Deliverable 2 - Design a Research Strategy in Order to Answer a Research Question

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Deliverable 2 - Design a Research Strategy in Order to Answer a Research Question

Attempt 2

Jamie Raines

Rasmussen College

HSA5000CBE Section 01CBE Scholarly Research and Writing

Professor Caroline Gulbrandsen

7/18/2022

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Research Paper

Adolescents are among the leading group that experiences serious mental health that leads

to some committing suicide or developing suicidal thoughts. Suicidal thoughts develop when a

teenager becomes depressed because of family challenges like divorce, poor academic grades, and

peer pressure from colleagues on a good lifestyle they cannot afford. The issues that affect the

youth need to be addressed through prevention approaches. There is a gap in the mental health

department regarding the intervention required to assist the youth in overcoming depression

because peer pressure has become a negative aspect that should be transformed positively.

Research Question: “What elements of peer support intervention prevent suicide in adolescents?"

The research question discusses peer support intervention, and this is to understand the elements of

support that other youth that has overcome suicidal thoughts can assist colleagues and

professionals in creating awareness of preventing suicide.

The research question is about understanding peer support critical in addressing suicide

cases among adolescents. The focus group is people who are trying new things in their lives, and

there is a possibility that some of their actions result in complex consequences that push them to

depression and the development of suicidal thoughts where others commit suicide. The focus of the

research is to offer a solution to the research question considering the quantitative strategy as the

technique that will give the best results triggering making the best solution,

I will use the quantitative research strategy in answering the question because it is

appropriate for the study. When conducting research, researchers must consider several factors,

such as validity, generalizability, and dependability. Quantitative research is regarded as a good

tool for research because of its reliability for quality results.

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In quantitative research, the term "reliability" refers to a measure's capacity to produce

consistent results across time, and this is possible where the data used is structured to promote the

reproducibility of the data, and this helps in getting better inferences (Farrelly & Murphy, 2018).

Quantitative research is an objective analysis that is worth the research question because it helps

me as the researcher to affect the results. Additionally, it is easy to analyze quantitative research

compared to qualitative research, which promotes a successful analysis of the research question

and offers an effective solution to the problem (Leung, 2015). The conclusion has also been

considered possible to generalize, which promotes a successful outcome that ensures that I make

the right decision about interventions that will benefit mental health patients.

The main aim of quantitative research is to classify and count the features. This applies to

the research questions where various elements of peer support are measured through counting to

understand its impact on preventing suicide.

The quantitative research strategy has various steps that have to be followed to achieve the

method section of the research paper successfully. The steps are as follows:

Theory

Quantitative research always starts with a theory, and in this case, I will consider using the

sociology theory that has a significant connection with the research question and makes the

research relatable. Sociology theory expresses the impact that peer pressure among the youth

presses them to engage in activities that lead to them regretting later, resulting in depression

(Leung, 2015). Excessive depression without intervention results in them committing suicide. A

theory will be part of the research method section of the paper for it to be complete.

Research Design

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The research design is essential in a research paper, and this step is critical in planning how

the problem identified in the research question, that is, suicide among adolescents, is addressed

through the research. The framework is essential to conducting the research where various

procedures are considered, including determining the method used in the research. In this case, I

chose the interview method to collect the data, ensuring that the questions used were structured to

give numerical figures (Leung, 2015). The sampling method best for the research is probability

sampling through the stratified approach.

Probability Sampling

Probability sampling can be made based on data obtained randomly by researchers using

this approach of random sampling. Using probability sampling as a researcher, I can collect data

from members of the population they are trying to learn more about. I will obtain data at random

from the chosen sample, thus, any chance of bias in the sampling process is eliminated (Leung,

2015). It is possible to select a random sample from a specific group of the target population using

stratified random sampling. I consider the stratified sampling approach for this research because

we need a group of mental health adolescents chosen randomly as the study's sample and the

mental health professionals selected randomly.

The stratified sampling makes the work easier for the researcher since the process target

professional that at times might be busy with work and should be within a given niche to get the

right results. The mental health patients who have tried to commit suicide due to different elements

of peer pressure are chosen from a given group to ensure they have the experience needed to make

the right decisions.

Selection of Participants

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Choosing the participants for the study is conducted by considering the random sampling in

a stratified approach where the mental health patients and the professionals are targeted differently.

The stratified sampling ensures that there is an equal number of patients and also the mental health

professionals that may be chosen using any number of sampling approaches, depending on the

research question under evaluation. In this case, we focus on ensuring that the mental health

professionals chosen have the experience with the patients that are selected for the study to give

reliable and accurate information that makes the research significant.

The process of choosing the participants in the research is voluntary, and the participant is

assured of their privacy in the data shared. In this scenario, the participant is expected to sign the

consent form before engaging in the process, which falls under ethical considerations (Leung,

2015). A representative sample must represent the assumption if it is to be tested, such as having

both genders and also a balanced number of mental health professionals and patients.

Development of the Interview Questions and the Requirements

The interview will consist of 10 questions that will be different for the patients and the

mental health professionals. The interview questions will be structured to ensure that the data

collected has numerical figures necessary for collecting and analyzing it better to get the best

inferences. The ten interview questions should be targeted to answer the research question, and the

questions will not be open-ended since the feedback needed is structured in a given formula to

make it measurable.

During the interview, a recorder and camera tapes are needed to take the audio and visual

content needed for analysis. The data collected is immediately secured in a drive, both physically

and on the cloud, for the purpose of security of the information. The data is then encrypted for the

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purpose of security in case a cybercriminal succeeds in penetrating through personal computers

and systems.

Types of data

Quantitative data is needed for the research; in this case, they should be in numbers. All the

questions for the interview are linked to numbers to get the numerical data that is critical in getting

a good measure of how peer pressure elements can be targeted to assist adolescents from suicide.

The structured nature of data is needed to help get insight from the study that would influence the

conclusion and the intervention's decisions.

Data collection Plan

Data collection is an important step for any research, and it determines the outcome's

quality since the data's source determines credibility and reliability. In this study, we rely on the

quantitative approach to collecting the data, and the interview approach is the choice.

The patient and mental health professionals are the 20 participants needed for the research

where they will be subjected to the interview. There would be a balance of 10 mental health

patients and ten health professionals that would assist in representing the population in giving the

information about the elements of peer pressure that should be considered in making interventions

for preventing suicide among adolescents.

Interview Method

Data is often gathered through the use of in-depth interviews with individuals. As a result,

quantitative data is collected more systematically, where researchers just ask a standard set of

questions and nothing more. Structured questions are used for the research where the participants

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are expected to respond based on the options provided. The questions are answered based on a

rating from 1 to 10, choosing from strongly agree to strongly disagree. In this case, as the

researcher, I will be asking ten questions to the 20 participants where the questions are designed

differently for the group of participants that is the mental health patients that have recovered from

suicide and their therapists (mental health professionals).

Depending on participant preferences, I will explore conducting interviews over the phone

or in person. For many years, telephone interviews were the gold standard for gathering data. As a

result, there has been a considerable increase in conducting video interviews through the internet,

Skype, or other online video calling platforms.

I consider technology a blessing that made it possible for us to interview without much

pressure, especially for the mental health professionals that might be busy can consider using the

telephone or skype to make sure that they respond to the interview questions. Interviewing

participants face-to-face is a reliable method for obtaining data directly from the people involved.

It facilitates the acquisition of high-quality data since it provides the opportunity to ask more in-

depth questions and probe further to gather more detailed and insightful information.

Face-to-face (F2F) surveys allow for the collection of non-verbal data through observation

or exploring complicated and unknown subjects, regardless of the participant's literacy level (Heale

& Twycross, 2015). F2F interviews have higher response rates even though they are more

expensive and time-consuming. I prefer the F2F interview approach because the participant can

become more involved and determined to respond to the questions and ensure we have reputable

feedback. If some of the participants find themselves committed and may not be available in

person, we can use the telephone as an alternative method to make the research work.

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10 Interview Questions

1. Do you agree that youth experiencing suicidal thoughts require monitoring and support

from family? If yes, at what percentage?

(Yes 100%, Yes 80%, Yes 50%, Yes 20% or No)

2. At what percentage has the government intervened towards mental health treatment and

awareness among the youth?

(0-100%)

3. Do you agree that involving youth that has overcome depression and suicidal thoughts in

mental health awareness programs will prevent more cases of suicide?

(Strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, or strongly disagree)

4. What is the effectiveness of using technology in creating awareness about suicidal

thoughts?

(More effective, effective, neutral, not effective or ineffective)

5. Do you support the idea that suicide cases among the youth are caused more by peer

pressure?

(Yes (0-100% or No

6. At what percentage do you agree that counselors or therapists are addressing the challenge

of suicide among the youth?

(0-100%)

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7. In the rate of 1-10, indicate the contribution of family background to the suicide cases

reported among the youth?

8. What percentage of emotional support that the youth need to overcome depressive

challenges? (0-10%)

9. At what rate does religious and social support help in preventing suicide among the youth?

(0-100%

10. What percentage role do mental health professionals play in preventing suicide among the

youth? (0-100%)

Data Processing

The data collected in an interview are not already numeric and will require processing to

have them in numeric format. Developing the interview questions will consider having some

questions attached to percentages and some numerical like 1 to 9 in giving opinions and responses

(Mohajan, 2017). There is information that is likely to need to be coded or transformed for the

purpose of an improved analysis. Immediately the interview data is collected when the data is

processed, turning all the information into a numerical format that makes it easy for analysis.

Data Analysis

As a researcher, I will employ various statistical tools in his hunt for meaningful

connections between variables. I will consider the data being analyzed using Graphs and pie charts,

the most common methods for visualizing the relationship between variables. These tools are

essential for communicating the results of quantitative data analysis to others.

According to standard statistical techniques like the Chi-squared test, quantitative research

must be considered seriously in order for its findings to be accepted (Mohajan, 2017). Big data has

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made it much easier to do what many sociology students despise. Analysis of the interview data is

important to get the percentage data about the best intervention that the mental health facility

should consider. Data analysis is an important section of the research method that determines the

findings and conclusions concerning the answer to the research question.

Findings and Conclusion

Based on data analysis, as a researcher, I have to interpret the data collected and analyzed

to get inferences concerning the intervention towards addressing suicide cases among adolescents.

Understanding the collected data helps the mental health facility adopt the best elements of peer

pressure during therapy sessions to ensure that the patient receives the best therapy programs to

prevent suicide (Heale & Twycross, 2015). The study outcome is about how the youth would

benefit from family and fellow youth support in creating mental health awareness and battling

suicidal thoughts to avoid them from happening. The research results will include the effectiveness

of mental health professionals and how emotional, social, and religious support contribute to

preventing suicide. Prevention is key to minimizing costs associated with treating adolescents.

Discussion

The research has limitations, especially on the interviewed participants, because the family,

friends, and community are not included in the study and affect the outcome. There is also the

limitation that the participants are not allowed to express themselves in totality because we need

the numerical data. The opportunity there is using technology to get the interview done in case

some participants decline face-to-face interviews. The study adds value to the fight against suicide

and mental health issues in general among the youth. The study ensures a proactive approach to

mental challenges that affect the youth.

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References

Farrelly, T. and Murphy, T. (2018) ‘Hindsight is 20/20 vision: what international students wished

they had known before coming to live and learn in Ireland’, Journal of International

Students, 8(4), pp. 1848-1864.

Heale, R. and Twycross, A. (2015) 'Validity and reliability in quantitative studies', Evidence-Based

Nursing, 18(3), pp. 66-67.

Leung, L. (2015) 'Validity, reliability, and generalizability in qualitative research', Journal of

Family Medicine and Primary Care, 4(3), pp. 324-327.

Mohajan, H. (2017) 'Two criteria for good measurements in research validity and reliability',

Annals of Spiru Haret University, 17(3), pp. 58-82.

Noble, H. and Smith, J. (2015) 'Issues of validity and reliability in qualitative research, Evidence-

Based Nursing, 18(2), pp. 34-35.