider accounts of first time mothers with a self-reported negative birth. Within these self reports, the analysis explored the role the midwife might play in the negative birth experience and discusses the importance of birth narratives for mothers. Background: For first time mothers who report negative births, the reality of the experience is typically incongruent with expectations. Limited research has explored the narratives of such women, especially after a long period of time has elapsed after the birth. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five participants who had reported a negative birth experience at least 1 year previously. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of the data was performed. Results: Feelings of depersonalisation, a struggle to make sense of what happened and a sense of betrayal remained vivid in the participants' narratives long after the event. Participants indicated that they would have welcomed an opportunity to informally discuss and attempt to understand the events of their birth, either while still in the maternity unit, or with their GP at the post-natal follow up. Conclusions: The findings highlight that participants reported sharing post-birth stories could go some way to negating the legacy of a negative birth experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the social representations of death held by two groups of nurses in a hospice setting. Focus group interviews, one with White British nurses and the other with Filipino nurses, were conducted in order to explore their representations of death and how these related to their daily lived work experience. An interpretative phenomenological analysis identified that super-ordinate themes of death are an emotional response and death is a wall to human intervention. Both cultural groups identified with these themes in different ways, and the authors contend that their representations of death functioned as symbolic coping strategies which protected participants within their work environment. It is suggested that such an approach could be usefully utilised within health psychology to provide a more context-dependent method of looking at individual or group experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common outcome of entering post-compulsory education as a mature aged learner appears to be development and growth of the self. However, this is often only viewed as an outcome or considered an added benefit, rather than an integral part of the academic process itself. This paper explores the relationship between academic growth and personal growth, arguing that they are not mutually exclusive categories, but inter-related ones. Using a grounded theory approach it is suggested that a 're-negotiation' of the self was evident amongst a group of 31 mature students at different stages of their further and higher education courses. The reasons why this might be such a salient issue for mature aged cohorts is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correctional practice has seen a proliferation of prison animal programmes over the last two decades, but scant attention has been paid to the impact of prison farm animal work. Five members of prison dairy farm staff in the UK were interviewed about their experiences of supporting prison workers, including their perceptions of its potential impact for supporting rehabilitation from offending. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify three overarching themes: the positive human-bovine relationship; strengthening interpersonal skills and intrapersonal benefits. This paper suggests that prison dairy work has the potential to support desistance from further offending by facilitating the transition towards a non-offending identity, cultivating and enabling compassionate behaviour, and improving wellbeing. Future research could include: an analysis of the recidivism data of prison farm livestock workers; qualitative explorations of prison livestock workers’ experiences (including those working with cows and other food/production animals); and research with a specific focus on the transferability of compassionate and caring attitudes towards self and others away from the farm setting. Findings from this exploratory study inform debate about the value and transferability of prison farm animal work and should be used to contribute to a larger body of work on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient remedies in wound care have been used for millennia and are now being rediscovered; in particular, the use of honey. The purpose of this study was to capture and explore the meanings that participants assign to their lived experiences when using medical-grade honey to treat wounds. Six participants were recruited from a Lindsey Leg Club support group. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the verbatim transcriptions were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Two themes were identified: experiences of using medical-grade honey and perceptions of honey as a natural folkloric medicine. This study revealed the complexity of using medical-grade honey to treat wounds and highlights patients' experiences and perceptions. The findings are reviewed and discussed in relation to the literature and implications for further research and clinical practice are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the Criminal Justice System, using animals for therapeutic or rehabilitative purposes has garnered momentum and is extensively researched. By contrast, the evidence concerning the impact of farm animal work, either on prison farms or social farms for community sanctions, is less well understood. This review sought to explore the evidence that exists in relation to four areas: (1) farm animals and their contribution to rehabilitation from offending; (2) any indicated mechanisms of change; (3) the development of a human—food/production animal bond, and (4) the experiences of forensic service users working with dairy cattle. Fourteen articles were included in the review. Good quality research on the impact of working with farm animals and specifically dairy cattle, with adult offenders, was very limited. However, some studies suggested that the rehabilitative potential of farm animals with offenders should not be summarily dismissed but researched further to firmly establish impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mood disorders typically materialise in young adulthood, a life-stage when many enter university. However, Padron notes that few studies have examined the experiences of students with a mood disorder. The current study offers a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with five university students who had personal experience of such a disorder. Participants described how symptoms affected their academic and social experiences of university based around the themes of: Social and family support, Powerful symptoms, Stigma and labelling, and Inter-professional dynamic. It was concluded that stigma and lack of information prevented students from obtaining sufficient support, whilst the addition of key staff such as a university-wide mental health trainer is identified as a potential way forward to help such students negotiate the higher education environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To gain accounts of the functions of self-harm in a sample of adult male prisoners with mental health difficulties and to learn what they believed would help them reduce or stop their non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Method A preliminary study involving six semi-structured interviews with male prisoners with mental health difficulties who had presented with NSSI and subsequent thematic analysis. Results Four main themes were identified: affect regulation, affective change after NSSI, coping and mediators of NSSI. All participants cited affect regulation as the function of their NSSI and they discussed the impact of the prison environment on the behaviour. Participants indicated that medication and support networks could be mediators of NSSI. This study was limited by its small sample size, however, the findings indicate this would be a valid area for further research to gain greater understanding of NSSI in the prison population, providing the opportunity to consolidate themes. Conclusion The findings highlight the importance of interventions targeting emotion identification, regulation and expression, and coping skills in prison environments. This is important because of the increasing rates of NSSI in the prison system in the context of resource pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]