The experience of severe mental illness: A life history approach

Chafetz, Linda

doi:10.1016/s0883-9417(96)80083-5

Cited by 22 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…In health research, life histories have been used in areas such as mental health (Chafetz, 1996, Solsulki, Buchanan and Donnell, 2010, (in)fertility (Hemmings, 2007) and in exploring socio-economic determinants of health. However, they have not been widely used in health systems research, which we understand as research "concerned with how health services are financed, delivered and organized and how these functions are linked within an overall health system with its associated policies and institutions" (Mills et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of using life histories with health workers in post-conflict and crisis settings: methodological reflections

Witter

Namakula

Alonso-Garbayo

et al. 2017

Health Policy Plan.

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Introduction: Life history is a research tool which has been used primarily in sociology and anthropology to document experiences of marginalized individuals and communities. It has been less explored in relation to health system research. In this paper, we examine our experience of using life histories to explore health system trajectories coming out of conflict through the eyes of health workers. Methods: Life histories were used in four inter-related projects looking at health worker incentives, the impact of Ebola on health workers, deployment policies, and gender and leadership in the health sector. In total 244 health workers of various cadres were interviewed in Uganda, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Cambodia. The life histories were one element within mixed methods research. Results: We examine the challenges faced and how these were managed. They arose in relation to gaining access, data gathering, and analysing and presenting findings from life histories. Access challenges included lack of familiarity with the method, reluctance to expose very personal information and sentiments, lack of trust in confidentiality, particularly given the traumatized contexts, and, in some cases, cynicism about research and its potential to improve working lives. In relation to data gathering, there was variable willingness to draw lifelines, and some reluctance to broach sensitive topics, particularly in contexts where policy-related issues and legitimacy are commonly still contested. Presentation of lifeline data without compromising confidentiality is also an ethical challenge. Conclusion: We discuss how these challenges were (to a large extent) surmounted and conclude that life histories with health staff can be a very powerful tool, particularly in contexts where routine data sources are absent or weak, and where health workers constitute a marginalized community (as is often the case for mid-level cadres, those serving in remote areas, and staff who have lived through conflict and crisis).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of using life histories with health workers in post-conflict and crisis settings: methodological reflections

Witter

Namakula

Alonso-Garbayo

et al. 2017

Health Policy Plan.

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show abstract

“…Participants expressed benefits from having routines for promoting optimal sleep, exercise, nutrition, and personal hygiene, which enhanced their sense of control and autonomy. Considering the high comorbidity of medical illnesses in individuals with schizophrenia, it is important to emphasize health and wellness in the ongoing management (Brown, Inskip, & Barraclough, 2000;Chafetz, 1996;Moller & Murphy, 1997).…”

Section: Physiological Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychophenomenology of the Postpsychotic Adjustment Process

Moller

Zauszniewski

2011

Archives of Psychiatric Nursing

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“…Harding and her group (1987aHarding and her group ( , 1987bHarding and her group ( , 1989 developed a computerized Life Chart to map the life course of schizophrenia with surprising findings that contradicted previous thought. In a different vein, Chafetz (1996) looked at the experience of severe mental illness through life charting and found support for the "value of a lifecontext approach to research on severe mental illness" (p. 24). Life chart format has been most recently applied to post-traumatic stress disorder (Osuch et al, 2001).…”

Section: Life Chartingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3. The Life Chart (experimental) instrument was adapted from Breier (1987a, 1987b); Harding, McCormick, Strauss, Ashikaga, and Brooks (1989), and Chafetz (1996). It was assessed systematically during this project.…”

Section: Findings On Instrumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Violent Lives of Women: Critical Points for Intervention/Life Charting

Brackley¹,

Williams

2008

Issues in Mental Health Nursing

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Each year, 5.3 million women are abused and several thousand die at the hands of intimate partners. If family violence were better understood, it could be predicted, described by patterns and prevented. Life charting (LC) is a method developed to explicate complex phenomena, such as bipolar disorder. This study tested the feasibility and usefulness of LC in deriving data about critical points in life when interventions could reduce or prevent family violence. Two research questions guided the study: (1) Does LC yield valid, reliable data when used as a review with women exposed to violence? (2) Is LC feasible for use in research?

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The experience of severe mental illness: A life history approach

Cited by 22 publications

References 16 publications

Experiences of using life histories with health workers in post-conflict and crisis settings: methodological reflections

Experiences of using life histories with health workers in post-conflict and crisis settings: methodological reflections

Psychophenomenology of the Postpsychotic Adjustment Process

Violent Lives of Women: Critical Points for Intervention/Life Charting

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