Methodological Considerations for Conducting Qualitative Interviews with Youth Receiving Mental Health Services

Authors

  • Kathryn K. DeRoche Mental Health Center of Denver
  • Maria K.E. Lahman University of Northern Colorado

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-9.3.1016

Keywords:

ethics, interviews, methodology, mental health, qualitative, youth

Abstract

Use of qualitative interviews with individuals currently receiving mental health services has increased over the last decade in the United States due to the calls for system change that emphasizes individuals' perceptions of their own progress. However, interviews with youth receiving mental health services are rarely encountered. In this article, an overview of methodological considerations when conducting an interview inquiry with youth currently receiving mental health services will be discussed, incorporating suggestions from the published literature and our experiences with previous interview studies. Our theoretical definition of youth receiving mental health services along with six major areas of concern: appropriate interview questions, youth development of cognitive ability, ethical issues, power relationships, cultural competency, and methods of interview inquiry are discussed. Finally, other researchers are encouraged to investigate techniques for gathering rich data through interview research with youth experiencing mental health issues. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0803178

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Author Biographies

Kathryn K. DeRoche, Mental Health Center of Denver

Kathryn DeROCHE is a candidate for a PhD in applied statistics and research methods at the University of Northern Colorado, USA. She is an Evaluation Specialist at Mental Health Center of Denver, conducting evaluations and research regarding youth and adult community mental health services and is interested in advancement of methodological research techniques applied in behavioral health.

Maria K.E. Lahman, University of Northern Colorado

Maria K.E. LAHMAN, Ph.D. is an associate professor in qualitative research methods at the University of Northern Colorado, USA. She conducts research in the area of early childhood education and is interested in promoting how to respectfully and appropriately engage with children when conducting research.

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Published

2008-08-26

How to Cite

DeRoche, K. K., & Lahman, M. K. (2008). Methodological Considerations for Conducting Qualitative Interviews with Youth Receiving Mental Health Services. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-9.3.1016

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 3 (2008): Visual Methods

Section

Single Contributions

License

Copyright (c) 2008 Kathryn K. DeRoche, Maria K.E. Lahman

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.