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Background: Research has highlighted that parenting a child with autism can be challenging and stressful. However, many parents successfully cope with the challenges posed by autism. A systematic review investigated parental psychological predictors of positive adjustment and coping in parents with a child with autism. Although a range of potential predictor variables were examined, including social support, coping styles and religious beliefs, the results of the review were inconclusive due to the conceptual overlap of predictor variables, and inconsistent use of outcome indicators of positive adjustment. However, parental perceptions of their situation and themselves as parents were represented across a number of variables, and were thought to be of relevance in understanding processes of adjustment. Therefore, qualitative research was undertaken to explore this further. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight parents of children with autism on their experiences of being a parent, and their perceptions of influences on their sense of self. The data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results: The following five super-ordinate themes emerged from the study: ‘experiencing autism as hard to know’, ‘experiencing autism as all-consuming and extreme’, ‘diagnosis giving understanding and confidence’, ‘parenting in the eyes of others’, and ‘dilemma of acceptance’. The meaning of these themes for parents and how they related to their sense of self and belief in their ability was discussed. For example, the ambiguity and difficulty in understanding autism, and the overwhelming nature of the condition related to feelings of self-doubt in parents. On the other hand, confidence increased when the diagnosis was identified, and when parenting skills and the child’s progress were recognised by others. Discussion: This research has provided a richer understanding of self-perceptions of parenting and the impact of these experiences on a parent’s sense of self. It has contributed to a broader literature on positive adjustment in families with a child with autism. This understanding will be useful to those seeking to engage and support families with a child with autism, and assist parents with coping and adjustment.

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Introduction: Children with autism experience difficulties in social interaction and communication which are often manifested behaviourally. The nature of these difficulties means that the task of parenting is often challenging. This study therefore aims to explore which aspects of raising a child with autism are most meaningful for parents. It will also investigate what, if any, are the positive aspects related to the experience of having a child with autism. Method: A qualitative approach was used, with data collection and analysis being guided by the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, 1995). Seven interviews were conducted which yielded approximately 10 hours of data. Interviews were recorded and transcribed to facilitate analysis of the narratives. Results: The meaning of being the parent of a child with autism was conceptualised within four core themes of: autism as a journey, what it means to live with autism; negotiating the social world; and positive aspects of raising a child with autism. Three of these themes contained sub-themes which provided further insight into the participants’ experiences. Being the parent of a child with autism was represented as a complex and dynamic process. Discussion: The results of the research are discussed in the context of relevant literature. Previous findings regarding receiving a diagnosis of autism, coping, acceptance and adaptation are essentially supported by this research. However, these results also acknowledged the significant role of social encounters in the participants’ experiences and the positive aspects of raising a child with autism. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed. Suggestions for future research are also made in response to the current findings and potential imitations of the methodology are considered. Conclusions: The findings from this research indicate that being the parent of a child with autism is characterised by many meaningful experiences, some of which are significant moments in the process of raising a child with autism. For example, the journey to, and receipt of, their child’s diagnosis was identified as a particularly important event in the experiences of the participants. Furthermore, there are complex interactions between the different aspects of these experiences which reflect the ever-changing nature of the challenges of parenting a child with autism.

This study explored the complexity of working and teaching within one English post -1992 university from the perspectives of thirteen members of academic staff. Work relationships, work load and perception of the management’s support of teaching were investigated via semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as a theoretical framework. This method offered a way to analyse and interpret the experiences of lecturers working in Higher Education by maintaining a focus on the academics’ own words. Previous research using IPA has been established within health and counselling fields (Smith et al, 2009) and its use within educational settings is emergent (Creanor, Trinder, Gowan et al, 2008; Biggerstaff and Thompson, 2008). The academics interviewed mostly entered higher education with no formal teacher training and many found their initial time in the role to be stressful and poorly managed. Support mechanisms (induction, mentoring, team teaching, teacher training courses) were described as being areas that could all be improved. The dramatic metaphorical language used to describe their entry into the HE system vividly depicted these challenges. The capturing of this highly expressive language offered new insight into understanding the lives of lecturing staff. Participants expressed their working lives with multiple references to the language of war, battle and struggle. Aspects of both vulnerability and tenacity were present in the findings, with the responses to challenges being expressed in both positive and negative ways. Most participants found that the levels of university bureaucracy impeded their teaching effectiveness; they battled with time management and felt tension between the levels of control, audit and freedom within their roles. This was somewhat ameliorated by the satisfaction they gained from teaching their students. The majority described students as consumers who were increasingly demanding and had varied abilities which created challenges for the lecturers. Traditional HE lecture-based techniques were perceived to be less effective in engaging students and most participants actively tried new methods of teaching, despite having little knowledge of theoretical aspects of learning to support this work. Few had experienced formal observation mechanisms and there were mixed responses about the level of support they received from their colleagues around teaching and its associated administrative tasks. The interviewed academics did not perceive that teaching was overtly valued by their superiors as their efforts remained largely unrecognised by those in senior management. Insights into the complex lives of the lecturers gave the researcher scope to create initiatives to promote positive change and make recommendations to senior management that could foster further improvements. In light of the data collected, the induction processes were changed to include more consistent mentoring, peer teaching observation groups (peer learning circles) were coordinated and staff development was organised to facilitate enhanced support for lecturers.

This qualitative study investigated the experiences of twelve adults who discovered new information about the identity of one or both parents in adolescence or later. Some had grown up in adoptive or step-families; others had been conceived using donated sperm. Participants were interviewed once about their experiences when the information was revealed, and the effect they perceived it had over time. The transcribed interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, Jarman & Osborn, 1999). The findings indicated that for many participants the impact of unplanned revelations was considerable, and the emotional repercussions often persisted for many years. The information affected participant's perceptions of their sense of self, and who they were in relation to others. The effects of this appeared to reverberate through many parts of the family system. It was suggested that concealment may have affected early parent-child relationships and contributed to feelings of difference or not belonging. The secret was perceived to have affected family communication before the revelation, and this was often difficult afterwards. Findings were considered in relation to identity development, attachment theory and social constructionist perspectives. A tentative model of the processes by which people integrate this information was proposed. Suggestions were made regarding therapeutic work with individuals and families after revelations of this nature, and those considering the opening of such secrets. Further research in this area is indicated and is particularly relevant to families created through gamete donation.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the lived experience of friendships among women who were living with bulimia during adolescence. Researchers have found that friendships are influential to the complex and multi-factoral etiology of bulimia. Friendships influence adolescent girls’ self-esteem, body image, dieting, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorder symptoms, through bullying and peer teasing, appearance conversations, and group dieting. While living with bulimia, women have reported interpersonal problems, such as feeling unsupported within their relationships, having fewer friends compared to women who have not lived with bulimia, and isolating themselves from others. There has been limited exploration surrounding the experiences of friendships while living with bulimia, particularly during adolescence. Interpretative phenomenological analysis guided the exploration of three young women’s experience of friendships while they lived with bulimia during adolescence. These women ranged in age from 21 to 25 years. They were recruited via purposive sampling and data were generated through photo elicitation and in-depth interviews. The analyzed data formed one over-arching theme: Tension, which appeared throughout the three super-ordinate themes: The Self-in-Relation to Friends while Living with Bulimia, Friendships in the Shadow of Bulimia, and Internal Conflicts in the Relational Self. These themes were discussed within the context of the current literature followed by recommendations for future research, considerations for mental health professionals, and a conclusion, which included words of wisdom from the participants.

The lived experiences of professional orchestral musicians are under-­‐researched by scholars in both music and psychology, who are interested in the world of the professional orchestra and the careers of classical musicians. Framed within a Social Constructionist paradigm, the research in this thesis is concerned with investigating the subjective meanings and individual experiences of a group of ten classical orchestral musicians. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was the methodological framework chosen to design and analyse a set of open-­‐ ended interviews with the musicians, which allowed reflexivity and flexibility throughout the research process. Three superordinate themes were identified from a close reading and IPA analysis of the interview data: ‘Musical Foundations’, ‘Struggle: “The Never Ending Quest”’ and ‘Thank You For The Music’. ‘Musical Foundations’ examines the process of musical identity construction for the ten participants, from its early beginnings in childhood, through adolescence and their time in the professional orchestra. Different facets of musical identity construction are outlined and becoming an orchestral musician is viewed as essentially a social process shaped by social interactions, building on a sense of possessing certain ‘innate’ characteristics. ‘Struggle: ‘The Never Ending Quest”’ illustrates the challenges the musicians encountered within the profession and the impact that being a professional orchestral musician had on other aspects of their lives (e.g. personal and social). The fear and conflict the ten musicians experienced is outlined and how the musicians coped and ‘survived’ within the professional orchestra is demonstrated. In addition, the central importance of the identity of ‘orchestral musician’ within the participants’ lives is illustrated. The last theme, ‘Thank You For The Music’ outlines why the musicians continued within the profession despite the struggles summarised by the previous theme. This chapter highlights the autonomy and control the musicians felt they gained within their orchestras and the physiological and emotional connections they experienced with both the profession and classic music itself. Common to all three superordinate themes is their reported power struggle between the musicians and the orchestra, and between the individual and the collective. Another common issue was how central the identity of ‘orchestral musician’ was for all participants, impacting all aspects of their lives. The professional musicians constructed, negotiated and maintained their musical identities in accordance with both their own expectations and those of the classical music genre itself. The research in this thesis raises awareness of the importance of the orchestral musician identity in the musicians’ lives and how an understanding of this can help gain an insight into other aspects of the participants’ lives. Recommendations are made for further research regarding: the lived experiences of classical music students, investigation of current teaching practices in conservatoires and further exploration of the professional structures within an orchestra.

College women's drinking rates are increasing, yet there is limited research on what is contributing to this phenomenon. In this study, the authors explored a fuller picture of how college women experience and perceive drinking situations. Qualitative data from 2 focus groups of high-risk and low-risk drinkers were analyzed with interpretative phenomenological analysis. Similarities and contrasts are discussed, implications for college counselors are highlighted, and areas for future research are recommended.