Mixed-Methods Research in Wellbeing and Health

Book excerpt: Mixed-Methods Research in Wellbeing and Health brings together nine examples of high-quality research into wellbeing and health using a range of mixed methods. Research that employs mixed methods can yield robust data that is both more reliable and valid than that arising from a single-method approach. Mixed-methods research is a vital component in responding to recent changes to the more complex needs of an increasingly diverse society and its health sector. This book covers how mixed-methods research can be designed creatively and applied sensitively in the context of wellbeing and health research. The editors have included a set of bespoke questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. The expert editorial commentary highlights the benefits and methodological challenges of mixed-methods research as well as ‘thinking points’ for researchers as they plan and carry out mixed-methods research on wellbeing and health topics. Within a holistic view of wellbeing and health, the mixed-methods research designs are applied appropriately in both practice and community settings. The research can be shaped by pragmatism and the actual needs of a study rather than purely theoretical considerations. This practical book makes high-quality, mixed-methods research design and execution guidance readily accessible to health-care practitioners and researchers working in the fields of health, social care and wellbeing services and to undergraduate and postgraduate students in courses in research and health-care studies, as well as health management.