The steps begin with writing narratives of individual life histories, which are then reviewed for commonalities, and subsequently thinned to more generic descriptions.

Data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) are used to illustrate the specific steps for analyzing life histories of “resilient” women (those with a history of depression who report high levels of current well-being). Conceptual principles guiding the organization and interpretation of life history information are summarized. The central aim is to begin with richly detailed descriptions of individual lives and, from them, to discern generalizable features of aggregates of multiple lives. We present a strategy for using longitudinal survey data to identify life history pathways linked with mental health outcomes.

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Deborah's Story by Ann Burton