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Configuring the caller in ambiguous encounters: volunteer handling of calls to Samaritans emotional support services
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 22:08 authored by Catherine Coveney, Sarah Armstrong, John Moore, Pollock KristianThis paper discusses volunteer strategies for handling and assessing calls to Samaritans emotional support services for the suicidal and despairing. It presents findings from the qualitative components of a two year mixed methods study based on an online caller survey, branch observations and interviews with volunteers and callers throughout the UK. A thematic analysis of the qualitative data analysis was undertaken using the principle of constant comparison. Many calls fell beyond the primary remit of a crisis service, and called for rapid attribution and assessment. Uncertainty about identifying ‘good’ calls and recognizing those which were not caused difficulty, frustration and negative attribution towards some callers. This paper presents our analysis of volunteers’ accounts of how they configure the caller in intrinsically uncertain and ambiguous encounters, and how such strategies relate to the formal principles of unconditional support and non-judgemental active listening espoused by the organization.
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Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Communication and MedicineISSN
1612-1783Publisher
EquinoxExternal DOI
Issue
2Volume
9Department affiliated with
- Anthropology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2015-08-18First Open Access (FOA) Date
2016-03-22First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2016-08-18Usage metrics
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