Research Proposal

Name

Walden University

SOCW 6301: Social Work Practice Research I

Dr. Adam Quinn

Date

Research Proposal Part 1 (3 to 4 pages)

Introduction

A mental illness is a condition characterized by impaired mental functioning. An affected individual has a limited capacity for cognitive actions such as thinking, making proper decisions, and behavior. It also affects the interactive nature of an individual with other people with their mood and feeling. As a result, mental illness can have detrimental effects on individuals at their workplace, schools, or relationships. The symptoms are manageable with both medications and psychotherapy, which lead to subsequent treatment. However, the rising cases of untreated mental illness are becoming a concern, particularly in the United States. For instance, a report made by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2012 stated that more than half of patients who had mental illness in 2011 were left untreated. Therefore, this paper will evaluate the possible reasons from different pieces of literature that explain why so many people who live with mental illness are not treated.

Problem Statement

In my research project, the problem that I am focusing on is mental illness, focusing on bipolar (manic depressive) and the stigma surrounding mental health in society. My research topic could fill the gap in knowledge by digging deep into why so many people live undiagnosed with mental illness. For example, what are some of the causes of mental illness? Where does it stem from, and why do people live with mental illness but not complete their diagnosis and treatment.

Research Question

The research question is, why are so many people who live with mental illness are not being treated and are undiagnosed?

Literature Review

Personal perception and beliefs

Stolzenburg, S., Freitag, S., Evans-Lacko, S., Speerforck, S., Schmidt, S., & Schomerus, G. (2019). Individuals with currently untreated mental illness: causal beliefs and readiness to seek help. Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences, 28(4), 446-457.

A study conducted by Stolzenburg et al. (2019) discovered that one of the reasons most mental illnesses go untreated is the patient’s perception. For instance, some of the patients believe that they acquired mental disease due to reasons that may appear unacceptable to society, so they choose not to seek therapy from professionals. Stolzenburg et al. (2019) also discovered that some patients fail to seek professional help and subsequent treatment for fear of getting an association of their symptoms with childhood trauma as that may trigger unpleasant memories. In addition, some individuals might have had negative therapeutic experiences and therefore lack the belief in the effectiveness of treatment. As a result, these individuals do not consider a consultation with professionals, and thus their mental illness goes untreated.

Socioeconomic status

Tartakovsky, M. (2013). What prevents people from seeking mental health treatment?

According to Tartakovsky (2013), one of the reasons why most mental illnesses go untreated is due to low socioeconomic status. When an individual has a mental illness but cannot afford the treatment cost, they do not consider seeking it since managing the symptoms of mental illness through medication combined with psychotherapy is expensive.

Stigma and discrimination

Young, Joel L. “Untreated Mental Illness.” Psychology Today. December 30, 2015.

People are also deterred from seeking therapy since mental illness is often connected with shame, humiliation, and disgrace. The resentful societal view of patients with mental illness contributes to a person’s reluctance to seek medical attention and their struggle to find quality care. As a result, many patients dealing with mental health concerns can’t find a therapist they like, or the medications they are taking have unacceptable side effects (Young, 2015).

Over-commitment in other activities

Blocker, A. Major depression or clinical depression can feel overwhelming. Spending time with family and friends or doing once enjoyable activities may feel exhausting.

Some individuals intentionally ignore visiting a professional for a mental checkup, claiming lack of time and energy due to busy schedules, according to Margarita Tartakovsker, Associate Editor of Psych Central (Blocker, A). Mental health ought to be the top priority as it determines the performance of the day’s other activities. Others do not know the starting point of seeking medical help and therefore end up staying with their conditions untreated (Blocker, A)

Methodological Approach

The methodological approach for this research will be a combination of mixed methods. In qualitative and quantitative research, the review of existing knowledge is used to develop well-articulated research questions (Yegidis et al., 2018). Qualitative and quantitative can be viewed more as a group of methods that often contain specific vital characteristics, such as studying research participants in their natural setting, interpreting events through the meaning ascribed to them, and interpreting the data with an open-minded viewpoint (Yegidis, 2018). Quantitative, on the other hand, deals with numbers, statistics, and graphs that can be computed in facts about the topic being researched ( Pathak & Kalra,2013 ).In addition, qualitative research data collection methods include interviews, focus groups, and literature review, while quantitative includes observations, experiments, and surveys. The third difference between these types of research is that qualitative is used when the researcher wants to grasp a concept, experience or thought in detail. In contrast, quantitative is used when the researcher wants to ensure a theory or a hypothesis (Pathak & Kalra, 2013). Hence using both approach methods to find answers to the research question can help find a solution to the problem people face in our society.

References

Blocker, A. Major depression or clinical depression can feel overwhelming. Spending time with family and friends or doing activities that were once enjoyable may feel exhausting….
https://fullerlifefamilytherapy.org/major-depression/.

Pathak, V., Jena, B., & Kalra, S. (2013). Qualitative research. Perspectives in clinical research, 4(3).

Stolzenburg, S., Freitag, S., Evans-Lacko, S., Speerforck, S., Schmidt, S., & Schomerus, G. (2019). Individuals with currently untreated mental illness: causal beliefs and readiness to seek help. Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences, 28(4), 446-457.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6998972/

Tartakovsky, M. (2013). What prevents people from seeking mental health treatment?

Young, Joel L. “Untreated Mental Illness.” Psychology Today. December 30, 2015.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/when-your-adult-child-breaks-your-heart/201512/untreated-mental-illness

Yegidis, B. L., Weinbach, R. W., & Myers, L. L. (2018). Research methods for social workers (8th ed.). Pearson

Research Proposal

Student Name

Walden University

SOCW 6301: Social Work Practice Research I

Instructor Name

Month XX, 202X

Research Proposal Part 1 (3 to 4 pages)

Introduction

Write 1 paragraph introducing the general research topic and relevant background. This section should essentially set up the proposal broadly before you narrow down to the research problem.

Problem Statement

In 1 paragraph, describe the specific problem on which your research will focus. What exactly is the social work research problem, and why is it important? Why is it deserving of further study? Use your writing from the Week 4 Discussion to generate material for this section.

Research Question

State the research question you have generated and refined. This question should align with the problem identified in the problem statement.

Literature Review

Paste the 2-page literature review here that you wrote for your Week 6 Assignment. Be sure to revise and edit it based on your Instructor’s feedback and on any new information you have found.

Methodological Approach

Write 2 to 3 paragraphs describing and justifying the methodological approach you propose for the research study. Will your study be quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods, and why? Use your Week 8 Discussion to generate material for this section.

Research Proposal Part II (2 to 3 pages)

Sampling and Sampling Method

In 1 to 2 paragraphs, identify and justify the population, sample, and sampling technique that would best address your research question and methodological approach. Use your Week 9 Discussion to generate material for this section.

Data Collection

Write 1 paragraph about how you will collect data for your study. Will you use interviews, case studies, surveys or questionnaires, or something else? Explain your choices. Use your Week 10 Discussion to generate material for this section. 

Ethics and Cultural Considerations

In 1 to 2 paragraphs, address any ethical and cultural issues you will take into account in your study. Think about the NASW Code of Ethics, principles of culturally competent research, and protections for human subjects. What ethical and/or cultural issues need to be considered? How will you address those issues in your study?

Discussion

Write 1 paragraph discussing potential results. If you were to conduct the study, what would you expect the results to show? What would you do if the data didn’t align with your expectations?

Reflection

Write 1 paragraph reflecting on your learning and growth throughout the process of developing a research proposal. What did you learn about social work research through this process?

References

(Include full references here for any sources that you have cited within the research proposal. Note that the following references are intended as examples only.)

American Counseling Association. (n.d.). About us.
https://www.counseling.org/about-us/about-aca

Anderson, M. (2018). Getting consistent with consequences. Educational Leadership, 76(1), 26-33.

Bach, D., & Blake, D. J. (2016). Frame or get framed: The critical role of issue framing in nonmarket management. California Management Review, 58(3), 66-87.
https://doi.org/10.1525/cmr.2016.58.3.66

Burgess, R. (2019). Rethinking global health: Frameworks of Power. Routledge.​

Herbst-Damm, K. L., & Kulik, J. A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology, 24(2), 225–229.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225

Johnson, P. (2003). Art: A new history. HarperCollins.
https://doi.org/10.1037.0000136-000
​

Lindley, L. C., & Slayter, E. M. (2018). Prior trauma exposure and serious illness at end of life: A national study of children in the U.S. foster care system from 2005 to 2015. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 56(3), 309–317.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.06.001

Osman, M. A. (2016, December 15). 5 do’s and don’ts for staying motivated. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/5-dos-and-donts-for-staying-motivated/art-20270835

Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2016). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Wiley.

Walden University Library. (n.d.). Anatomy of a research article [Video].
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/instructionalmedia/tutorials#s-lg-box-7955524

Walden University Writing Center. (n.d.). Writing literature reviews in your graduate coursework [Webinar].
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/webinars/graduate#s-lg-box-18447417

World Health Organization. (2018, March). Questions and answers on immunization and vaccine safety.
https://www.who.int/features/qa/84/en/