‘That was helpful … no one has talked to me about that before’: Research participation as a therapeutic activity

Abstract

There is considerable interest in the various ethical problems associated with undertaking health and social science research. Participants in such research are often considered vulnerable because of their health status, social position, or dependence on others for health and welfare services. Researchers and ethics committees pay scrupulous attention to the identification and amelioration of risks to participants. Rarely are the benefits to participants of engaging in research highlighted or drawn to the attention of potential participants. Such potential benefits need to be considered by researchers and reviewers when considering the balance of benefits and harms associated with research projects. In this paper, we particularly consider the psychotherapeutic benefits of participation in research.

Is suicide assessment harmful to participants? Findings from a randomized controlled trial

“…In addition to opportunities for personal insight, participating in suicide research made some participants, of this and previous studies, feel good about themselves as they perceived their participation to be an altruistic contribution towards helping others in need (Rivlin et al ). Overall, the present research supports previous studies showing that suicide research can benefit some participants (e.g., Dyregrov et al ; Lakeman et al ; Wong et al ; Gould et al ).…”

To be present, share and nurture: a lifeworld phenomenological study of relatives’ participation in the suicidal person’s recovery

“…With respect to the complexities of the phenomenon, the researchers’ adoption of the methodological approach (Dahlberg et al, 2008) guided the interviews as a means of listening to the voice of the participants and at the same time strengthening it. This also means that the interviews were carried out by the interviewer’s awareness of intersubjectivity, in which reflections on feelings of the interviewer as well as the participants are considered as resources for understanding participants’ experiences and the phenomenon (i.e., participation) itself (Dahlberg & Dahlberg, 2003, 2004; Holloway, 2007; Lakeman, McAndrew, MacGabhann, & Warne, 2013). This openness and sensitivity to feelings aimed to take into account the participants and the interviewer as active and living human beings, experiencing the world that they live in (Dahlberg, 2012, 2013).…”

Undertaking ethical qualitative research in public health: are current ethical processes sufficient?

“…5,24 Articulating painful stories can lead to a degree of self-reflection and empowerment for some participants, while also being aligned with positive emotional outcomes because of feeling heard, consolidation of memories and gaining perceived social support. 5 However, researchers need to anticipate that participants may, during the interview, elicit painful and distressing information and experience emotional distress. Managing displays of emotion needs thorough consideration, planning and preparation of strategies, as it is often difficult to end an interview when a participant has verbalised distress and is emotionally vulnerable.…”

“…24 The dyadic interaction between researcher and participant can also trigger the researcher's lived experience becoming part of the research process. 5 Reciprocal sharing of personal stories is an effective way to gather rich, descriptive data, yet it can also make the researcher feel vulnerable 3 and emphasise the two-way vulnerability between the researcher and the researched. 14,25 Self-disclosure such as this is suggested to be good research practice, 26 as a way of "levelling the field" 3 and nurturing a more egalitarian interaction.…”

“…However, ethical issues that arise in qualitative health research that may affect both the researcher and those being researched are not as easy to identify prospectively and can be overlooked in ethics application processes. 1 Qualitative health researchers have raised concerns about, among other issues, relationships with participants, 2 unclear relational boundaries, 3 the therapeutic nature of interviews 4,5 and the emotional impact of interviewing, 6 as well as ethical dilemmas throughout the research process. 7 As experienced qualitative health researchers, we assume that we will inevitably encounter professional and personal challenges as part of our contact with participants.…”