DEVELOPMENTAL CRISIS IN EARLY ADULTHOOD: A ...

3. A consent form detailing the key ethical issues involved and the voluntary nature of
participation was signed by respondents immediately prior to data collection (article
1.3 in BPS Code of Conduct) (see Appendix C).
4. The participant was not required to discuss any topic or answer any question that they
found distressing or considered too sensitive, and could withdraw consent to
participate after commencement of the interview or after the interview was finished
(article 1.4 in BPS Code of Conduct).
5. Audio recording was conducted only with the express consent of those being recorded
(article 1.3 in BPS Code of Conduct).
6. The proposed research methodology required the discussion of sensitive material and
so empathy and a sense of unconditional positive regard from the researcher was
emphasised (article 3.1 in BPS Code of Conduct).
7. The availability of counselling services in the event of possible distress caused by the
interview process was made explicit to participants at the end of the interview (article
3.4 in BPS Code of Conduct). The London-based counsellor recommended was
Claudia Nielson, 38 Denning Rd, NW3 1SU, phone 020 7431 1177. (UKCP, BSECH
and CPPC registered).
5.3 Case Definition of Early Adult Crisis
In order to sample and recruit participants within some defined parameters, a
provisional definition of early adult developmental crisis was needed. This was
provided from a review of existing texts on crisis (Caplan, 1964; Hoff, 1978; Lazarus,
2000; Murgatroyd and Woolfe, 1982; Parry, 1990; Slaikeu, 1990) and a synthesis of
definitions. Caplan’s (1964) separation of “developmental” and “accidental” crises
was firstly employed. A developmental crisis emerges out of ongoing life-stagespecific
problems, while an accidental crisis occurs as the result of an unforeseeable
event such as a bereavement, chronic illness or natural disaster (Caplan, 1964). In this
thesis, only developmental crises are included in the sample, as only they are specific
to early adulthood as a life stage. Post-natal crises are omitted as they are often mixed
with biologically influenced depression (Kumar et al., 1997), so are arguably a
clinical condition combined with a crisis. The case definition process led to the
following inclusion criteria for recruitment:
1. There is chronic stress and negative emotion experienced during the episode.
2. There is a sense of being out of control during the experience.
3. It lasts at least a month, and can last up to several years.
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