SSM. Qualitative research in health最新文献

{"title":"Voices from the margins: A qualitative study on the lived experiences of leprosy-affected individuals from two diverse rural communities in Malaysia","authors":"Norana Abdul Rahman ,&nbsp;Vaikunthan Rajaratnam ,&nbsp;Hasniza Abdullah ,&nbsp;Nor Qamariyah Zainal ,&nbsp;Mohd Azimuddeen Mohd Azeli ,&nbsp;Ruth M.H. Peters ,&nbsp;Karen Morgan ,&nbsp;Mohamed Rusli Abdullah","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100637","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100637","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, a chronic infectious disease caused by <em>Mycobacterium leprae</em>, can result in irreversible nerve damage and physical deformities if untreated. It affects socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, causing financial hardship through persistent symptoms, treatment-related travel expenses, and limited ability to work. These burdens are compounded by stigma, discrimination, and psychosocial distress. This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of individuals affected by leprosy in two rural communities in Malaysia: the Indigenous Orang Asli (Jakun) in Pahang and ethnic Malays in Kelantan. The aim was to understand their needs, concerns, and challenges to inform strategies that enhance their well-being. In-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted in Malay with 32 individuals purposively selected with assistance from the State Health Departments. The researcher summarised key points at the end of each session to confirm participants' intended meaning. Interviews were transcribed, translated into English, and, where possible, verified by participants. Data were thematically analysed using NVivo 12. Five themes emerged: knowledge and awareness, social impact, psycho-affective challenges, access to health services, and employment and economic sustenance. Awareness was limited in both groups, particularly among the Orang Asli, due to language barriers and cultural beliefs. While Malay participants had better access to health services, stigma remained pervasive. The Orang Asli faced more severe economic challenges and deeper social marginalisation. These findings highlight the need for culturally tailored strategies, including health education, psychosocial support, and livelihood assistance, to reduce stigma, improve access to care, and promote the overall well-being of affected individuals in rural community contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74862,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Qualitative research in health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100637"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145060067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Women's trajectories to abortion care in Flanders, Belgium: A qualitative study","authors":"Anna Wallays ,&nbsp;Lobke Van Ryckeghem ,&nbsp;Leen De Kort ,&nbsp;Sarah Van de Velde","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100636","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100636","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":74862,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Qualitative research in health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100636"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145060063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use in companion animal veterinary medicine: A qualitative study in Southwestern France","authors":"Sophie Molia ,&nbsp;Julien Mattern ,&nbsp;Nicolas Fortané","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100632","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100632","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is a major global health threat and its connection to antibiotic use (ABU) in animals has been less explored in companion animals compared to food animals. To better understand how French companion animal veterinarians perceive ABR and reduce ABU, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 veterinarians (20 practitioners in Southwestern France and 3 institutional officials). Participants noted substantial progress in ABR awareness over the past two decades, despite the low incidence of ABR cases in routine non-referral companion animal care. They considered veterinarians had significantly reduced ABU, driven by concerns over prescription/sale decoupling and efforts such as awareness campaigns, regulations, and best practice guidelines. Personal factors, including values, life experiences, interest in alternative medicine, career paths, and practical experience, also played an important role. However, certain best practices remain inconsistent, particularly antimicrobial susceptibility testing and avoiding peri/post-operative ABU or first-intention cefovecin use in cats. Several factors were widely agreed upon as influencing ABU, including type of pathology, geographic location, veterinary peer influence, and client factors (particularly compliance and financial capacities). Yet, perceptions diverged regarding the impact of pharmaceutical inspections by health authorities, generational differences among practitioners, work pressure, and the corporatization of veterinary practices. While progress has been made, companion animal veterinarians recognized there is still room for ABU improvement. Looking ahead, they called for health authorities to trust veterinarians' clinical judgment, balance required efforts between veterinary and human medicine, avoid punitive actions or unnecessary restrictions, and focus on sensitization (awareness-increasing) through accessible, evidence-based, and context-dependent recommendations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74862,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Qualitative research in health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100632"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of plausibility and attribution shields in disease outbreak and risk communication: Navigating credibility and uncertainty","authors":"Bernard Ayine","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100633","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100633","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Establishing credibility in risk communication is one of the effective mechanisms for securing public trust and cooperation, especially during times of disease outbreaks. While existing studies have highlighted the significance of credibility in risk and outbreak communication, there is limited research specifically examining how health institutions build credibility by using certain linguistic devices. This study investigates the role of plausibility and attribution shields, as credibility-enhancing tools, in Disease Outbreak News (DONs) published by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Shields are words or expressions that indicate the degree of responsibility a speaker or writer takes for the truthfulness of a statement. Special attention is given to the distribution of shields in these reports and the appeals embedded within them. A total of 111 DONs published by the WHO between 2023 and 2024 were analysed using a content-based analytic approach situated within the model of hedges proposed by Prince et al. (1982). The results showed similarities in the distribution of attribution and plausibility shields in DONs. Attribution shields were commonly associated with appeals to empirical evidence and institution/authority, whereas plausibility shields frequently involved appeals to limited knowledge, common reason, and circumstantial evidence. The patterns of shield usage in DONs reinforce the delicate balance between communicating uncertainty while striving to build credibility. The study holds significant implications for health risk communication and reasoning by providing insights into how organisations like the WHO navigate the challenges of maintaining credibility in public health messaging during crises. Implications for further research are also discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74862,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Qualitative research in health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100633"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145048311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Re-making selves and social worlds: Experiences of live-in substance use treatment among adolescents experiencing social structural marginalization in Vancouver","authors":"Monique Sandhu ,&nbsp;Madison Thulien ,&nbsp;Cameron R. Eekhoudt ,&nbsp;Drew Friesen ,&nbsp;Eva Moore ,&nbsp;Martha Ignaszewski ,&nbsp;Sarah Bagley ,&nbsp;Rossio Motta-Ochoa ,&nbsp;Emily Jenkins ,&nbsp;Danya Fast","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Across many settings in Canada and the US, overdose is now a leading cause of death among 10 to 18-year-olds. In the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC), there have been increased efforts to connect adolescents with substance use treatment, including live-in programs. While much previous work has focused on barriers to treatment among youth, less research has examined how adolescents, and in particular those experiencing high levels of residential instability, homelessness, and institutionalization via child protection, criminal legal and housing systems, understand and experience these programs. This qualitative study draws on semi-structured interviews with 37 adolescents and those who were very recently adolescents aged 14 to 20 who planned to access, were accessing or had recently accessed “Cypress Place” (a pseudonym), a live-in treatment program for adolescents in Vancouver, BC. Drawing on concepts of self and social world-making, our findings reveal that the changes adolescents envisioned making through live-in treatment extended far beyond abstinence from substance use, to encompass significant shifts in who they were and who they surrounded themselves with. While the weight of the social structural contexts that “followed” youth into treatment could powerfully undermine their abilities to make desired changes, this study nevertheless provides insights into how transformative projects of self and social world-making can be better supported across their treatment trajectories. Namely, providers and programs can work to bridge the kinds of self and social transformations achieved during live-in treatment with what comes next by providing opportunities for youth to stay connected and prioritizing the development of skills for living well – as individuals and as part of collectivities – that open up possibilities for recovery and healing over the longer term.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74862,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Qualitative research in health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100631"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emotional responses to potentially traumatic events: An interpretative qualitative analysis of high-risk professionals in relation to their social structures","authors":"Renate Geuzinge ,&nbsp;Merel Visse ,&nbsp;Eric Vermetten ,&nbsp;Joachim Duyndam","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100629","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100629","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Professionals in emergency-focused environments are taught to prioritize emergencies over their own emotions and trained to suppress their own emotional reactions. High-risk professionals in a vertical social structure, such as police officers, military personnel, career firefighters, and perioperative nurses, also tend to develop an us-versus-them mentality with emotional distance from patients or civilians.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study explores emotional reactions of police officers, military personnel, firefighters, paramedics, and specialized nurses (emergency room nurses, operating room nurses, and intensive care nurses) to past and present potentially traumatic events. We aim to understand how a social environment that reinforces suppression of emotional reactions and fosters emotional distance from patients and civilians influences their emotional responses.</div></div><div><h3>Methodology</h3><div>We analyzed fieldnotes from ethnographical research, encompassing 332 h of observations and 71 in-depth interviews with professionals from eight occupational groups. We identified meaning units that were interpreted through the lens of literature on etiology and treatment of trauma-related mental health problems.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>High-risk professionals in a vertical social structure experience unexpected moments of identification with victims or patients, which leads to personal distress and has lasting emotional impact. For those in horizontal social structures, such as paramedics and specialized nurses, we did not observe these sudden, intense emotional reactions. Instead, they seem to experience increased emotionality and exhaustion over the course of their careers.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>While emotional distancing may be functional during emergencies, it likely increases the risk of traumatization. This risk is amplified when ingrained during early socialization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74862,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Qualitative research in health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100629"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144916448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Networks of safety: Enhancing social networks and changing social norms in a suicide prevention program for Australian construction workers","authors":"Jorgen Gullestrup ,&nbsp;Samantha Thomas ,&nbsp;Tania King ,&nbsp;Anthony D. LaMontagne","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100628","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100628","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Suicide is a significant global public health issue. The United Nations, and the World Health Organisation, have set a target to reduce suicide by one third as part of global sustainability targets. Suicide ideation and suicide behaviour are strongly associated with social disconnection. This social disconnection is most often seen from a perspective of the individual’s inability or perception of social connection. This study extends that perspective to examine how social networks interact with the individual. The study used social network theory to understand how workers in the MATES in Construction suicide prevention program incorporated the program into their social networks and how this impacted social norms within these networks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 construction workers. Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to interpret the data. Four themes were constructed relating to: 1) the importance of creating networks of safety in the workplace, 2) how helping norms became part of business-as-usual in the workplace, 3) the need to create space and relationships for helping and 4) how a culture of help-offering can support help-acceptance. Social Network Theory may explain how the MATES program has supported change in the industry from previous decades where seeking help was seen as a weakness to a culture where help-acceptance is seen as a part of masculinity and a strength.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74862,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Qualitative research in health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100628"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145018285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"“Lockdown didn't feel any different to us” social experiences of parents of autistic children in the United Kingdom and in China","authors":"Fan Jiao ,&nbsp;Laura May Gallagher ,&nbsp;Louise Pendry ,&nbsp;David Matthew Doyle ,&nbsp;Manuela Barreto","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100627","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100627","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Parents of autistic children experience significant social challenges all around the world. In this research, semi-structured interviews were used to examine the social experiences of parents of autistic children in two contexts: The United Kingdom (UK) and China. Fifteen parents in each country reported their social experiences, which were analysed through thematic analysis. Four themes were identified in the Chinese interviews: Stigma, coping with the diagnosis, relational challenges, and worries about their child's future. Three themes were summarised in the UK interviews: Stigma, (in)validation, and relational challenges. Although parents in both countries reported similar experiences, there were also specific factors that affected experiences in each context. We discuss how families of autistic children need to be better supported and the stigma needs to be addressed in different cultural contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74862,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Qualitative research in health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100627"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144913338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"“Gasoline on a fire that was already burning”: Black Americans’ reasons for acquiring firearms in the early pandemic era","authors":"Katelin Hoskins ,&nbsp;Gabriela Kattan Khazanov ,&nbsp;Arielle Thomas ,&nbsp;Johnny Williams II ,&nbsp;Caroline S. O'Brien ,&nbsp;Vivek Ashok ,&nbsp;Kelly Sebetka ,&nbsp;Matthew Miller ,&nbsp;Brooke Dorsey ,&nbsp;Joseph Simonetti","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100612","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100612","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":74862,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Qualitative research in health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100612"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144913339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moral injury and the myth of resilience: A qualitative exploration of cancer care provision in ontario throughout the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Arija Birze ,&nbsp;Danielle Jacobson ,&nbsp;Liz Mansfield ,&nbsp;Mehdi Ammi ,&nbsp;Lauren Cadel ,&nbsp;Michelle Marcinow ,&nbsp;Walter P. Wodchis ,&nbsp;Kerry Kuluski","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100626","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100626","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly altered the provision, experience, and outcomes of cancer care around the globe. With untold pressures on healthcare systems as well as unprecedented disruptions to cancer care services, those working in cancer care were exposed to new and intensified morally challenging and potentially traumatic conditions. This study qualitatively explores those experiences in two hospitals located in different regions of Ontario, Canada. Through interviews and focus groups with 32 individuals we found that healthcare workers navigated and were impacted by a variety of ongoing potentially morally injurious events and circumstances. We identified a number of themes and subthemes detailing their experiences of moral distress and injury arising from: 1) participating in perceived patient harms through changes in care provision such as delays and cancellations, 2) bearing witness to patients navigating care alone, 3) experiencing collective trauma with patients, families, and colleagues, and 4) feeling betrayed by leadership and the organization for, at times, leaving them feeling unsupported, unheard, undervalued, and undermined. This study provides a novel contribution by delineating both the heterogeneous and collective nature of pandemic-related events and circumstances that may be contributing to the ongoing moral distress and injury of healthcare workers. It also serves to provoke a discussion of moral injury and the myth of resilience in light of both the organizational contributions (e.g. resilience narratives) to the experience of moral injury and the promise of systems approaches for prevention and mitigation. Organizational sanctuary is explored as a systems model for providing safe and supportive working environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74862,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Qualitative research in health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100626"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144895740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}