Summary of Themes Identified
| Global theme: what constitutes stalking? |
| Organizing theme: stalking as a subjective construct |
| Perceptions |
| Level of threat |
| Organizing theme: hierarchy of threat to guide classification |
| Linguistic distinction between stalking and harassment |
| Global theme: minimization of threat |
| Organizing theme: stalking is inevitable |
| Stalking is an inevitable consequence of being a psychiatrist |
| Organizing theme: medicalization of stalking |
| Reference to an explanatory psychiatric theory |
| Diagnosis as a justification |
| Humor as a minimizing technique |
| Global theme: negative psychological impact of stalking |
| Organizing theme: stalking and anticipated stalking induced distress |
| Fear of the possible consequences |
| Formulating an explanation |
| Hypervigilance |
| Organizing theme: Stalking as a cause of mental disorder |
| Psychopathological consequences |
| Global theme: awareness of vulnerability to guide practice |
| Organizing theme: awareness and vulnerability |
| Pre-emptively vigilant |
| Became aware of their vulnerability |
| Organizing theme: responses |
| Preventive behaviors employed in practice |
| Vigilance was the most common response |
| Global theme: difficulty getting help when stalked |
| Organizing theme: variations in support |
| Support difficult to access |
| Well supported |
| Organizing theme: distress related to support requests |
| The unsupported often expressed more distress |