Interpretive phenomenological approaches to rural mental health research.

While researchers in the fields of social work and nursing have recognised the usefulness of qualitative research methods for many years, researchers in psychology have tended to lag behind in their understanding of the value and applicability of qualitative approaches. The aims of this article are to consider the role of qualitative research in psychology, to outline the various steps involved in conducting qualitative data collection and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) for those not versed in these techniques, and to provide a case example of the applicability of these methods to rural adolescent mental health research. The final section of this article includes a detailed discussion of the advantages and limitations of IPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]