Qualitative Health Psychology: Theories and Methods - Softcover

Michael Murray; Kerry Chamberlain

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0761956611 ISBN 13: 9780761956617

Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd, 1999

Synopsis

`This book constitutes a valuable resource for postgraduate students and researchers. Most.... of the chapters succeed in providing a clear and comprehensive introduction to the various approaches and/or methods, thus enabling the reader to make an informed decision about whether or not they wish to pursue the topic further. The book as a whole is also very well referenced and this makes it a source of essential information for students and researchers with an interest in qualitative health psychology' - Health Psychology Update

This book explains the role of qualitative research within health psychology. Theories and methods from a qualitative perspective are highly varied but, in general, differ from the positivist approach which is concerned with quantifying the individual risk factors presumed to cause health and illness behaviour. This book shows clearly how a qualitative approach offers a better understanding of the experience of illness while locating it in its broader social context.

Providing a detailed examination of these issues, the book is organized into three sections - the first considers some of the main theoretical perspectives underlying qualitative research in health psychology including discourse analysis and narrative as well as the social context and embodiment of health and illness; the second examines some of the practical issues involved in conducting qualitative research with different populations, such as children and the terminally ill; and the final section considers a range of analytic issues and specific analytic approaches such as grounded theory and action research, and the evaluation of qualitative methods.

About this title

About the Author:

MICHAEL MURRAY is Professor of Psychology at the University of Keele, UK.  Previously he was Professor of Social and Health Psychology in the Division of Community Health, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada and Michael held positions at St Thomas’ Hospital Medical School, London, UK and at the University of Ulster, Ireland. His previous books include Smoking Among Young Adults (1988, with L. Jarrett, A.V. Swan and R. Rumen) and Qualitative Health Psychology: Theories and Methods (1999, with K. Chamberlain). Michael is Associate Editor of Psychology & Health and an Editorial Board member of the Journal of Health Psychology, Health Psychology Review, Health Psychology & Medicine and Arts & Health. His current research interests include the use of participatory and arts-based methods to promote social engagement among older people. 

About this edition

• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0761956611
• ISBN 13: 9780761956617
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 274
• Editor: Michael P. Murray, Kerry Chamberlain