NUR 590 Evidence Based Project Proposal Evaluation Plan

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Research Question to Research Implication

Vera Obata

Walden University

SOCW 3004

Dr. Deborah Mills

August 5th , 2021

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Research Question to Research Implication

Background Information

Drug and alcohol abuse is becoming a major problem that has significantly affected the

lives of many people not only in the United States but also in many countries in the world. In the

25-30 age range, approximately 45% of deaths from homicides, accidents, and suicides involve

drug or alcohol abuse (Jenkins, Slemon & Haines-Saah, 2017). Individuals who abuse alcohol

are at a greater risk of using drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, and heroin. Some people abuse

alcohol and drugs to compensate for depression, anxiety, trauma, and lack of positive social

skills. Apart from being related to lower academic performances, drugs and alcohol have led to

addiction, health-related issues, crime, violence, mental disorders, depression, low self-esteem,

and cyberbullying. It is also a significant influencer of theft and risky sexual behaviors (Tembo,

Burns & Kalembo, 2017). With the increasing negative impacts of drugs and alcohol, significant

strategies should be taken to enable safer use and reduce the challenging effects. Some of these

strategies include education, family-based treatment, connecting with the community, and

community policing.

According to statistics conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health

(NSDUH), roughly 20 million adults in the U.S are battling substance abuse disorder. About

74% of individuals with substance abuse problems also struggle with alcoholism and

approximately 38% suffer from illicit drug use disorder (NIH, 2021). The same body of research

found out that 8.5 million adults have both SUD and mental illnesses. About 40% to 60% of

people’s risk of addiction is caused by genetics counting the impacts of people’s environments

on genetic factor expression. Influences of drug and alcohol abuse include domestic abuse and

violent households, influence, poor achievements in school, and the attitudes of community

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members towards drugs (Fatima, 2017). Nonetheless, approximately 1.3 million people received

treatment for alcoholism and addiction in 2020. That is estimated to be less than 10 percent of

the people who needed it.

Summary of the Articles

Article 1: Developing harm reduction in the context of youth substance use: insights from a

multi-site qualitative analysis of young people’s harm minimization strategies by Jenkins et

al.

In this article, Jenkins and his colleagues use facts gathered from the Researching

Adolescent Distress and Resilience (RADAR) research study to provide a look into mental issues

and substance use among the youth. The researchers collected data from interviews with young

people in a sample of three communities the rural, suburban, and urban areas (Jenkins, Slemon &

Haines-Saah, 2017). They also conducted a multi-site qualitative analysis to find the themes in

each site of research. The results and findings showed that substance abuse among young people

was shaped by political contexts, socioculturals, and geographic contexts. The strength of this

article is that it provides a rationale of young adult’s experiences of substance use and harm

reduction strategies that can be effectively integrated into this research. This is also one of the

major reasons why it is related to my research question. The authors suggest further research on

reduction strategies across, socially, culturally, and geographically differentiated contexts.

Article 2: The association between levels of alcohol consumption and mental health

problems and academic performance among young university students by Tembo, Burns &

Kalembo

In this article, the researchers investigate the link between alcohol abuse levels and

mental issues and school performance of students in universities. They use a cross-sectional

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design using information collected from Youth Alcohol Project in 2014. Repondents were

arbitrarily selected from a group of 6000 undergraduates (Tembo, Burns & Kalembo, 2017). The

data collection technique was through an online survey through email invitations. Results

showed that approximately 44% of the participants consumed alcohol at harmful or hazardous

levels. Findings showed that High consumption of alcohol led to mental health problems and

poor academic performances. The strength of this research is that it provides comprehensive data

on mental health problems related to the harmful consumption of alcohol. This is significantly

related to my research question. The limitation is that it does not provide data from recent

studies. Further research is needed on barriers to addressing drug use and mental helath issues

among the youth.

Article 3: Drug Abuse among Youth: Causes, Effects and Control by Iqura Fatima

This article provides an analysis of drug abuse among the youth. Using statistics and data

from government records and other sources the author provides facts and figures on the

prevalence of drug abuse in the country. First, the author provides statistics and facts on drug

abuse including cigarettes and alcohol use. She then provides an analysis of the causes of drug

abuse among young adults including, peer pressure, and depression. She also provides solutions

and remedies to drug abuse (Fatima, 2017). This article is related to my research question and its

main strength is that it provides significant information concerning the prevalence of drug abuse

among young adults. It is also significant since it provides facts and statistics that can be used in

this research. However, one limitation of the methodologies presented in this article is that there

is no primary research. The authors recommend more research on individual interventions for

addressing drug abuse.

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Article 4: Sensitive periods of substance abuse: Early risk for the transition to dependence

by Jordan and Andersen.

Jordan and Andersen provide an analysis of the sensitive period of substance abuse. They

also provide al look inti lifelong substance abuse disorder (SUD) among the youth and how it

interferes with neurodevelopment. The authors collected data from a different secondary and

primary sources, such as case studies and books to provides the answers to their research

questions (Jordan & Andersen, 2017). The strength of this article is that, it provides data on the

effects of substance abuse and the preventive measures that can be used to answer research

questions effectively. However, the limitation is that the researchers did not have field research

for substantial data. The researchers recommend further research on adolescent and juvenile

periods and sex differences to understand the early risks of substance abuse problems and

effective prevention strategies.

Why it is Important to Know the Limitations of Studies before Using them.

It is imperative to undertand the studies’ limitations to align them with the best reasons

for conducting particular research. By understanding the limitations of research studies,

researchers will be able to anticipate the criticism in their research. It will help them work with

limited resources that dictate the scope of their investigation, possibly realize mistakes in the

design or experimentation post-hoc and what went wrong. Nonetheless, understanding

limitations helps me to build a reputation as a researcher who weighs all the evidence carefully.

Since I want my work to get published in reputable peer-reviewed journals and attract plenty of

citations to help my career, it is critical to understand the limitations of studies.

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How this Research will Inform my Practice

Evidence-based practice also consists of the practitioner’s expertise and the client’s

preferences, but using the available research will always be a big part. This research will help me

understand which interventions work and who they work with in regards to different cultures and

different presenting problems. “Proving” the efficacy of an intervention is also crucial for

funding as most social workers in non-profit organizations. This research gives me a broader

perspective on the problems, the causes, and the right intervention strategies. This research gave

me the information I needed to design effective interventions for people with alcohol and drug

abuse problems. It also gives me a broader perspective of what clients may be dealing with.

Also, it is vital for delivering high quality.

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References

Fatima, I. (2017). Drug Abuse among Youth: Causes, Effects, and Control. J Integ Comm Health

2017, 6(1), 1-5. ISSN: 2319 – 9113.

Jenkins, E. K., Slemon, A., & Haines-Saah, R. J. (2017). Developing harm reduction in the

context of youth substance use: insights from a multi-site qualitative analysis of young

people’s harm minimization strategies. Harm reduction journal, 14(1), 1-11. DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-017-0180-z

Jordan, C. J., & Andersen, S. L. (2017). Sensitive periods of substance abuse: Early risk for the

transition to dependence. Developmental cognitive neuroscience, 25, 29-44.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2016.10.004

National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism (NIH). (2021). Alcohol Facts and

Statistics | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). NIH.

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-

statistics

Tembo, C., Burns, S., & Kalembo, F. (2017). The association between levels of alcohol

consumption and mental health problems and academic performance among young

university students. PLoS One, 12(6), e0178142.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0178142