Data analysis
The questionnaires were all analysed and discussed by two
investigators who conducted a content analysis on the
responses to explore key categories. Qualitative content
analysis has been described by Graneheim & Lundman
(2004) as a process that involves examining texts for manifest
and latent content. It involves an in-depth exploration
of the text for meaning units within a specific content area,
in this case perception of the impact of bipolar disorder.
Content analysis was used as it is designed to identify
manifest content within written material. It allows the
researcher to identify what was said and does not incorporate
an interpretative process because it is concerned with
what is manifest in the transcript. The content analysis
process focused on what participants wrote about their
perceptions of the impact of bipolar disorder. This
approach was chosen as the analytical framework because
it enabled a description of the participants’ understandings
and perceptions.