Qualitative Research Interview Guide: Nature's Impact on Mental Health

This assignment presents an interview guide designed for a qualitative research project focused on the relationship between nature exposure and mental health among college students at Deakin University. The guide includes an introduction outlining the interview's purpose, which is to understand the benefits of nature and its effect on mental well-being. It details the interview process, emphasizing rapport-building and informed consent. The aim is to understand nature's role in promoting mental health in Australia, with specific objectives to describe nature's support and investigate its impact percentage. The guide provides semi-structured interview questions covering demographics, mental health states, experiences with nature (specifically the University arboretum), and the perceived level of nature's effect on mental well-being. The guide concludes with assurances of participant confidentiality and no harm, emphasizing the value of their time. The assignment includes a plain language statement and consent form template, as well as a research proposal outline that includes the research questions, aim, and objectives, along with the data required and the ethical considerations of the project.

Interview Guide
Introduction
The purpose of this interview is geared at answering the questions on the benefits of nature
exposure and level of effect of nature on the mental health state among college students at Deakin
University. An interview schedule will be planned with the subjects. The researcher will meet
each participant and create a rapport with him and or her and peruse through the consent forms
ensuring that the subject is able to understands well and initialing the interview upon acceptance.
The will approximately take 20-25 minutes. Incase more information will be required from the
subject, wordings such as: “So, you are saying that …?), to get more information (“Please tell me
more?”), or to learn what the participants thinks or feels about something (“Why do you think
that’’) will be employed in the process. Verbal recording of the data will be undertaken.
Aim
The aim of this study is to understand the impact of nature in promoting the mental health of an
individual in Australia.
Objectives
i) To describe the support nature provides in mental health promotion in Australia.
ii) To investigate the percentage of effect nature has on mental health promotion in
Australia.
Semi-Structured Interview Questions
Demographic characteristics of the participant
i) What is your age, gender, ethnicity, religion and student level in terms of the academic
year you are in?
Support nature exposure to mental health promotion
i. Describe your mental health state currently for example how do you feel ? do you
experience any stress or stressful situations at times?
ii. In case you experience negative mental health how often do they occur?
iii. Do you feel at times you are mentally exhausted?
iv. At the school, describe the feelings you have when you visit the University arboretum?
v. What is the state of your mind when you stay in this place of nature?
vi. What is the experience of this place like for you?
vii. What thoughts, feelings, or bodily sensations do you recall having during this
experience?
viii. Are there other places where you experience the same thoughts, feelings, or
sensations?
ix. Do you feel closer to nature or yourself as a result of your experience?
x. Do you have any spiritual associations with this experience?
Level of effect of nature of mental health promotion
i) On a scale of 1-10, kindly gauge the level of impact nature has on your mental state in
term of being relaxed, calm composure and so on?
ii) Describe the effect you encounter with nature such as green space , trees, water and
even grass?
iii) Would you rate nature as a calming environment?
Conclusion
These key questions will attempt to answer our objectives, hence at the need of the interview the
subject will be highly appreciated for his/her time undertaken in this process. Assurance of no
harm will be emphasized and confidentiality of the process and recordings taken.