Qualitative methods advancing research into the expression and experience of stigma in childhood and adolescence.

While research efforts are growing to understand stigmatizing responses to mental and physical health conditions, much of this work has focused on adults. Consequently, less is known about how such stigma is expressed or experienced in childhood and adolescence. This article argues that qualitative methods are particularly suited to work with young study participants to afford them the opportunity to express their views or share their experiences using flexible and creative means that encourage and facilitate meaningful involvement. Such methods, on their own or as part of a mixed-method design, have a wide application in research from exploratory work in generating a knowledge base and building theory to developing and evaluating interventions. As such, qualitative enquiry is in keeping with child-centered, participatory philosophies, as well as being pragmatically and scientifically valuable to the study of mental and physical health-related stigma in childhood.