Prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Post-Acute Myocardial Infraction - Assignment Example

Prevalence of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Post-Acute Myocardial Infraction Patients Introduction Myocardial infarction (MI), also known as heart attack is a disease of the heart that occurs when blood does not flow properly to a section of the heart thereby injuring the section of the heart due to lack of adequate oxygen. Post-Acute Myocardial infarction patients often suffer from suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Rupert, Jones & Zoë (2007), assert that the evident lack of adequate research in this area coupled with the lack of an equally effective nursing assessment tool to help nurses assess the problem, determine its symptoms and offer timely treatment to the patients makes managing such diseases difficult.

PTSD affects the quality of life that such patient population lead often making them susceptible to other lifestyle diseases (Goldberg & Williams, 1998). In a quantitative research, I seek to determine the suitability of a psychological discharge questionnaire in serving as a diagnostic tool to guide nursing practice and the handling of post-acute myocardial infraction patients. Key among the factors that make quantitative the most appropriate mode of research in this context is the fact that it provides observable evidence that helps formulate a hypothesis (Bamberger, 2000).

The variables in a quantitative study are computed without coding them. As such, they provide practical evidence that makes it easy to observe thereby formulate functional hypothesis such as the suitability of the psychological discharge questionnaire. Another equally important factor is that quantitative research does not require a restrictive design plan a feature that allows the researcher to study the variables in their natural setup (Creswell, 2014). As state earlier, the lack of adequate studies in the topical issue makes it difficult to carry out the research.

As such, the researcher must let the research flow naturally a possibility that a quantitative design guarantees. The independent variable in the study is the psychological discharge questionnaire while dependent variable is the detection of PTSD. The dependent variable in the research will include the various types of PSTD such as depression and anxiety among others. With a research sample of ninety patients selected randomly, the researcher will issue the psychological discharge questionnaires to forty-five and fail to give out the questionnaire to the remaining forty-five.

The study then begins as the nurses use the information provided in the questionnaire to carry out follow up treatment of the patients. Additionally, the researcher observes the behavioral changes of all the samples used in the research thus making appropriate conclusions on the suitability and functionality of using questionnaires as a diagnostic tool. The observable correlation that exists between Post-Acute Myocardial Infraction Patients and Prevalence of Post-traumatic stress disorder shows that in deed the patient population is susceptible to the suffer from the various forms of PTSD.

Early diagnosis of PTSD is always the most effective way of managing the disease thus enhancing the chances of recovery (Spindler & Pedersen, 2005). The lack of a diagnostic tool coupled with the lack of adequate studies of the correlation makes relating the two difficult a feature that risks the lives of numerous Post-Acute Myocardial Infraction Patients. In testing the suitability of a psychological discharge questionnaire, a researcher must include every possible factor in the form of questions in the questionnaire.

Goertz & Mahoney (2012), explain that such a research requires adequate research duration in order to investigate all the observable features with the view to proving a predetermined hypothesis. References Bamberger, M. (2000). Integrating quantitative and qualitative research in development projects. Washington, DC. Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications. Goertz, G., & Mahoney, J. (2012).

 A tale of two cultures: Qualitative and quantitative research in the social sciences. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press. Goldberg, D. & Williams, P. A users guide to the general health questionnaire. Berkshire: NFER-NELSON Publishing Company Ltd; 1988. Newman, I., & Benz, C. R. (2006). Qualitative-quantitative research methodology: Exploring the interactive continuum. Carbondale, Ill. [u.a.: Southern Illinois Univ. Press. Rupert, C. M., Jones, M. C. & Zoë, B. Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with previous myocardial infarction consulting in general practice.

Br J Gen Pract. 2007 Oct 1; 57(543): 808–810. Shemesh, E., Keshavarz. R. & Leichtling, N.K. Pediatric emergency department assessment of psychological trauma and posttraumatic stress. Psychiatr Serv. 2003;54(9):1277–1281. Spindler, H. & Pedersen, S. S. Posttraumatic stress disorder in the wake of heart disease: prevalence, risk factors, and future research directions. Psychosom Med. 2005;67(5):715–723.