Experiences and coping behaviours of adolescents in Pakistan with alopecia areata: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Abstract

The study explored experiences of adolescents aged 15–19 with alopecia areata (AA) and investigated their accounts of coping behaviours. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to provide an in-depth and holistic perspective of their accounts. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a volunteer sample of eight respondents diagnosed with AA. Four key themes were identified: loss (self/social), concerns (physical/future), negative (emotions/thoughts), and coping styles (adaptive/maladaptive). Females experienced greater feelings of loss, were more concerned about their looks and their future, and reported more negative thoughts and emotions. Females felt angry and blamed God for their fate; males blamed both their fate and luck. Action-oriented and practical coping styles were adopted by all of them. After the realization that initial coping behaviours were ineffective, self-distraction, acceptance, and humour were used. Psychological relief followed with the practice of religion and planning for treatments to be undertaken in the future. The findings here are similar to research conducted in the West, though with more emphasis on religion. Health care providers and student counsellors need to understand the negative psychosocial consequences for adolescents living with a visible disfigurement and provide appropriate psychological and social support.

Leisure and health benefits among Korean adolescents with visual impairments

“…In this study, each participant was characterized by similar physical conditions and we were able to utilize our knowledge in inductively analyzing data. Based on this analysis, we followed the six data analysis steps were used as suggested by Rafique and Hunt (2015): (a) reading and rereading, (b) taking initial notes, (c) generating emergent themes, (d) developing connections among the themes, (e) comparing themes to the next case, and (f) identifying and interpreting themes across cases. Once we generated each theme, we used the constant comparative method that allowed us to constantly compare it with others (Merriam, 1998).…”

The intuitive nurse in critical care practice: a phenomenological study

“…Indeed, Interpretations are based on the researcher's own conceptions, beliefs, expectations, and experiences. 24 The purpose of the descriptive approach is to assess the experiences of individuals as understood by them without interference from the researchers in the interpretation of the meanings. In this case, the researchers must bracket all their prior knowledge about the issue.…”

'a woman's place' : exploring the leadership journeys of women in government using interpretative phenomenological analysis

“…The purpose of this first stage of analysis was to ensure the participant was the primary focus. During the first reading, the researcher listened to the recorded interview while reading the transcript to ensure accuracy while also reinforcing the voice and presence of the participant in the analysis process (Rafique & Hunt, 2015;Smith et al, 2009). At this stage, the researcher made annotations or interpretative memos on the physical copy of the transcript to identify preliminary ideas and impressions to "bracket them off for a while" (Smith et al, 2009, p. 82).…”

“…Qualitative researchers have found interviews to be a useful technique to collect information that cannot be directly observed (Patton, 1990). Many qualitative researchers prefer one or more in-depth, semi-structured faceto-face interviews with the participants to create a verbatim record that captures the rich and detailed first-hand experience of the research participant (Rafique & Hunt, 2015). Semistructured formats create a setting where participants can freely express their stories and share more intimate aspects of their experiences without strict adherence to scripts (Brinkman, 2013;Kvale & Brinkman, 2008).…”

“…The researcher kept a reflective journal to capture analytical insights along with emotions or impressions that occurred during the data collection and analysis process. This tool assisted in bracketing and setting aside the researcher's prejudices and assumptions while considering the meaning the participants gave to their experiences (Rafique & Hunt, 2015).…”