Methodological considerations and reflection on using online photo-elicitation techniques to explore students’ professional doctorate journey

In this methodological discussion, a critical and reflective account of the process and use of online photo-elicitation interviews is given. The role and importance of a well-structured pre-interview task are discussed with a working example aiming to capture physiotherapy students’ professional doctorate journey. It is argued that photo-elicitation techniques can increase active participation and enhance participants’ storytelling by encouraging the use of abstract thinking. This article also offers unique insights through the researcher’s reflective diary and direct quotes from the participants. Key considerations and practical recommendations are provided, such as the online application of photo-elicitation, the nature of the observed topic and working with and not alongside the pictures. Overall, this article is intended to further contribute to the literature on the evaluation and implementation of photo-elicitation techniques, especially in an online setting.</p

Promoting exercise behaviour in a secure mental health setting: health care assistant perspectives

Individuals with severe mental illness engage in significantly less amounts of physical activity than the general population. A secure mental health setting can exacerbate barriers to exercise, and facilitate physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour. Health Care Assistants are intimately involved in the daily lives of patients and therefore, should be considered integral to exercise promotion in secure mental health settings. Our aim was to explore Health Care Assistants perceptions of exercise and their attitudes to exercise promotion for adult patients in a secure mental health hospital. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 Health Care Assistants from a large UK based secure mental health hospital. Topics included Health Care Assistants personal experiences of exercise within a secure facility, their perceptions of exercise as an effective treatment tool for mental health, and their perceived roles and responsibilities for exercise promotion. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Three main themes were identified; 1) exercise as multiply beneficial for patients, 2) perceived barriers to effective exercise promotion, and 3) strategies for effectives exercise promotion. Health Care Assistants considered exercise to hold patient benefits. However, core organisational and individual barriers limited Health Care Assistants exercise promotion efforts. An informal approach to exercise promotion was deemed most effective to some, whereas others committed to more formal strategies including compulsory sessions. With education and organisational support, we propose Health Care Assistants are well placed to identify individual needs for exercise promotion. Their consultation could lead to more efficacious, person-sensitive interventions