A systematic examination of the nature and content of vignettes in schizophrenia research.
Title | A systematic examination of the nature and content of vignettes in schizophrenia research. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2016 |
Authors | Aldersey HM, Huynh DChinh, Whitley R |
Journal | J Ment Health |
Volume | 25 |
Issue | 3 |
Pagination | 189-96 |
Date Published | 2016 Jun |
ISSN | 1360-0567 |
Keywords | Attitude to Health, Female, Humans, Male, Research Design, Schizophrenic Psychology, Social Stigma |
Abstract | BACKGROUND: Vignettes are often used in psychiatric research, yet there are few systematic studies on their content, creation, and use.AIMS: This article describes a study of: (a) how researchers create vignettes in research on schizophrenia and (b) how these vignettes portray individuals with schizophrenia.METHOD: We conducted a systematic search of the PubMed database for articles between 2008 and 2012 that used vignettes to measure attitudes about schizophrenia. We analyzed the identified vignettes using a tool developed in reference to DSM criteria.RESULTS: Within the vignettes, 98% of individuals portrayed demonstrated delusions, 91% demonstrated hallucinations and 29% demonstrated disorganized speech. The majority of vignettes portrayed individuals under 25 years and when both genders were not depicted, researchers chose to depict men much more frequently than women (41% vs. 8%). A majority of articles did not use original vignettes (55%), and many of the articles (53%) contained vignettes created by one team of researchers. Most vignettes did not include positive language or recovery-oriented information.CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights a need for critical thought on vignette development and utilization, especially as psychiatry is now moving towards a recovery-based understanding of mental illness. |
DOI | 10.3109/09638237.2015.1057325 |
Alternate Journal | J Ment Health |
PubMed ID | 26439609 |