The practical, methodological and ethical dilemmas of conducting focus groups with vulnerable clients.
OBJECTIVE
This paper presents some of the practical, methodological and ethical dilemmas that were encountered in a study that used focus groups to elicit the views of women with serious and enduring mental health problems about the services they were receiving.


RESULTS
The dilemmas identified included the time and effort taken to gain access to the women, the role of the researcher as facilitator, communication and interaction in the focus group, accepting the women's reality, and the thin divide between research and therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
The paper concludes with some recommendations for researchers who are planning to use focus groups to elicit the views of vulnerable clients.
Owen
S
S
Learning Disabilities/Ageing and Disability Research Unit, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham University Medical School, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK. sara.owen@nottingham.ac.uk
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research / Q000379:methods*; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010934:Planning Techniques; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*