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Behavioral Sciences
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Narrative Approaches and Practice in Health Psychology
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Narrative Approaches and Practice in Health Psychology

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 6342

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Andrew Soundy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Interests: psychosocial adaptation; hope; mental well-being; narrative; storytelling; behavioural interventions; chronic illness; pain; qualitative research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is a pure delight to develop this Special Issue about narrative approaches and practices in health psychology. Narrative research often refers to a written or spoken account of events and contains specific elements as a story would. This can include characters and plots, but also  a focus on language and meaning, for instance metaphor or discourse analysis. Narrative research provides an excellent way to explore personal experiences beyond the boundaries of other methodologies; it can provide fascinating insights to treatment, health practices, attitudes and behaviors. For instance, narrative and storytelling interventions have recently demonstrated great psycho-emotional value for people with chronic illness as part of behavior change approaches.

Narrative research is growing fast, and it is important that health psychology is able to capture this. This Special Issue is interested in receiving articles from scholars that focus and illuminate specific narrative approaches and methodologies. I welcome examples of specific approaches to narrative analysis and articles that review and consider specific narrative methodologies. This Special Issue is also focused on documenting current practice and how narrative is used within different health-related settings, including detailed narrative studies that examine a range of studies, from the exploration of topics related to health psychology to interventions that seek to improve health outcomes.

Dr. Andrew Soundy
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • narrative
  • methodology
  • psychology
  • stories
  • qualitative
  • corpus
  • metaphor

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 358 KiB  
Article
Lived Experiences of Physiotherapists in Caring for People with Advanced Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Portugal: A Phenomenological Study
by Andreia Monteiro, Amira Mohammed Ali and Carlos Laranjeira
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 510; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040510 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 256
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that has a multidimensional impact on a person’s life, with symptoms associated with a significant loss of autonomy. Specialized palliative care (PC) should be provided early and throughout the course of the disease. Indeed, physiotherapists should [...] Read more.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that has a multidimensional impact on a person’s life, with symptoms associated with a significant loss of autonomy. Specialized palliative care (PC) should be provided early and throughout the course of the disease. Indeed, physiotherapists should be understood as integral members of the multidisciplinary team in PC, in the care and improvement of the quality of life of these people. This study aimed to describe the lived experience of physiotherapists in the context of intervention in people with advanced ALS and their families. Descriptive phenomenology was employed as a framework for conducting semi-structured interviews to reveal experiences. Sixteen physiotherapists who performed interventions on at least one person with advanced ALS in the last 2 years were included in the study. The study involved conducting semi-structured individual interviews, through the Zoom® videoconferencing platform (version 6.4.3). Data were analyzed according to Giorgi’s five-stage approach and managed using webQDA software (Version 3.0, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal). The COREQ checklist was applied in the study. Participants were mostly female (n = 12) and aged between 26 and 55 years (M = 36.81; SD = 6.75). Four constituents were identified: (1) undulating course of a complex disease; (2) barriers to person-centered care; (3) enablers of person-centered care; (4) transition between curative and palliative care. The findings illustrate the multidimensional impact of the disease trajectory on the person and their family. This study highlights the need to invest in specialized training for physiotherapists, contributing to a person-centered PC practice with an impact on promoting comfort and quality of life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Narrative Approaches and Practice in Health Psychology)
14 pages, 239 KiB  
Article
Illness Narrative Master Plots Following Musculoskeletal Trauma and How They Change over Time, a Secondary Analysis of Data
by Andrew Soundy, Maria Moffatt, Nga Man (Nicole) Yip, Nicola Heneghan, Alison Rushton, Deborah Falla, Lucy Silvester and Nicola Middlebrook
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1112; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14111112 - 19 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1012
Abstract
Introduction; to the best of the authors knowledge, no past research has established how illness narrative master plots are expressed initially and then if and how they change longitudinally following musculoskeletal trauma. The aim of the present research was to consider how specific [...] Read more.
Introduction; to the best of the authors knowledge, no past research has established how illness narrative master plots are expressed initially and then if and how they change longitudinally following musculoskeletal trauma. The aim of the present research was to consider how specific master plots were expressed, interact, and change across time following musculoskeletal trauma. Methods: A narrative analysis was undertaken that included individuals who had experienced a musculoskeletal traumatic injury. Individuals were included if they were an inpatient within 4 weeks of the first interview, had mental capacity to participate, and were able to communicate in English. Three interviews were undertaken (within 4 weeks of injury, then at 6- and 12-months post-injury). A 5-stage categorical form—type narrative analysis was performed. Results: Twelve individuals (49.9 ± 17.5 years; 7 male, 5 female) completed interviews at three time points following the trauma event (<4 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months). Three main narrative master plots appeared to work together to facilitate a positive accommodation of the trauma event into the individual’s life. These included the resumption narrative, the activity narrative, and the quest narrative. Finally, less often regressive narratives were identified, although these narratives were, at times, actively avoided. Discussion: The current results provide important consideration for how narratives are used within clinical practice, in particular the value of how these three narratives could be accessed and promoted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Narrative Approaches and Practice in Health Psychology)
26 pages, 735 KiB  
Article
Social Reintegration Experiences of Young Adult Cancer Survivors
by Ji Seong Yi and Song Yi Lee
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1101; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14111101 - 15 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1515
Abstract
This study uses the Q methodology to investigate the subjective perceptions of social reintegration among cancer survivors in their 20s and 30s. We organised a Q population through a pilot study and interviews and finalised 40 Q sample items. For P sample representativeness, [...] Read more.
This study uses the Q methodology to investigate the subjective perceptions of social reintegration among cancer survivors in their 20s and 30s. We organised a Q population through a pilot study and interviews and finalised 40 Q sample items. For P sample representativeness, we used purposive sampling and selected 12 individuals by age and cancer type. After a Q sorting process, we conducted a key factor analysis using Ken-Q Analysis Desktop Edition. We identified four types of P samples based on their perceptions and noted the main characteristics of each type. We characterised Type 1 as “recovery of presence through social reintegration seeking”, Type 2 as “confusion in social reintegration due to social prejudices”, Type 3 as “psychosocial support in the process of social reintegration”, and Type 4 as “blessing in disguise for post-traumatic growth”. The results suggest a need for practical and institutional support reflecting cancer survivors’ characteristics by type. This study provides basic data that researchers could use to develop coaching and counselling services to support the social reintegration of cancer survivors in their 20s and 30s. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Narrative Approaches and Practice in Health Psychology)
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14 pages, 306 KiB  
Article
The Nexus of Training Duration, Body Image, Nutritional Practices, and Mental Health: Insights from a Strength Training Cohort
by Jorge Jiménez-Morcillo, Stephanie Rodriguez-Besteiro and Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14040267 - 23 Mar 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2933
Abstract
This study investigated the intricate relationship between strength training and its effects on body image, psychological health, and nutritional habits. By examining 605 participants, divided into two groups based on training frequency, the research aimed to discern how varying intensities of training influenced [...] Read more.
This study investigated the intricate relationship between strength training and its effects on body image, psychological health, and nutritional habits. By examining 605 participants, divided into two groups based on training frequency, the research aimed to discern how varying intensities of training influenced different wellness facets. The investigation employed a comprehensive survey, gathering demographic data, training specifics, dietary patterns, and psychological characteristics, utilizing statistical tools for analysis. Results unveiled significant differences in dietary habits and psychological profiles between groups with higher and lower training frequencies. The group with more frequent training displayed less favourable health outcomes and suboptimal dietary habits, challenging the prevailing notion that increased training frequency leads to better health. The study emphasized the necessity of a balanced approach to physical training, highlighting the need for personalized strategies that encompass both physical and mental health considerations. The findings exposed the complexities of training regimens and their broader implications on individual health, suggesting that enhanced training frequency alone does not assure improved health outcomes. This research significantly contributed to the domain by providing insights into how the frequency of strength training could differentially affect health and well-being, offering valuable guidelines for fitness professionals and healthcare providers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Narrative Approaches and Practice in Health Psychology)
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