Using Photovoice to Identify Service Needs of Older African American Methadone Clients

Abstract

This article presents findings from a photovoice project designed to identify service needs of older-adult African American methadone clients, as well as their current barriers to and supports for abstinence. The project involved 10 participants (aged 53 to 63 years old) recruited from a methadone maintenance program in a large Northeastern U.S. city. Thematic analysis techniques were used to analyze participants' narratives of their pictures. Transportation emerged as a significant challenge to accessing services, and caregiving was a motivation for remaining abstinent. Future research should use similar participatory methods and engage a broader group of aging people struggling with substance abuse.

Photovoice in mental illness research: A review and recommendations

“…Of nine reviewed articles, seven were primary data studies ( Cabassa et al, 2013a , 2013b ; Clements, 2012 ; Erdner et al, 2009 ; Rosen et al, 2011 ; Sitvast et al, 2010 ; Thompson et al, 2008 ) and two were derived from secondary analyses of existing photovoice data ( Fleming et al, 2009 ; Panazzola and Leipert, 2013 ). Authors of all nine reviewed articles claimed photovoice as a novel and effective methodology as well as a method of “knowing” beyond traditional quantitative and qualitative research approaches.…”

“…>18 years) who experienced mental illness(es) and/or were in the process of recovering ( Cabassa et al, 2013a , 2013b ; Erdner et al, 2009 ; Rosen et al, 2011 ; Sitvast et al, 2010 ; Thompson et al, 2008 ). Purposive sampling, aided by community collaborations ( Clements, 2012 ; Erdner et al, 2009 ; Panazzola and Leipert, 2013 ; Rosen et al, 2011 ), optimized the collection of information-rich cases ( Cabassa et al, 2013a , 2013b ; Fleming et al, 2009 ; Sitvast et al, 2010 ; Thompson et al, 2008 ). The number of study participants ranged from 5 to 42 (M = 18).…”

“…The number of study participants ranged from 5 to 42 (M = 18). 1 Assurances that participants had the cognitive capacity to provide informed consent were made, and some studies provided specific details about participants formally diagnosed with mental illness(es) ( Erdner et al, 2009 ; Rosen et al, 2011 ; Sitvast et al, 2010 ; Thompson et al, 2008 ), while others used the term mental illness to detail the sample ( Cabassa et al, 2013a , 2013b ; Clements, 2012 ; Fleming et al, 2009 ; Panazzola and Leipert, 2013 ).…”

“…That said, constant comparison ( Cabassa et al, 2013a , 2013b ; Thompson et al, 2008 ) synonymous with grounded theory ( Strauss and Corbin, 1998 ) was the most commonly cited analytic frame. Consistent with PAR, Clements (2012) and Rosen et al (2011) invited their study participants to the analysis phase. Clements’ (2012) researcher–participant group discussed the concept of recovery using thematic analysis techniques, while Rosen et al’s (2011) discussed the meaning of the older African American methadone clients’ images.…”

Examining the Utility of Photovoice as an Audiological Counseling Tool

“…Photovoice has been applied to health research in a variety of ways. It has been used to document the experiences of people living with chronic pain (Baker and Wang, 2006), prostate cancer (Oliffe and Bottorff, 2007), and mental illness (Clements, 2012), for exploring health-care access and use (Rosen et al, 2011;Kowitt et al, 2015;True et al, 2015), and for documenting health-care needs (Angelo and Egan, 2015;Gill et al, 2016). The purposes of these studies were to promote community awareness of issues, implement programs to address needs, and/or change public policy.…”