ABBREVIATED QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH PLAN - Term Paper Example

? ABBREVIATED “QUANTITATIVE” RESEARCH PLAN here] of [Due paper] Introduction It is a fact that stress pervades many areas of life. Whether it is stress from relationships, school, work, or social environments, research has shown that it can have a harmful impact on mental health, productivity, physical health, performance, and decision-making ability. The ability of a person to cope with stress in an effective manner has direct relation with the field of clinical psychology which deals with the treatment of abnormal behaviors, psychiatric issues, and mental illness. Clinical psychologists use a number of effective theoretical perspectives/approaches to provide the best available treatments to their patients. Some of main theoretical perspectives in clinical psychology include eclectic approach, psychodynamic approach, cognitive behavioral approach, and humanistic approach. In this paper, the researcher will use quantitative research approach to determine the ways people normally deal with their mental illness and stress. Purpose Statement The purpose of the proposed exploratory quantitative study is to determine the most suitable clinical psychology approaches that are effective in dealing with the conditions of mental illness and stress. Research Questions The researcher questions for the research are as follows: 1. Can mental illness and stress be treated using clinical psychology approaches? If yes, then which approach is the best one? 2. Does clinical psychology approaches deal with all types of stress? If yes, then which particular approach deals with most types of stress? 3. How often does a person having mental illness go for psychological treatment in his/her lifetime? The researcher will personally visit psychiatrists, therapists, and patients to determine the type of treatments they are providing or receiving. The researcher will also check patients’ medical histories to verify the nature and length of those treatments. Hypotheses The hypotheses for the research are as follows: 1. Clinical psychology deals with the elements of stress more effectively than any other branch of psychology. 2. Psychodynamic approach of clinical psychology is more effective in dealing with stress than any other clinical psychology approach. To test the hypotheses, the researcher will ask different questions to a large number of people who would have undergone psychological treatments at least once in their lifetime. Appropriateness of the Research Design The researcher has selected quantitative design for conducting research. This design helps in situations when one needs to deal with a larger population. A number-based research will help the researcher understand the trend of people towards psychological treatment. The design will also help the researcher translate results into graphs and charts which are good for effective demonstration of results. The qualitative design for study would have limited the research for this particular topic. Quantitative Approach to be Used The researcher will use descriptive approach to carryout the research because this approach involves collection of data for testing of hypotheses, as well as for answering research questions within the context of the study. This approach also reports actual findings based on facts. Theoretical Perspective The researcher will use psychodynamic perspective of clinical psychology to determine the best treatment methods for stress and mental illness. Target Population Patients who have undergone psychological treatment for reducing stress and mental illness at least once in life will be the target population. The researcher will identify the target population by obtaining record from some target clinics. Independent and Dependent Variables The independent variable in this research would be different clinical psychology approaches for stress treatment, whereas reduction in stress and mental illness would be the dependent variables. Instruments to be Used To gather information about clinical psychology approaches being used for dealing with stress and mental illness, the researcher will use questionnaires and structured interviews. Data Collection Procedures The researcher will collect data through interviews and surveys and will save it in the computer system. Interviews and surveys will be the best choice because they will help the researcher draw accurate graphs and tables which will be helpful in drawing conclusions based on the collected information. Threats to Validity There will be no threat to the validity of the research as the researcher will take all data through authentic sources and will verify it using authentic medical histories and reports. Data Analysis Approach The researcher will use quantitative data analysis technique to obtain meaningful results from the research. The data will be arranged in the form of charts and tables for better analysis. Ethical Considerations The ethical consideration for this particular research topic will be the privacy of medical records and histories of patients. The researcher will take patients in confidence by assuring them that their personal information will be kept secret. Annotated Bibliography Source 1: Beail, N., Warden, S., Morsley, K., & Newman, D. (2005). Naturalistic evaluation of the effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapy with adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 18(3), 245-251. Annotation: This article talks about the effectiveness of psychotherapy and psychodynamic approaches to deal with intellectual disabilities. The results of the study confirm significant reductions in psychological distress level of patients, as well as an increase in the level of self-esteem. This article relates with the research in a sense that it presents an analysis of the effectiveness of psychotherapy for patients with intellectual and interpersonal problems. Source 2: Gould, R., & Clum, G. (1993). A meta-analysis of self-help treatment approaches. Clinical Psychology Review, 13(2), 169-186. Annotation: This article would provide a great help in understanding the use of different self-help treatment approaches in dealing with stress and other emotional disorders. The authors of the article have conducted a Meta analysis of almost 40 studies, as well an analysis of 61 treatments. The article relates to the research in a sense that it includes comparison of different treatment approaches. The authors of the article have found that compliance with treatment regimen improves the effects of the treatment on mentally ill patients. Source 3: Jensen, J., Bergin, A., & Greaves, D. (1990). The meaning of eclecticism: New survey and analysis of components. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 21(2), 124-130. Annotation: Identifying the theoretical orientations of almost 423 mental health professionals, the authors of this article have found that eclectic approach towards the treatment of stress and mental illness is an effective technique. The authors compared the results with other studies and found that psychodynamic theory has a profound effect on the effectiveness of eclectic therapy. The article relates with the research in a sense that it talks about the effectiveness of a treatment approach based on the viewpoints of a number of mental health professionals, as well as on the analysis of other studies. Source 4: Leichsenring, F., & Rabung, S. (2008). Effectiveness of long-term psychodynamic psychotheraphy: A meta-analysis. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 300(13), 1551-1565. Annotation: This article examines the effects of long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy on people with mental, chronic, personality, depressive, and anxiety disorders. The article proves that psychodynamic psychotherapy approach proves very effective and functional for mentally ill patients as compared to short-term treatments. The article relates with the research as it talks about the effectiveness of a famous treatment approach by comparing it with other approaches. Source 5: Mennin, D., Heimberg, R., Turk, C., & Fresco, D. (2002). Applying an emotion regulation framework to integrative approaches to generalized anxiety disorder. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9(1), 85-90. Annotation: This article would provide a great help in understanding the application of an emotional framework to deal with generalized anxiety disorders. The articles relates to the research in a sense that it talks about an emotional regulation perspective that supports the use of psychological approaches to help people come out of stress and anxiety problems. The article also focuses on the use of worry and maladaptive interpersonal behaviors in controlling and avoiding stressful situations. The authors of the article have also described the ways in which emotional information can be used in improving problem solving ability of patients. Source 6: Roth, S., & Cohen, L. (1986). Approach, avoidance, and coping with stress. American Psychologist, 41(7), 813-819. Annotation: This article talks about two basic models of coping with mental illness and stress which include avoidance and approach. The authors of the article present costs and benefits of both models. The article presents avoidance in context of modern treatment methods. The article relates with the research as it compares two basic models of coping with stress. Source 7: Strieker, G. (1996). Psychotherapy integration: an assimilative, psychodynamic approach. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 3(1), 47-58. Annotation: This article would also provide a great help in understanding the use of psychodynamic approach in dealing with stress and other emotional disorders. In this article, the author talks about the integration of psychotherapy in psychological treatment. The article also talks about the psychotherapy integration movement, as well as about the effectiveness of psychodynamic model using a case history. The article directly relates with the research in a sense that it talks about a treatment approach based on psychodynamic model. Source 8: Walter, M. (1973). On the empirical dilemmas of psychodynamic approaches: Issues and alternatives. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 82(2), 335-344. Annotation: This article talks about the integration of psychodynamic and behavioral approaches as a way to deal stress. The articles also talks about the criticism against the use psychodynamic approaches by comparing them with alternatives that are more parsimonious. The article relates with the study in a sense that it talks about empirical dilemmas associated with psychodynamic approaches. Read More