Karen Willis - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Karen Willis
Health Sociology Review, 2011
Signifi cant transformations of the health care services sector over the past three decades have ... more Signifi cant transformations of the health care services sector over the past three decades have seen an increasing reliance on the private provision of health care services mediated through private health insurance. In countries such as Australia and the UK, private health insurance is promoted as providing a greater choice for individuals and easing the burden on the public system. While these claims, the policy contexts and the decision-making processes of individual consumers have attracted some sociological attention, little has been said about the role of private insurers. In this article we present a comparative analysis of the websites of private health insurers in Australia and the UK. Our analysis highlights adoption by private health insurers of neoliberal discourses of choice and individual responsibility, partnership and healthy lifestyles. In these respects, similarities between the discourses over-ride national differences which might otherwise be expected given their contrasting health care traditions and contexts.
Understanding Risk, Choice and Amenity in an Urban Area at Risk of Flooding
Housing Studies, 2011
This paper reports on a qualitative interview study of residents' percep... more This paper reports on a qualitative interview study of residents' perceptions of the probability and impact of flooding in a socially disadvantaged urban area identified and publicised as at risk of inundation. The people in this study engage with expert definitions of flood risk, but ...
Despite being typically represented and managed under the same policy umbrella, fishers face diff... more Despite being typically represented and managed under the same policy umbrella, fishers face different challenges than do their farming counterparts. This paper unpacks the findings of research depicting poor levels of mental health and well-being among Australian commercial wild-catch fishers. The research is considered in the context of widespread acceptance that farmers tend to exhibit worse than average mental health outcomes due, at least in part, to the environmental uncertainties of climate change. In particular it is stressed that the insecurity of fishing concessions (quota and licenses), is a key driver of chronic livelihood insecurity, resulting in reports of stress, depression and suicide. A call is made for the separation of health research in the fishing and farming industries. Importantly, the role that tenure insecurity plays in the perpetuation of poor mental health among fishers should be acknowledged and addressed so that the fishing industry can maximize the strength of its human capital.
Article in the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation 'Fish' Magazine.
Paper presented at: Public Policy Network 2015, Deakin University, 21-3 January.
Health Sociology Review
Significant transformations of the health care services sector over the past three decades have s... more Significant transformations of the health care services sector over the past three decades have seen an increasing reliance on the private provision of health care services mediated through private health insurance. In countries such as Australia and the UK, private health insurance is promoted as providing a greater choice for individuals and easing the burden on the public system. While these claims, the policy contexts and the decision-making processes of individual consumers have attracted some sociological attention, little has been said about the role of private insurers. In this article we present a comparative analysis of the websites of private health insurers in Australia and the UK. Our analysis highlights adoption by private health insurers of neoliberal discourses of choice and individual responsibility, partnership and healthy lifestyles. In these respects, similarities between the discourses over-ride national differences which might otherwise be expected given their contrasting health care traditions and contexts.
A healthy workforce is critical for workforce participation and productivity. This study points t... more A healthy workforce is critical for workforce participation and productivity. This study points the way to a healthier fishing community that facilitates greater productivity, more reliable and resilient human capital, fewer illnesses and a more efficient industry. This research involved identifying existing and potential roles for industry organisations in enhancing health and well-being. The results are of interest to the fishing industry, their community and organisations, local health-care providers, fisheries managers and policy makers at all levels.
This project, Staying Healthy: Industry organisations’ influence on behaviours and services used by fishers grew out of a need identified in earlier research that indicated fishers were less likely than farmers to prioritise their health and well-being, and that fisher industry organisations were, relative to those of farmers, less likely to influence behaviours and services used by fishers.
The results of the project confirm that fishers, as a collective, acknowledge physical health and injury are concerns. However mental health issues were identified as a more pervasive threat to fishers and their families. This is recognised by industry organisations, but there is a limited capacity to address the causes of mental health issues, due to the institutionalised nature of stressors (e.g. concession insecurity). Further, it was identified that fishing industry organisations are limited in their influence on the general health and well-being behaviours of fishers, and the services they seek. While some were pro-active, the majority of efforts were ‘ad hoc’ and initiated by individual, influential women in the community.
The study recommends that:
fishing industry bodies encourage fishers to seek treatment for mental as well as physical health symptoms;
health practitioners and service providers better tailor health services to the specific health needs, and irregular working patterns, of fishers;
research, policy and mental health strategies should be differentiated from those developed for farmers, due to the very different nature of their capital investment security;
inherent uncertainty in current licencing and quota provision arrangements, and the Workplace Health and Safety threats these pose to fishers and their communities, be acknowledged and addressed by policy makers.
The Conversation, Jan 7, 2014
Some registered professions are being excluded from rebates for services they can provide.
Less like a drug than a drug: the use of St John’s wort among people who self-identify as having depression and/or anxiety symptoms
Complementary Therapies in Medicine , 2014
Health Care for Women International., 2014
] Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung /Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 15(1), Art 9., 2014
Poetic inquiry is a contentious area of qualitative research. In this article, we discuss some of... more Poetic inquiry is a contentious area of qualitative research. In this article, we discuss some of the issues plaguing this field of inquiry. We then analyse a collection of poems about hope written by a sample of young people from Tasmania, Australia. The poems were written as part of the 2011 Tree of Hope project, which utilised multiple, arts-based methods to provide insights into what young people hope for in the future and the role of hope in their lives. Participants utilised one of three poetic structures. While each structure produced distinct themes, a connection between "hope and happiness" overlapped the two structured types of poetry-the acrostic and sense poetry. However, when writing free verse poetry, the expression of additional dimensions of hope, including the flipside of both having hope and losing hope was evident. We conclude that hope is particularly important to young people and that inviting participant-voiced poetry is an effective technique for investigating conceptual topics such as young people and hope.
Journal of Youth Studies, 17(6) pp. 778 - 793, 2014
This paper contributes to our knowledge of young people and their views of the future. Although s... more This paper contributes to our knowledge of young people and their views of the future. Although studies of young people have examined how young people think about their future in terms of their goals (most often their career objectives), there is little work that unpacks how young people give meaning to the idea of 'hope' in their lives. This study provides additional insight into what young people hope for in the future, their ideas about what the notion of hope is, and how they construct meaning about the importance of hope in thinking about their future. The analytic focus on the multiple ways that young people were invited to express their ideas about hope deepens our understanding of the importance of hope in their lives. Young people in this project see four key roles for hope in their lives: as a source of goals and happiness; as enabling the pursuit of their goals; as an asset to draw on when much else is lost; and a necessary part of living: 'a live without hope is no life at all'. Further, young people see hope as integrally linked with social supportthat the actions of others can be a barrier or a facilitator of hope.
European Journal of Cancer Care , 2014
This study aims to explore Australian radiologists' experiences of participating in breast cancer... more This study aims to explore Australian radiologists' experiences of participating in breast cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings to identify enablers and barriers to participation as well their perception of confidence and patient care. Qualitative methods incorporating observation and interviews were used. Twenty-one breast cancer MDT meetings were observed across Sydney to study the dynamics of the meetings, the level of participation by radiologists and their most important interactions. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 radiologists participating in these meetings regarding participation, educational opportunities and improvements to work practices. Radiologists' participation in breast cancer MDT meetings is influenced by the type of meeting they attend with higher levels of participation and a more dominant 'valued' role being evident in pre-interventional meetings. The key themes to emerge from the data include the importance of 'sharing experiences', the 'radiologist-pathologist relationship' and the value of 'continuing participation'. Radiologists believed their confidence in their clinical decision making increased when there was immediate feedback from pathologists. This study highlights the benefits of radiologists regularly participating in breast cancer MDT meetings in terms of continuing professional education resulting from collegial experiential learning. Radiologists' perceived patient care and workplace isolation were improved by sharing experiences with other cancer care colleagues.
Australian Occupational Therapy Journal , 2014
Background/aim: Changes to functioning and cognition are commonly reported following chemotherapy... more Background/aim: Changes to functioning and cognition are commonly reported following chemotherapy. These changes are highly individual, and may not be fully recognised or understood. Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women worldwide, yet little is known about the impact of cognitive changes for these women following treatment and many do not benefit from occupational therapy services. The aim was to describe changes in cognitive function experienced by women who had undergone chemotherapy, and the strategies used to overcome the associated challenges. Method: This was a qualitative phenomenological study conducted with nine women, aged between 39 and 67 years, from New South Wales. Participants were breast cancer survivors who had received chemotherapy treatment, and self-reported chemobrain symptoms. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth telephone and face-to-face interviews. Data were transcribed, coded and thematically analysed. Results: Six themes described the chemobrain experience for these women. They were: uncertainty about the origin of the chemobrain experience; persistent but inconsistent impacts on function; simple function turned complex; losing functional independence in family life; strategies to maintain function; and the need for recognition of the subjective experience of cancer treatment.
European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 5, pp. 410-417., 2013
Introduction: Increasing numbers of general medical practitioners in Australia define themselves ... more Introduction: Increasing numbers of general medical practitioners in Australia define themselves as integrative practitioners, incorporating both allopathic and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in an environment where evidence-based medicine is the hallmark of best practice in medicine. Methodology and approach: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 23 self-identified integrative medical practitioners in two states of Australia. Participants were recruited from publicly available lists of self-identified integrative medical practitioners -the local telephone listing and the website of their professional organisation. Interviews explored how doctors define and use evidence in their practice. We undertook a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts with particular exploration of the key ideas that emerged about their use of evidence. Results: These practitioners are sceptical about the dominance of the evidence-based medicine movement, and push to reclaim their autonomy based on the indeterminancy of individual cases. They acknowledge that an understanding of clinical benefit may not be scientifically evidenced and utilise discourses of experience and safety in discussing their clinical practice. Conclusions: Our findings provide further insights into how medical practitioners work within their own profession, their relationships with other care providers (specifically CAM practitioners), their views about their non-integrative medical peers and their resistance to prescribed ways of clinical practice.
European Journal of Integrative Medicine , 2013
Introduction: A holistic approach to medical care is a key component of integrative medical pract... more Introduction: A holistic approach to medical care is a key component of integrative medical practice. As an alternative to biomedical emphasis on illness and disease, integrative medical practice focuses on wellness. Principles of vitalism and humanism inform complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches to health and healing, thus integrative medical practitioners have capacity to extend ideas of healing from the individual biology to broader public health trends and concerns. Methodology and approach: We report on qualitative semi-structured interviews with 23 integrative medical doctors. Our research explored how they drew on CAM philosophical approaches to health and healing and how such approaches shaped their approach to practice. Results: Integrative medical practitioners draw on CAM to understand causes of health problems, approaches to healing, and the role of the individual in healing. The key tenets of the philosophical approach identified by doctors were holism, vitalism, and empowerment. These notions inform their health practice. They focus on helping patients to become actively engaged in their health, in particular, in lifestyle change. These doctors see their practice as distinctly different from biomedicine, seeing biomedicine as too limited to in its approach. Conclusions: While the principles underpinning CAM may open up opportunities for integrative medical practitioners to take a public health stance in their work, this approach is limited. Integrative practitioners see their approach as different to their biomedical peers, but their capacity to re-orient health from cure to prevention is often limited to notions of lifestyle advice and individual responsibility for health and healing.
Contemporary Nurse. 43(2), pp. 152-161., 2013
Analysing qualitative data
Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, 2013
Social Research Methods brings social research 'alive' for students, using both theory and practi... more Social Research Methods brings social research 'alive' for students, using both theory and practical examples to illustrate the relevance of research methods in their future careers. It gives students the tools they need to develop a clear understanding of the nature of research, to gain an appreciation of the wide range of methods available, and to develop a set of practical research skills in line with contemporary Australian social research practices
Australian Nursing Journal, Mar 2013
AUTHORS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Karen Willis and colleagues will receive funding from the ARC for a ... more AUTHORS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Karen Willis and colleagues will receive funding from the ARC for a three-year study on health-care choice from 2013. Kirsten Harley and colleagues will receive funding from the ARC for a three-year study on health-care choice from 2013.
Nexus (newsletter of The Australian Sociology Association), 24(3): 33-34, 2012
Health Sociology Review, 2011
Signifi cant transformations of the health care services sector over the past three decades have ... more Signifi cant transformations of the health care services sector over the past three decades have seen an increasing reliance on the private provision of health care services mediated through private health insurance. In countries such as Australia and the UK, private health insurance is promoted as providing a greater choice for individuals and easing the burden on the public system. While these claims, the policy contexts and the decision-making processes of individual consumers have attracted some sociological attention, little has been said about the role of private insurers. In this article we present a comparative analysis of the websites of private health insurers in Australia and the UK. Our analysis highlights adoption by private health insurers of neoliberal discourses of choice and individual responsibility, partnership and healthy lifestyles. In these respects, similarities between the discourses over-ride national differences which might otherwise be expected given their contrasting health care traditions and contexts.
Understanding Risk, Choice and Amenity in an Urban Area at Risk of Flooding
Housing Studies, 2011
This paper reports on a qualitative interview study of residents' percep... more This paper reports on a qualitative interview study of residents' perceptions of the probability and impact of flooding in a socially disadvantaged urban area identified and publicised as at risk of inundation. The people in this study engage with expert definitions of flood risk, but ...
Despite being typically represented and managed under the same policy umbrella, fishers face diff... more Despite being typically represented and managed under the same policy umbrella, fishers face different challenges than do their farming counterparts. This paper unpacks the findings of research depicting poor levels of mental health and well-being among Australian commercial wild-catch fishers. The research is considered in the context of widespread acceptance that farmers tend to exhibit worse than average mental health outcomes due, at least in part, to the environmental uncertainties of climate change. In particular it is stressed that the insecurity of fishing concessions (quota and licenses), is a key driver of chronic livelihood insecurity, resulting in reports of stress, depression and suicide. A call is made for the separation of health research in the fishing and farming industries. Importantly, the role that tenure insecurity plays in the perpetuation of poor mental health among fishers should be acknowledged and addressed so that the fishing industry can maximize the strength of its human capital.
Article in the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation 'Fish' Magazine.
Paper presented at: Public Policy Network 2015, Deakin University, 21-3 January.
Health Sociology Review
Significant transformations of the health care services sector over the past three decades have s... more Significant transformations of the health care services sector over the past three decades have seen an increasing reliance on the private provision of health care services mediated through private health insurance. In countries such as Australia and the UK, private health insurance is promoted as providing a greater choice for individuals and easing the burden on the public system. While these claims, the policy contexts and the decision-making processes of individual consumers have attracted some sociological attention, little has been said about the role of private insurers. In this article we present a comparative analysis of the websites of private health insurers in Australia and the UK. Our analysis highlights adoption by private health insurers of neoliberal discourses of choice and individual responsibility, partnership and healthy lifestyles. In these respects, similarities between the discourses over-ride national differences which might otherwise be expected given their contrasting health care traditions and contexts.
A healthy workforce is critical for workforce participation and productivity. This study points t... more A healthy workforce is critical for workforce participation and productivity. This study points the way to a healthier fishing community that facilitates greater productivity, more reliable and resilient human capital, fewer illnesses and a more efficient industry. This research involved identifying existing and potential roles for industry organisations in enhancing health and well-being. The results are of interest to the fishing industry, their community and organisations, local health-care providers, fisheries managers and policy makers at all levels.
This project, Staying Healthy: Industry organisations’ influence on behaviours and services used by fishers grew out of a need identified in earlier research that indicated fishers were less likely than farmers to prioritise their health and well-being, and that fisher industry organisations were, relative to those of farmers, less likely to influence behaviours and services used by fishers.
The results of the project confirm that fishers, as a collective, acknowledge physical health and injury are concerns. However mental health issues were identified as a more pervasive threat to fishers and their families. This is recognised by industry organisations, but there is a limited capacity to address the causes of mental health issues, due to the institutionalised nature of stressors (e.g. concession insecurity). Further, it was identified that fishing industry organisations are limited in their influence on the general health and well-being behaviours of fishers, and the services they seek. While some were pro-active, the majority of efforts were ‘ad hoc’ and initiated by individual, influential women in the community.
The study recommends that:
fishing industry bodies encourage fishers to seek treatment for mental as well as physical health symptoms;
health practitioners and service providers better tailor health services to the specific health needs, and irregular working patterns, of fishers;
research, policy and mental health strategies should be differentiated from those developed for farmers, due to the very different nature of their capital investment security;
inherent uncertainty in current licencing and quota provision arrangements, and the Workplace Health and Safety threats these pose to fishers and their communities, be acknowledged and addressed by policy makers.
The Conversation, Jan 7, 2014
Some registered professions are being excluded from rebates for services they can provide.
Less like a drug than a drug: the use of St John’s wort among people who self-identify as having depression and/or anxiety symptoms
Complementary Therapies in Medicine , 2014
Health Care for Women International., 2014
] Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung /Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 15(1), Art 9., 2014
Poetic inquiry is a contentious area of qualitative research. In this article, we discuss some of... more Poetic inquiry is a contentious area of qualitative research. In this article, we discuss some of the issues plaguing this field of inquiry. We then analyse a collection of poems about hope written by a sample of young people from Tasmania, Australia. The poems were written as part of the 2011 Tree of Hope project, which utilised multiple, arts-based methods to provide insights into what young people hope for in the future and the role of hope in their lives. Participants utilised one of three poetic structures. While each structure produced distinct themes, a connection between "hope and happiness" overlapped the two structured types of poetry-the acrostic and sense poetry. However, when writing free verse poetry, the expression of additional dimensions of hope, including the flipside of both having hope and losing hope was evident. We conclude that hope is particularly important to young people and that inviting participant-voiced poetry is an effective technique for investigating conceptual topics such as young people and hope.
Journal of Youth Studies, 17(6) pp. 778 - 793, 2014
This paper contributes to our knowledge of young people and their views of the future. Although s... more This paper contributes to our knowledge of young people and their views of the future. Although studies of young people have examined how young people think about their future in terms of their goals (most often their career objectives), there is little work that unpacks how young people give meaning to the idea of 'hope' in their lives. This study provides additional insight into what young people hope for in the future, their ideas about what the notion of hope is, and how they construct meaning about the importance of hope in thinking about their future. The analytic focus on the multiple ways that young people were invited to express their ideas about hope deepens our understanding of the importance of hope in their lives. Young people in this project see four key roles for hope in their lives: as a source of goals and happiness; as enabling the pursuit of their goals; as an asset to draw on when much else is lost; and a necessary part of living: 'a live without hope is no life at all'. Further, young people see hope as integrally linked with social supportthat the actions of others can be a barrier or a facilitator of hope.
European Journal of Cancer Care , 2014
This study aims to explore Australian radiologists' experiences of participating in breast cancer... more This study aims to explore Australian radiologists' experiences of participating in breast cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings to identify enablers and barriers to participation as well their perception of confidence and patient care. Qualitative methods incorporating observation and interviews were used. Twenty-one breast cancer MDT meetings were observed across Sydney to study the dynamics of the meetings, the level of participation by radiologists and their most important interactions. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 radiologists participating in these meetings regarding participation, educational opportunities and improvements to work practices. Radiologists' participation in breast cancer MDT meetings is influenced by the type of meeting they attend with higher levels of participation and a more dominant 'valued' role being evident in pre-interventional meetings. The key themes to emerge from the data include the importance of 'sharing experiences', the 'radiologist-pathologist relationship' and the value of 'continuing participation'. Radiologists believed their confidence in their clinical decision making increased when there was immediate feedback from pathologists. This study highlights the benefits of radiologists regularly participating in breast cancer MDT meetings in terms of continuing professional education resulting from collegial experiential learning. Radiologists' perceived patient care and workplace isolation were improved by sharing experiences with other cancer care colleagues.
Australian Occupational Therapy Journal , 2014
Background/aim: Changes to functioning and cognition are commonly reported following chemotherapy... more Background/aim: Changes to functioning and cognition are commonly reported following chemotherapy. These changes are highly individual, and may not be fully recognised or understood. Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women worldwide, yet little is known about the impact of cognitive changes for these women following treatment and many do not benefit from occupational therapy services. The aim was to describe changes in cognitive function experienced by women who had undergone chemotherapy, and the strategies used to overcome the associated challenges. Method: This was a qualitative phenomenological study conducted with nine women, aged between 39 and 67 years, from New South Wales. Participants were breast cancer survivors who had received chemotherapy treatment, and self-reported chemobrain symptoms. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth telephone and face-to-face interviews. Data were transcribed, coded and thematically analysed. Results: Six themes described the chemobrain experience for these women. They were: uncertainty about the origin of the chemobrain experience; persistent but inconsistent impacts on function; simple function turned complex; losing functional independence in family life; strategies to maintain function; and the need for recognition of the subjective experience of cancer treatment.
European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 5, pp. 410-417., 2013
Introduction: Increasing numbers of general medical practitioners in Australia define themselves ... more Introduction: Increasing numbers of general medical practitioners in Australia define themselves as integrative practitioners, incorporating both allopathic and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in an environment where evidence-based medicine is the hallmark of best practice in medicine. Methodology and approach: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 23 self-identified integrative medical practitioners in two states of Australia. Participants were recruited from publicly available lists of self-identified integrative medical practitioners -the local telephone listing and the website of their professional organisation. Interviews explored how doctors define and use evidence in their practice. We undertook a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts with particular exploration of the key ideas that emerged about their use of evidence. Results: These practitioners are sceptical about the dominance of the evidence-based medicine movement, and push to reclaim their autonomy based on the indeterminancy of individual cases. They acknowledge that an understanding of clinical benefit may not be scientifically evidenced and utilise discourses of experience and safety in discussing their clinical practice. Conclusions: Our findings provide further insights into how medical practitioners work within their own profession, their relationships with other care providers (specifically CAM practitioners), their views about their non-integrative medical peers and their resistance to prescribed ways of clinical practice.
European Journal of Integrative Medicine , 2013
Introduction: A holistic approach to medical care is a key component of integrative medical pract... more Introduction: A holistic approach to medical care is a key component of integrative medical practice. As an alternative to biomedical emphasis on illness and disease, integrative medical practice focuses on wellness. Principles of vitalism and humanism inform complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches to health and healing, thus integrative medical practitioners have capacity to extend ideas of healing from the individual biology to broader public health trends and concerns. Methodology and approach: We report on qualitative semi-structured interviews with 23 integrative medical doctors. Our research explored how they drew on CAM philosophical approaches to health and healing and how such approaches shaped their approach to practice. Results: Integrative medical practitioners draw on CAM to understand causes of health problems, approaches to healing, and the role of the individual in healing. The key tenets of the philosophical approach identified by doctors were holism, vitalism, and empowerment. These notions inform their health practice. They focus on helping patients to become actively engaged in their health, in particular, in lifestyle change. These doctors see their practice as distinctly different from biomedicine, seeing biomedicine as too limited to in its approach. Conclusions: While the principles underpinning CAM may open up opportunities for integrative medical practitioners to take a public health stance in their work, this approach is limited. Integrative practitioners see their approach as different to their biomedical peers, but their capacity to re-orient health from cure to prevention is often limited to notions of lifestyle advice and individual responsibility for health and healing.
Contemporary Nurse. 43(2), pp. 152-161., 2013
Analysing qualitative data
Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, 2013
Social Research Methods brings social research 'alive' for students, using both theory and practi... more Social Research Methods brings social research 'alive' for students, using both theory and practical examples to illustrate the relevance of research methods in their future careers. It gives students the tools they need to develop a clear understanding of the nature of research, to gain an appreciation of the wide range of methods available, and to develop a set of practical research skills in line with contemporary Australian social research practices
Australian Nursing Journal, Mar 2013
AUTHORS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Karen Willis and colleagues will receive funding from the ARC for a ... more AUTHORS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Karen Willis and colleagues will receive funding from the ARC for a three-year study on health-care choice from 2013. Kirsten Harley and colleagues will receive funding from the ARC for a three-year study on health-care choice from 2013.
Nexus (newsletter of The Australian Sociology Association), 24(3): 33-34, 2012
Health, Risk & Society, 2015
In this article, we examine the choice to use a complementary and alternative medicine product (S... more In this article, we examine the choice to use a complementary and alternative medicine product (St John’s wort) for the management of mental health risk. We draw on data from a study in which we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 41 adults who self-reported depression, stress or anxiety, in Melbourne, Australia, in 2011. We identified three groups of users – regular St John’s wort users, whose use was continuous; irregular users, whose use was occasional; and non-users, who had stopped or were contemplating use. In each group, St John’s wort use centred around managing risk, taking control and self-management. Participants described a process of weighing up risks and benefits of different treatment options. They viewed St John’s wort as a less risky and/or safer option than antidepressants because they perceived it to be more natural, with fewer side effects. They saw their use of St John’s wort as a means of exercising personal control over mental health risks, for example, to alleviate or self-manage symptoms of depression. Their use of St John’s wort was also linked to perceptions of broader social risks including the stigma and shame of needing to use antidepressants. The findings deepen our understanding of notions of mental health risk by pointing to the importance of localised knowledge of risk in decision-making, and the ways in which perceptions of, and hence responses to, risk differ between groups.