Overall, this study has provided a detailed account of how mature undergraduate students make sense of their experience of depression. A rich description of the experience of depression, of managing it, and the perception of the effects of depression on participants’ experiences of studying were revealed. This involved the day-to-day lived experience of depression, which participants articulated as being part of their undergraduate education.
183 | P a g e The use of qualitative methodology was a strength of the research as it afforded the
opportunity for participants to provide a voice to their experiences. By using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a rich and detailed description of the participants’ experiences was provided. Mature students’ experiences of depression have not been explored in Ireland in spite of the increasing number of students with depression and the increasing number of mature students enrolled on undergraduate degree programmes. As IPA is an idiographic approach that does not seek to ascertain definitive or positive responses, this research does not claim to generalise the findings to other HE institutions. Although mature undergraduate students in other HE institutions may be experiencing depression, it is pertinent to acknowledge that this study has provided a detailed account of the salient features captured by particular participants in a particular context. In addition, although care was taken to be rigorous and transparent throughout the research process, it is important to recognise that the findings presented in this study are the researcher’s
interpretation and other researchers may have highlighted different features. Caldwell (2008) argues that the theoretical dialogue resulting from IPA studies can
contextualise the contribution the research makes to the wider literature. As discussed in 3.7:
Assessing Research Validity Yardley (2000) argues that an important factor in good quality
qualitative research is the impact of the study (See 3.7 for an earlier discussion of four criteria suggested for assessing research validity: Sensitivity to Context; Commitment and Rigour; Transparency and Coherence; and Impact and Importance). Certainly, the findings from the current study make a valuable contribution to an under-researched area of mature
undergraduate students, who have depression. Smith et al (2010) advise IPA researchers to think about theoretical transferability rather than empirical generalisability.
184 | P a g e Although IPA recognises the importance of the researcher’s perspectives, criticism has been directed at the lack of guidelines in how to integrate reflexivity into the research process, and also to a discussion of how a researcher’s perspective can influence analysis. As reflexivity is so important in the process, the researcher kept detailed notes in a reflexive diary and it formed part of the interpretative process. It is worth noting that Smith and Osborn (2008) stress that IPA is an approach rather than a method and suggest that researchers adapt it to accommodate the phenomenon under investigation, and the particular context in which it is examined. The role of language is important in IPA. An interview provides an opportunity for participants to describe a particular experience rather than the experience itself (Willig, 2001). A question that may be asked of IPA is about the participants’ abilities to articulate the richness of the phenomenon. It is recognised that some participants may be more able to communicate their experiences than others, and therefore some interviews will seem to be ‘richer’ in content than others. Also, as depression is often described metaphorically: ‘fog’, ‘black dog’, some participants may be more adept at using metaphorical language than others.
A limitation of the research is that respondents were self-selected, and thus, may not be representative of the mature undergraduate student pool. There was a sense that the
participants were particularly interested in mental health and therefore, were inclined to be in the study. The experiences of students not choosing to participate may have been quite different. The population from which the sample was drawn represents a homogenous group in terms of nationality and background. Findings may have differed in student populations that were more diverse or even among different cultures.It is also acknowledged that participants may have felt invested in the research project as they knew I was a member of the Institution and they seemed to want me to be aware that depression exists among the
185 | P a g e student population. It is reasonable to infer that the ‘message’ is that depression is not uncommon, and that it impacts academic performance, negatively, as well as individuals’ personal relationships. In effect, participants were not only interviewees; they were advocates for other students, who are suffering from depression or other mental health concerns. The participants’ understandings of depression may have been different from that of the researcher. Perhaps the study may have been improved by the application of a formal clinical assessment beforehand. However, this would have compromised the phenomenological stance taken in the research.
Participants were reflecting on their depression so part of the data was concerned with retrospection, and therefore, salience of particular events may have been ‘skewed’ by memory. Also, part of the interview relied on participants accessing their ‘depressed selves’ and most conveyed that they were on a ‘recovering trajectory’. Having acknowledged this, if participants had been very depressed, it may have been very difficult to conduct interviews as it may have been too painful to articulate their experiences, or individuals may have not been willing to come forward for interview. I had to be mindful of my duty of care to the
participants, and also be cognisant that I was not providing therapy. Another limitation was that only one interview was conducted, so accounts were drawn from one particular point in time. However, interviews were full and a range of issues was raised and explored. Further qualitative research could interview students from non-vocational courses or from
professional courses as the implications (professional and future) around receiving a diagnosis of depression were strongly conveyed by the participants in the current study. Whilst participants discussed receiving a diagnosis, they were not asked what prompted their seeking a diagnosis. If the research were to be carried out again, that aspect of their
186 | P a g e Whilst all mature undergraduate students, who met the criteria, were invited to take part in the study, participants were only drawn from two undergraduate courses. Thus, it is
recognised that the sample was quite narrow, and perhaps students from a business course, for example, may have had very different lived experiences of being a student with
depression.