Participants’ experiences of being interviewed about an emotive topic

Abstract

Participants can find in-depth interviewing about emotive topics a helpful, even 'therapeutic', experience. However, the purpose of the research interview is not to intentionally offer any form of therapy and researchers need to recognize and carefully consider this potential outcome at an early stage of the research process. Researchers studying emotive topics should also be aware of the possible impact of participants' experiences on their own emotional well-being.