Engaging Without Exposing: Use of a Fictional Character to Facilitate Mental Health Talk in Focus Groups With Men Who Have Been Subject to the Criminal Justice System

• Published in: Qualitative health research Vol. 28; no. 13; pp. 2102 - 2114
• Main Authors: Owens, Christabel, Carter, Mary, Shenton, Deborah, Byng, Richard, Quinn, Cath
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.11.2018; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety - psychology; Criminal justice system; Criminals - psychology; Depression - psychology; Discomfort; Exploitation; Focus groups; Focus Groups - methods; Forensic Psychology - methods; Health Services Accessibility; Humans; Ill-Housed Persons; Male; Men; Mens health; Mental Disorders - psychology; Mental Disorders - therapy; Mental Health; Mental Health Services; Methods; Middle Aged; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Personality; Qualitative research; Tape Recording; United Kingdom; Young Adult; United Kingdom; vignette; marginalized or vulnerable populations; qualitative; prisons; focus groups; prisoners; Britain; mental health and illness

In an effort to encourage men with experience of being subject to the criminal justice system to contribute to focus group discussions on the sensitive topic of mental health, while also doing our utmost to protect them from discomfort or risk of exploitation, we used a novel technique involving the...