An initial grounded theory of how young people with mental health problems experience and are affected by fictional representation
Young people with mental health problems (MHPs) are increasingly exposed to representations of MHPs within fiction, but little is known about this process. This study used grounded theory to develop a preliminary understanding of how 16- to 25-year-olds with MHPs experience and are affected by ficti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Adolescence and Youth |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2024.2442033 |
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| author | Lizzie Driscoll Charlotte Hartley-Jones Fergal W. Jones |
| author_facet | Lizzie Driscoll Charlotte Hartley-Jones Fergal W. Jones |
| author_sort | Lizzie Driscoll |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Young people with mental health problems (MHPs) are increasingly exposed to representations of MHPs within fiction, but little is known about this process. This study used grounded theory to develop a preliminary understanding of how 16- to 25-year-olds with MHPs experience and are affected by fictional media representation of MHPs. Fourteen individual interviews were conducted with nine young people. The developed theory suggests that fiction was experienced as a reflection on participants’ own reality, a process made up of two key stages, identification with fiction and transferring beyond fiction, whereby the representative portrayals led to both helpful and harmful impacts. Such effects seemed to depend on both personal context and the nature of the fiction. Findings are discussed in terms of relevant theory and outcomes for wellbeing, with study limitations and implications for practice and research considered. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e49b6a4f8d7d41ee8ba49bbeef4dd434 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0267-3843 2164-4527 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Adolescence and Youth |
| spelling | doaj-art-e49b6a4f8d7d41ee8ba49bbeef4dd4342025-08-20T01:57:21ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Adolescence and Youth0267-38432164-45272025-12-0130110.1080/02673843.2024.2442033An initial grounded theory of how young people with mental health problems experience and are affected by fictional representationLizzie Driscoll0Charlotte Hartley-Jones1Fergal W. Jones2Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University, Tunbridge Wells, UKSalomons Institute for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University, Tunbridge Wells, UKSalomons Institute for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University, Tunbridge Wells, UKYoung people with mental health problems (MHPs) are increasingly exposed to representations of MHPs within fiction, but little is known about this process. This study used grounded theory to develop a preliminary understanding of how 16- to 25-year-olds with MHPs experience and are affected by fictional media representation of MHPs. Fourteen individual interviews were conducted with nine young people. The developed theory suggests that fiction was experienced as a reflection on participants’ own reality, a process made up of two key stages, identification with fiction and transferring beyond fiction, whereby the representative portrayals led to both helpful and harmful impacts. Such effects seemed to depend on both personal context and the nature of the fiction. Findings are discussed in terms of relevant theory and outcomes for wellbeing, with study limitations and implications for practice and research considered.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2024.2442033Fictionmediamental health problemsyoung peoplerepresentationidentification |
| spellingShingle | Lizzie Driscoll Charlotte Hartley-Jones Fergal W. Jones An initial grounded theory of how young people with mental health problems experience and are affected by fictional representation International Journal of Adolescence and Youth Fiction media mental health problems young people representation identification |
| title | An initial grounded theory of how young people with mental health problems experience and are affected by fictional representation |
| title_full | An initial grounded theory of how young people with mental health problems experience and are affected by fictional representation |
| title_fullStr | An initial grounded theory of how young people with mental health problems experience and are affected by fictional representation |
| title_full_unstemmed | An initial grounded theory of how young people with mental health problems experience and are affected by fictional representation |
| title_short | An initial grounded theory of how young people with mental health problems experience and are affected by fictional representation |
| title_sort | initial grounded theory of how young people with mental health problems experience and are affected by fictional representation |
| topic | Fiction media mental health problems young people representation identification |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2024.2442033 |
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