Reconstructive Methodology in Qualitative Health Research: Identifying Health Orientations through the Integrative Basic Method (IBV)

Background
Qualitative health research increasingly seeks to capture lived perspectives of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). To achieve this, methodological approaches are needed that move beyond descriptive accounts and reveal the underlying orientations that shape how people understand health and respond to support.

Methods
This study applied the Integrative Basic Method (IBV), a reconstructive approach developed in German qualitative research by Kruse, to analyze 23 semi structured interviews with users of Community Mental Health (CMH) services in Germany. IBV follows a stepwise, comparative process of case reconstruction, allowing researchers to uncover latent meaning structures and to generalize across cases. In this heuristic process, particular attention was given to positioning, agency, and the use of metaphors as central dimensions through which participants articulated and negotiated their health experiences. Its strength lies in identifying overarching orientations that guide how individuals interpret health, illness, and health promotion in everyday life.

Results
Through the reconstructive analysis, three distinct subjective health orientations were identified: (a) agency-oriented, framing health as the ability to shape one’s life according to personal goals; (b) stability-oriented, emphasizing inner balance, predictability, and emotional control; and (c) functionality-oriented, focusing on the capacity to manage daily tasks. These orientations were not readily accessible through surface-level coding but required methodological attention to latent structures of meaning. As overarching interpretive frameworks, they proved central to understanding how participants related to CMH professionals and evaluated health promotion activities, particularly in the area of physical well-being.

Conclusions
The study demonstrates the methodological potential of the IBV for qualitative health research. By reconstructing orientations, IBV enables researchers to generate conceptual insights that connect empirical material, theoretical reflection, and practice. This approach helps to design health promotion strategies that resonate with the lived frameworks of individuals with SMI, thereby enhancing both the acceptance and effectiveness of interventions.