English Comp II

Waldorf University

QUESTION 1

Explanation of the chosen topic

Depression causes disability in a large subset of the population. The effects of depression have far-reaching consequences, not only for the economical but also for the social and political settings. Without adequate management, depression leads to immense losses. In essence, depression can be defined as feelings of severe despair and sadness. Individuals who are suffering from depression lack interest in things they previously thought to be vital to them (Carey, 2017).

Why the chosen topic is an active topic for the research paper

The question on depression will be a robust research paper topic in that it is clear and addresses one single issue - that is depression (this aspect makes the topic-specific). It also conveys the main idea clearly and thus reduces the need for more elaboration on the subject (Lewis, 2015).

Assumptions previously held about the topic

Depression comes into place when there is a lack of interest in activities that were previously believed to be important. It represents itself also with sleep disturbance, poor motor coordination, prolonged sadness and an inability to proceed with the activities of daily living effectively. Therefore, it is essential that individuals who present with any of these signs seek medical help as soon as possible to avoid worsening of their situation. Different approaches including medication, electroconvulsive therapy, psychotherapy, and interpersonal therapy are effective in dealing with depression (Guintivano et al., 2018).

QUESTION 2

Methods to use to obtain working knowledge for a research paper

There are varied methods that can be used to acquire working knowledge that can be useful in a research paper. Some of the valuable techniques include the use of books from a library or another resource center, the use of the internet to collect relevant data from published websites and journals, the use of encyclopedias and textbooks. The collection of information from people who have either suffered from the conditions identified at some point may also be useful. Government institutions are also useful avenues for collecting research information (Okun et al., 2018).

How to research topics can be narrowed down

Research topics can be narrowed down using the PICO method. The PICO method is an acronym that stands for patient or problem, intervention, comparison, and outcome. This method enables the researcher to narrow down the information to fit into the identified case or scenario and to assess a specific group. For instance, in the case of depression, individuals with a problem such as postpartum mothers can be identified, useful interventions and the comparisons and expected outcomes kept into consideration. The topic may then be narrowed down to challenges facing the management of women with postpartum depression during the postpartum period (Patel et al., 2017).

QUESTION 3

Research Proposal for the Final Paper

Topic: Challenges facing the management of women with postpartum depression.

Background: Depression has the capability of causing disability. An individual suffering from depression is unable to cope appropriately with the activities of daily living. Mothers, during the postpartum period, are at high risk of postpartum depression. Those mothers who are affected by postpartum depression are not capable to appropriately fend for the needs of their children during this period. It is thus crucial to identify the challenges that the clinicians and other medical personnel go through as they treat the mothers during this period (Wilson et al., 2017).

The paper in itself will seek to identify the various consequences of postpartum depression. These consequences include a decrease in the bonding of the mother and the child, an increase in child mortality and morbidity rates and a decline in the health of the child due to the unavailability of the mother.

The post-partum period in itself describes six months after the delivery of the child and is a very crucial time during the growth and development of the child in question.

Thesis statement: Postpartum depression makes it difficult for the mother to have a good relationship with his or her child. It has a high prevalence rate especially among women at the postpartum period. To properly manage postpartum depression, it is essential to identify the various challenges that accompany it during the post-partum period.

QUESTION 4

Interest inventory of some of the topics I would like to write about

1. Challenges are facing the management of women with postpartum depression.

2. The relationship between sleep disturbance and postpartum depression

3. Effects of depression in postpartum women

4. How depression decreases the life span of human beings.

5. How depression affects colleague students

6. Depression among university lectures due to burnout and how it can be avoided

7. The association between sleep and sleep disturbance and depression.

8. Depression in medical students and medical tutors due to the lack of supplies.

9. The relationship between grieving and depression.

Ways that can be used to determine the topic

The topic to be researched must be concise and to the point. Additionally, the material for the research topic should be readily available without much strain. The research topic should be narrow enough to meet the context but should be broad enough to be researched. The issue should be captivating enough to capture not only the writer of the research but also the readers in different contexts. Additionally, it should be possible to develop a list of keywords that can be used to obtain more information about the topic.

References

Carey, M. (2017). Qualitative research skills for social work: Theory and practice. Routledge.

Guintivano, J., Sullivan, P. F., Stuebe, A. M., Penders, T., Thorp, J., Rubinow, D. R., & Meltzer-Brody, S. (2018). Adverse life events, psychiatric history, and biological predictors of postpartum depression in an ethnically diverse sample of postpartum women. Psychological medicine, 48(7), 1190-1200.

Lewis, S. (2015). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Health promotion practice, 16(4), 473-475.

Okun, M. L., Mancuso, R. A., Hobel, C. J., Schetter, C. D., & Coussons-Read, M. (2018). Poor sleep quality increases symptoms of depression and anxiety in postpartum women. Journal of behavioral medicine, 41(5), 703-710.

Patel, V. (2017). Talking sensibly about depression. PLoS medicine, 14(4), e1002257.

Wilson, E. (Ed.). (2017). School-based research: a guide for education students. Sage.