CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.3 Research Processes
3.3.3 Interview Process
At the beginning of each interview, I explained the process that we would be embarking on, specifically drawing the participant’s attention to the recording device, explaining the brief structure of the interview question guide, reiterating confidentiality, and explaining their rights to terminate the interview or refuse to answer a specific question. The beginning process of the interview also included some whakawhanaungatanga, building of rapport and when necessary, I paid attention to the participant’s language style and behaviour so that I could adjust mine accordingly (Magnusson & Marecek, 2015). Some participants approached the interview in a relatively casual manner, others approached it more formally, and I responded accordingly to ensure that the participant felt comfortable.
Throughout the interview I used the interview guide, and associated questions as prompts to keep the interview on a relevant course, guiding the conversation back to the questions where relevant. However, I also allowed the participant to speak freely and discuss topics they felt were relevant. All of the interviews were between 30 and 60 minutes in length, with each of them following the interview guide smoothly, whilst also allowing for natural, participant led conversation. Each of the interviews were held at a location of the participant’s choosing. Eight of the interviews were held in person and the remaining three interviews were held over the phone or
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zoom. The in-person interviews occurred in booked library rooms, at participants’
workplaces or public places such as secluded outside areas. These in-person
interviews occurred in various regions across the North Island/Te Ika-a-Māui. Each of the participants that participated in online interviews lived outside of my region and when asked, their preference was to conduct the interview online. I did not observe any differences in the quality of the participant’s answers, when comparing the in-person and online interviews. However, the in-person interviews did allow for some deeper understandings and more follow-up questions due to the developed rapport that was more achievable in person. It is worth noting that there was only a minimal difference and the online interviews still produced rich, substantial data.
Each of the participants were very respondent to the questions, many of them coming prepared with notes they had written and topics they wished to discuss based on their daily observations.
3.3.4 Data Analysis
I began data analysis after each interview, conducting the ‘familiarisation with data’
and ‘coding’ stages of thematic analysis on each transcript. Once the recruitment and interview phase finished in June, I met with my supervisor, and we began the
‘searching, reviewing, defining, and naming themes’ stage of thematic analysis. This process occurred over two months. The tables below (Table One & Two) outline the list of grouped and refined codes and the named and defined themes. An extensive list of the original codes (79 codes) is attached in the concluding sections of this thesis (Appendix F).
54 Table 1
List of Grouped and Refined Codes
Group One: Points to
Individualistic/Neoliberal Thinking and Systemic Issues
Funding Related Issues (Codes 11, 12) Staffing Related Issues (Codes 52, 51, 29, 19, 20, 57, 78)
A Lack of Kaupapa Māori Informed Practices (Codes, 21, 22, 44)
Quick Fix Culture (Codes, 15, 17, 48, 58, 69, 74)
Group Two: Points to
Individualistic/Neoliberal Thinking, the Impact of Systemic Issues on Professional Practice and Young People
Waiting Lists and Therefore Only Dealing with Crisis Management (Codes, 3, 4, 5, 8) Professionals Becoming Robotic Due to Time Constraints (Codes, 33, 17, 50, 58).
Lack of Collaborative Care, No Time For Services to Work Together (Codes, 14, 15, 32, 48)
Focus/reliance on the Biomedical Model, and No Time for Alternative Models (Codes, 48, 58)
Group Three: Stories shared about the Experiences of Mental Health
Professionals
Staff Burn out/High Staff Turnover/Staff not Supported/ Staff Feeling They Can Not Support Young People (16, 17, 20, 29, 34, 36, 41, 51, 52, 57, 78)
Group Four: Stories Shared By Professionals About Young Peoples Experiences.
Young People Distrust the System, Lack of Therapeutic Relationships is Damaging, Impact on Family, Fragility of the Young Person and How the System Further Impacts This (Codes, 6, 9, 10, 15, 16, 28, 31, 38, 50, 61, 62, 70, 75).
Group Five: Relational Thinking, Alternative Models, Therapeutic Practices, etc…
Benefits of Therapeutic Relationships (Codes 10 & 62).
Benefits of Collaborative, Integrated and Holistic Care (Codes 13, 18, 25, 55).
Benefits of Kaupapa Māori Informed Practices (Codes 22 & 23)
55 Group Five: Relational Thinking,
Alternative Models, Therapeutic Practices, etc…
Benefits of Alternative therapies that are not Standardised (Codes 27, 54, 63)
Group Six: Relational Thinking, Participants Newly Designed Systems, Youth One-stop Shops, Collaboration, Umbrella Approaches
Codes 13 & 18
Sections of Transcript from Participants #11 and #15
Table 2
List of Defined and Named Themes
Theme One:
Individualistic Thinking. A Health Care System Driven by Business Ideologies and the Organisational Challenges that
Are Subsequently Present.
Theme Two:
Individualistic Thinking. Crisis Management and a System Focussed
on the Medical Model.
Theme Three:
Experiences of Those within the System: Experiences of Mental Health
Professionals.
Theme Four:
Experiences of Those within the System: How Mental Health Professionals Perceive Young People's
Experience in the Mental Health System.
Theme Five:
Relational Thinking. Relational Models and Practices, An Alternative to the
Current System.
Theme Six:
Relational Thinking. Participant Proposals. Designing a New System.
These six themes were formed by utilising the information that the participants shared and the interpretive analysis process, which was heavily influenced by sociological theories and ideologies.
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