Citation

McDermott E, Johnson K, Roen K. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 51.

Affiliation

Lancaster University, Bowland Tower East, LA1 4YT Lancaster, United Kingdom. e.mcdermott@lancaster.ac.uk.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16963927

Abstract

While there is a predominance of quantitative studies reported in suicidology literature, qualitative methods are uniquely suited to understanding the socio-cultural context of youth suicide. Qualitative methods also provide ways of understanding the possible reasons for the observed trends in youth suicide statistics. The paper reports on research that seeks to explore young people's understandings of suicide by utilising focus group and interview methods that aim to encourage participants to articulate their feelings about suicide and distress. The focus of the paper is on the important ethical implications for the ways in which the researchers ensure no harm comes to participants. The paper draws upon the two research projects that focus on young people, and that are also detailed in the symposium. The ethical dilemmas discussed include: ensuring participants are not harmed; gaining ethical consent with people who are defined as 'vulnerable' and 'at risk'; researching marginalised communities; anonymising qualitative suicide data; and the impact on the researcher of conducting qualitative research on suicide. The paper will conclude with suggestions for the ethical practice of researching youth suicide using qualitative methods.

Language: en