title: A picture is worth . . . ? Photo elicitation interviewing with formerly homeless adults.
abstract: We report on the use of photo elicitation interviewing (PEI) with 13 participants in a qualitative study of formerly homeless men and women with serious mental illness. Following a respondent-controlled approach, participants were asked to take up to 18 photographs visually portraying positive and negative aspects of their lives and to subsequently narrate the meaning of the photos in a one-on-one interview. Thematic analysis of the photos (N = 205) revealed two approaches to PEI: (a) a "slice of life" and (b) "then vs. now." Examples show how PEIs yielded deeper, more elaborate accounts of participants' lives compared to earlier verbal-only interviews. Participants spoke of the benefits of PEI and preferred taking positive as opposed to negative photographs depicting their lives. Implications of PEI as a means of complementing verbal-only data are discussed. By moving away from predetermined content and meaning, respondent-controlled PEIs enhance empowerment and enable creativity.
authors.affiliation: 1New York University, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Padgett
authors.forename: Bikki Tran
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Katie-Sue
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Derejko
authors.forename: Benjamin F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Henwood
authors.forename: Emmy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tiderington
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D010781:Photography; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: homelessness; mental health and illness; photography / photovoice