Background and aims: Few studies have examined stigma towards individuals affected by eating disorders. The aim of this study was to elucidate negative attitudes concerning the eating disorder anorexia nervosa (AN). Method: A vignette describing a fictional 15-year-old female meeting diagnostic criteria for AN was presented to 250 female university students, followed by a series of questions designed to assess perceptions of severity, self-centredness, contribution to society, social distance and desirability. Participants' levels of eating disorder psychopathology and familiarity with the problem described were also assessed. Results: Whereas attitudes were generally positive, negative attitudes were apparent in responses to items addressing self-centredness and social distance. In addition, many participants had at some stage thought that it ''might not be too bad'' to have the problem described. Exposure to information concerning the problem described through film or television was associated with less negative attitudes, whereas other types of exposure had little or no effect. Conclusions: Negative attitudes towards individuals affected by AN exist among women in the community, as well as ambivalence concerning the severity of the disorder. Further research is needed to identify the nature of stigma associated with eating disorders and the variables that moderate its expression.

Objectives. To investigate the relationship between the physical, social and psychological health of students and their financial circumstances. Design. A survey design was used. Methods. An opportunity sample of 482 university students from two London universities (one old and one new) completed a questionnaire providing information on demographic characteristics, financial circumstances, smoking, drug and alcohol use. Physical and psychological well‐being were assessed using a 14‐item inventory of physical symptoms, the SF‐36 and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12). Results. All sub‐scales of the SF‐36 (except Physical Functioning) and the GHQ indicated levels of health significantly below population norms. Poorer mental health was related to longer working hours outside university and difficulty paying bills. Those who had considered abandoning study for financial reasons had poorer mental health, social functioning, vitality and physical health and were also heavier smokers. Being in debt was associated with knowing people involved in prostitution, crime or drug dealing to help support themselves financially. Conclusion. Results suggest that the financial circumstances of students may be having an adverse impact on their health.

This study explores accounts of recovery and redemption from the perspective of offenders with a history of mental disorder who have committed homicide. Semistructured interviews were conducted with seven men who were residing in a high secure hospital. The interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Analysis of their accounts of their perpetration of homicide yielded a number of themes: the role of previous experience and its impact on their personal development; periods of loss of grip on reality; the reframing of events in their life via therapeutic interventions and internal integration, and roadblocks to the process of recovery. The findings highlight the importance of attending to offenders' narratives about their offending and the context in which it took place as an inevitable aspect of their search for meaning in the aftermath of the death they perpetrated. Themes generated contributed to future interventions to reduce risk.

Millions of children are exposed to domestic violence. How children negotiate and make sense of living with domestic violence is still under-researched. This study sought to capture the dual-perspectives of school-aged children and their mothers, to develop a richer understanding of children's experiences of domestic violence, using a community-based sample. A qualitative research design was employed, with interpretative phenomenological analysis used to interpret the data. Five school-aged children and three of their mothers participated in the study. Two master themes are discussed from the analysis of the children's perspective: domestic violence through the eyes of children; and learning from children's experiences. Two master themes are discussed from the analysis of the mothers' perspective: reflecting on the child in the context of domestic violence; and learning from mothers: insights, support and services. The crucial importance of the mother-child relationship in shaping children's experience of domestic violence was illustrated in both the perspectives; a finding which may have important implications for the development of interventions. It was also evident that children as young as eight were able to powerfully articulate their experiences of domestic violence.

Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is a qualitative thematic approach developed within psychology underpinned by an idiographic philosophy, thereby focusing on the subjective lived experiences of individuals. However, it has been used in focus groups of which some have been critical because of the difficulties of extrapolating the individual voice which is more embedded within the group dynamics and the added complexity of multiple hermeneutics occurring. Some have adapted IPA for use with focus groups, while others provide scant regard to these philosophical tensions. This raises the question whether IPA should be used with focus group data. To address these concerns, this article will set out a step-by-step guide of how IPA was adapted for use with focus groups involving drug using offenders (including illustrative examples with participants’ quotes). A rationale of why it was important to use both focus groups and an IPA approach will be covered including the value, merits, and challenges this presented. An overview of how participants’ idiographic accounts of their drug use, relapse, and recovery were developed will be provided. This article will conclude with a suggested way forward to satisfy the theoretical tensions and address the question raised in the title.