Question: Why do you think there is more interest in qualitative methods in psychology now than there was 20 years ago?

Michelle Jamieson answered on 20 Jun 2017:

I think as psychology has grown and improved over the last 20 years, and people’s attitudes and society has changed, we’ve come to realise that there is an individual behind the mental health condition, and that they deserve to be heard on a person level, and not just as a number or statistic. Quantitative methods are still very useful in psychology, but qualitative methods (such as interviews) have really helped in improving treatments, and getting people’s stories out here, so psychologists and others (who may not have experience with that particular mental health issue) can try and understand what that person is going through, and how to help them better. Yeah I’m a big fan of qualitative methods!