Observations from conducting a sensitive interview study about youth deaths

Abstract

Young people’s deaths from drugs, violence, or suicide comprise a sensitive topic that is challenging to study. This paper presents observations and experiences when aiming to reach a comprehensive and profound knowledge of the life trajectories of deceased youths by conducting and analyzing interviews. While collecting qualitative data regarding social phenomena is always contextual and situated, this kind of extreme topic gives rise to many extra nuances that affect the data. The skewness of the study informants, the emotionally charged interview accounts, and the secondary nature of other people’s interpretations of the deceased’s life require a considered approach. Different perspectives on death can never be set along the same line, as the social dynamics and personal histories with the deceased are diverse. Acquiring homogeneous data is an impossible task. These are aspects that researchers should carefully reflect upon during the research process.