Gaining Access and Establishing Trust in a Fieldwork with Psychiatric Patients

The aim of this paper has two-pronged of objectives: firstly, to know the gatekeepers and their significant roles; and secondly, to share the workable strategies in building rapport and gaining access to the social institution, particularly the studied context. The research was undertaken at public hospitals in Pulau Pinang and Kedah, Malaysia on 37 respondents. The preliminary finding suggested that the gatekeepers play important roles to maintain the status quo in the mental health care. However, compromises are vital to ensure the accessibility to the potential respondents.