1. Take a picture! The role of visual methods in understanding psychiatric patient’s everyday life
- Author
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Moretti, Veronica, Brunetti, Chiara, Candaten, Andrea, Cannavò, Daniela, Manfredi, Martina, Maserati, Martina, Piccinini, Amedea, Rinaldi, Melissa, Artioli, Giovanna, Sarli, Leopoldo, Ferri, Paola, and Veronica Moretti, Chiara Brunetti, Andrea Candaten, Daniela Cannavò, Martina Manfredi, Martina Maserati, Amedea Piccinini, Melissa Rinaldi, Giovanna Artioli, Leopoldo Sarli, Paola Ferri
- Subjects
Adult ,Psychiatry ,Psychiatric patients ,Experience of illness ,Health Personnel ,Mental Disorders ,Visual methods ,Qualitative methods ,Visual methods, Photo-elicitation, Qualitative methods, Mental health services, Psychiatric patients, Experience of illness ,Mental health services ,Italy ,Humans ,Qualitative Research ,Photo-elicitation ,Original Article: New Approaches for Nursing Care - Abstract
Background and aim: Understanding the patient’s experience of mental illness can foster better support for this population and greater partnership with healthcare professionals. This study aims to explore the application of visual methods in the psychiatric field and, in particular, the experience of people suffer- ing from psychotic disorders, because it is still an open question that has not been only partially empirically examined. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using two visual methods (auto-photography and photo-elicitation) associated with the narrative that emerged from an unstructured interview, in a clinical setting of adult Mental Health in Italy, between October 2019 and February 2020. A total of 5 patients and 5 corresponding referring healthcare professionals were identified and enrolled. Patients were asked to pro- duce photographs following 4 thematic areas: “Fun”, “Time”, “Something indispensable”, “Place where I feel good”. Results: A total of 85 photographs were produced. Visual methods have proved to be a useful technique in qualitative research in the area of adult psychiatry. From the interviews it emerged that visual methods have allowed psychotic patients to use a new language to be able to communicate their emotions. Conclusions: The healthcare professionals involved also confirm the potential of this tool which, when combined with the traditional interview, is able to deepen the patient’s knowledge by overcoming the verbal barriers that often make it difficult to reconstruct the individual experience of illness.
- Published
- 2021