Advance Nursing Research Project

Week 8 Sample Section Example

Written by Jennifer Oddy, Entitled: Distress And Coping of Mothers of Children With Muscular Dystrophy

Sampling Method, Sample, and Setting

Sampling method. The participants will be recruited by criterion purposive sampling by their doctors/nurses at the Muscular Dystrophy Association clinic at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Sample. Inclusion criteria are the following: (1) You are 21 years of age or greater; (2) are the mother of a child with muscular dystrophy; (3) your child is aged between 4 and 17 and was 10 years or younger at their first physical assessment by a primary care provider; (4) you provide roughly 75% or more of the home care for the child.

People will not be eligible for this study if they: (1) have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or have a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol); (2) if the child is currently residing in a long-term care facility.

The sample size will ideally be about 10 participants. Phenomenological studies tend to rely on very small samples, since there is one guiding principle for selecting the sample: all participants must have experienced the phenomenon and must be able to articulate what it is like to have lived the experience (Polit & Beck, 2012). Data will be collected until saturation is accomplished.

Setting. The proposed setting for this study is at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) clinic at Boston Children’s Hospital located at 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA. There are two directors at the clinic, an orthopedic, and a pediatric neurologist. The team members include a social worker, physical therapist, and a genetic counselor. The number of patients at the clinic cannot be disclosed, however, Boston Children’s Hospital is considered an elite clinic and is included in the MDA network that supports clinical trials and research. The hospital offers the highest level of diagnostic and treatment services, with neurologists and other specialists being very experienced in treating children with muscular dystrophy.

Informed consent and ethical considerations

Before enrolling participants in this study, an informed consent must be signed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB, Appendix A). This will be obtained from the Muscular Dystrophy Association clinic at Boston Children’s Hospital, as well as from Regis College. An application and proposal will be sent to the IRB, requesting approval for this study. Since there is minimal risk to subjects, an expedited review will be requested (Polit & Beck, 2012). There is a risk that the participant may have feelings of discomfort while discussing the experiences of caring for a child with muscular dystrophy. This will be minimized by the researcher with empathy and compassion. If the participant would like counseling, a call will be made to their primary care provider. Advance Nursing Research Project

There are no foreseen ethical issues involved in this research study. The interviews will be tape recorded, transcribed, and held in locked files in an office. The results of the interviews will remain confidential, only being available to the researcher, in order to protect the participants. All participants involved in the study will receive full clarification of the purpose of the study, the research process, and research results in order to ensure that participants can make an informed consent to participate in the study.

Week #6 Assignment 1: The Details of Your EBP Project.

EBP Project Proposal Draft

Research topic

To assess the role of stigma towards mental health patients in help seeking.

Research problem

Most studies have shown that stigmatization towards mental health patients have been present throughout history and even despite the evolution in modern medicine and advanced treatment. Stigmatization have resulted from the belief that those with mental problem are aggressive and dangerous creating a social distance (Szeto et al., 2017). Also, mental health-related stigma has become of major concern as it creates crucial barriers to access treatment and quality care since it not only influences the behaviour of the patients but also the attitude of the providers hence impacting help-seeking. Most studies have identified stigma as a barrier that is of significance to care or help seeking while the extent to which it still remains a barrier have not been reviewed deeply. Therefore, this study will assess the role contributed by stigma in help seeking in depth.

Research purpose

The intention of the research study is to review the association between stigma, mental illness and help seeking in order to assess in depth the role that mental-health stigma contribute in help seeking.

Research objectives

a) To review the background history of mental-health related stigma and mental problem or illness

b) To explore the impacts of stigma

c) To assess an association between the contributing factors of stigma to help seeking

d) To assess the extent in which these factors of stigma contribute to help seeking.

e) To assess the risk factors influencing help seeking with regard to stigma

Research questions

a) What is the association between stigma towards mental health patients and help-seeking?

b) To what degree does stigma constitute a barrier to the search for help among mental health patients?

c) Are there populations that are more deterred from seeking help due to stigma?

Research Hypothesis

Ho: stigma towards mental health patients have a significant role in influencing help seeking

Ha: the extent to which stigma influences help seeking is not significant

Theoretical framework

Stigma has been described as a negative effect of a label and the product of disgrace that makes a person to be apart from others (Henderson et al., 2013). It is built upon distinct constructs prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes (Henderson et al., 2013). For example, believing that those people diagnosed with mental illness is stereotype. Also, agreeing with the fact that those with mental problem are indeed dangerous with a resultant fear or anger is prejudice while discrimination is the total avoidance to those with mental conditions as a result of prejudice and stereotype. Mental problem or illness is a condition that distorts an individual’s capability to relate to others, thinking, mood feeling and also daily functioning (Szeto et al., 2017). Advance Nursing Research Project

Many studies have reported an existence of negative attitudes with regard to mental health problem and social distance (Henderson et al., 2013). This is because those persons with mental problem are regarded as dangerous, a public nuisance and aggressive. Some of the contributing factors include the media which influences the society’s view, public perception which is influenced by the level of understanding towards mental health problems and the illness itself and also reluctance to seek help which contribute to further stigmatization. Stigma is therefore seen as barrier since it inhibits a person from seeking help hence resulting to a treatment gap and advancement in medical programs meant to reduce cases of medical care (Szeto et al., 2017). Therefore, mental health-related stigma is seen to influence help seeking by creating a general pattern of behavior and attitudes.

References

Henderson, C., Evans-Lacko, S., & Thornicroft, G. (2013). Mental Illness Stigma, Help Seeking, and Public Health Programs. American Journal of Public Health, 103(5), 777-780. doi:10.2105/ajph.2012.301056

Knaak, S., Mantler, E., & Szeto, A. (2017). Mental illness-related stigma in healthcare. Healthcare Management Forum, 30(2), 111-116. doi:10.1177/0840470416679413

Advance Nursing Research

Mental Health

Mental health is crucial in every stage of life. It is defined as the state of psychological well-being whereby the individual realizes a satisfactory integration instinctual drive acceptable to both oneself and his or her social setting (Ritchie & Roser, 2018). The status of mental health influences physical health, relationships, and most importantly day-to-day life. Mental health problems arise when there is a disruption in mental well-being. Advance Nursing Research Project

The risk factors to mental health problems are not limited and therefore everyone is entitled to the problem irrespective of gender, economic status, and ethnic group. For example, data shows that in America one out of five individuals experience mental health problems annually, with mental disorders being recognized as the leading cause of disability not only in the United States but also globally (Ritchie & Roser, 2018). Mental health disorders are seen to be complex and of many forms such as anxiety, mood, and schizophrenia, among others.

Data shows that in 2017 about seven hundred and ninety-two million people lived with a mental disorder. Challenges have been identified with data presentation since mental health disorders are under-reported worldwide (Ritchie & Roser, 2018). World health organization data shows that mental health disorders are not only determined by one’s ability to manage their thoughts, behavior and interaction with others but also economic, environmental and social factors. For example, the on-going global financial crisis creates a macroeconomic phenomenon that provides a significant opportunity for mental health consequences with an increased rate of suicide and harmful substance use.

Most research studies have shown that there exist many gaps in relation to mental health problems. The gap ranges from treatment interventions and effective use of the available tools to reduce the issues of mental health. For example, there exists a research gap on the interventions meant to reduce and eradicate stigma which has been recognized as a determinant of mental health problems and this spiked my interest.

Therefore, in order to fill this gap such question as a) What is the association between stigma towards mental health patients and help-seeking? b) To what extent does stigma constitute a barrier to the search for help among mental health patients? And c) Are there populations that are more deterred from seeking help due to stigma? Have to be answered through research to get the intended purpose. Advance Nursing Research Project

References

Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2018, April). Mental Health. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/mental-health

W.H.O. (2020). Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/mental_health/en/