Term Paper on "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Quantitative Research PTSD"

Term Paper 4 pages (1934 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Quantitative Research PTSD

Quantitative Research

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Most often the veterans who had experienced some type of abuse came from "home backgrounds characterized by marital dysfunction, impaired parenting, and impaired parent-veteran relationships and from families in which there are parental adjustment problems." The adolescents were interviewed by us in 2-hour sessions on a wide range of mental health issues. Information was collected from a study on the veteran's family, social, economic, and related areas. Based on the answers to these questions the researcher would then proceed forward and ask more questions or end the interview. The findings of this research found that nearly 25% of females and 10% of males reported exposure to veteran PTSD by the age of 35 (Foa, Keane, and Friedman, 2000). Results were conclusive of those who experienced veteran Post Traumatic Stress Disorder did tend have increased risks of psychiatric disorders. Similarly generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, springs from two main factors: biological vulnerability to anxiety and stress due to negative events. For example, someone can inherit a tendency to be tense. Too much stress can make them from tense to nervous. This can then escalade to intense worry, which can result in physiological changes and lead to GAD (Williams, and Poijula, 2002).

Statement of Problem

The reason of this research is to examine the preponderance of PTSD among veterans who currently are experiencing bi-polar disorder in addition to (GAD) generalized anxiety disorder, and PTSD (Schiraldi, 2000).

Rationale and Importance of Research

As a student desiring to become a community mental health facility counselor, it is the researcher's obligation to be become aware of the occurrence of abuse (physical, emotional as well as sexual) among those who are currently experiencing bipolar disorder, major depression, and PTSD diagnosable by the DSM-IV. By studying the prevalence of childhood abuse in a specific population, the researcher will have a greater awareness of abuse among those who have specific diagnosis by the DSM-IV (Wilson, and Keane, 1996). (See Appendix)

Formulated Research Questions

The results of the present research provided information pertaining to the following questions:

1. Are those veterans from a lower class status more prone to developing PTSD and its related factors?

2. Does this affect the family, friends, colleagues, or peers that are in contact with the diagnosed veterans suffering from PTSD?

3. Are TBI, depression, and GAD related to PTSD?

4. Is there solid basis to continue to diagnose veterans with PTSD?

5. Can something be done to slow down the process of PTSD and Can PTSD be prevented?

Composite Null Hypothesis

All null hypotheses will be tested at the .05 level of significance.

1. The differences among the mean of Becks Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores for individuals who are currently experiencing bipolar disorder, major depression, and PTSD diagnosable by the DSM-IV who are seeking treatment according to veterans, substance abuse and socioeconomic status will not be statistically significant.

2. The differences among the mean of BDI-II scores for individuals who are currently experiencing bipolar disorder, major depression, and PTSD diagnosable by the DSM-IV who are seeking treatment according to substance abuse, socioeconomic status and stress within the family will not be statistically significant.

3. The differences among the mean of BDI-II scores for individuals who are currently experiencing bipolar disorder, major depression, and PTSD diagnosable by the DSM-IV who are seeking treatment according to socioeconomic status, stress within the family, and veterans will not be statistically significant

4. The differences among the mean of BDI-II scores for individuals who are currently experiencing bipolar disorder, major depression, and PTSD diagnosable by the DSM-IV who are seeking treatment according to stress within the family, veterans, and substance abuse will not be statistically significant.

Sample/Population

Our population will be comprised of two sample groups. These sample groups will be two non-clinical sample groups chosen in 2002 and 2008. The sample group from 2002 consisted of 958 veterans and the second sample group from 2008 with 1520 veterans (Foa, Keane, and Friedman, 2000). The respondents will be given similar questionnaires each year that asked about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder experiences. The authors felt their findings coincided with well with past research and concluded long-term effects of these practices lead to problems such as depression and anxiety. They also concluded that the injury in early childhood correlated with strong emotional problems and various dysfunctional behaviors.

The research will be performed by the participants completing a survey questionnaire. There will be many variables taken into consideration when this test will be given. Because the researchers wanted to include Hispanic and American Indian populations, several interpreters will also be hired to make sure that none of the participants statements will be translated falsely or the meaning will be lost or changed. Of the 2,023 participants, 20 of those participants' data will not be used because of multiple inconsistencies in the answers given. The researchers concluded that about 64% of the total sample reported experiencing no veteran PTSD, 3% informed contact harassment, 6% reported compulsion, 6% reported tried rate, and 21% reported assault (Williams, and Poijula, 2002).

Depression scored will be highest for those who had experienced contact molestation, coercion, attempted rape or rape than for those who reported no veteran PTSD. The researchers further concluded that veteran PTSD will be the strongest predictor of depression symptoms for the whole sample rather than for each ethnic group. After all research and data will be complied, the researchers found that veteran Post Traumatic Stress Disorder will be more considerably associated to depressive indications. Veteran PTSD will be the most potent forecaster of grownup depressive disorder and the merely important forecaster (Schiraldi, 2000).

Independent Variables and Rationale

The independent variables investigated will be veterans, substance abuse, socioeconomic status and stress within the veterans. The rationale for selection of these variables will be the following:

1. few studies will found to be dealing with the topic of the preponderance of puerility ill-treatment (physical, emotional as well as sexual) among veterans who currently are experiencing bi-polar disorder, major depression, and PTSD diagnosable by the DSM-IV, and TBI, depression, and GAD are related to PTSD

2. many studies dealt with only one diagnosis,

3. And many studies only dealt with one type of childhood abuse

Demographics

All independent variables will be taken from the self-reported information of the Demographic Sheet. The following independent variables will be investigated:

1. veterans - 7 levels;

a. level 1, two parent family

b. level 2, household headed by mother

c. level 3, household headed by father

d. level 4, household headed by other family member (i.e., grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, etc.).

e. level 5, ward of state

f. level 6, legally emancipated

g. level 7, other unspecified

2. substance abuse - 14 levels;

a. level 1, polyuser (uses two or more from below list)

b. level 2, alcohol

c. level 3, cocaine powder

d. level 4, crack cocaine

e. level 5, marijuana/hashish

f. level 6, heroin

g. level 7, uppers

h. level 9, downers

i. level 10, hallucinogens

j. level 11, PCP

k. level 13, inhalants

l. level 14, Miscellaneous others unspecified

3. socioeconomic status - 5 levels;

a. level 1, lower class

b. level 2, lower middle class

c. level 3, upper middle class

d. level 4, lower upper class

e. level 5, upper class

4. stress within the family - 8 levels;

a. level 1, substance abuse

b. level 2, financial

c. level 3, relationship/martial

d. level 4, employment/work related

e. Level 5, death/loss of family member, friend, etc.

f. level 6, health/aging parents

g. level 7, parental responsibilities

h. level 8, other unspecified

Dependent Variables

Scores from the BDI-II will be employed as dependent variables. Expected scores can be ranging from 05-63.

Reliability

In evaluating research, have some methodological problems. Perhaps the most crucial are reliability in addition to validity. Reliability is a central constituent of behavioral sciences and could be easily integrated into channelized observances to determine the optimum level of execution. Nevertheless, just 48% (excepting those who use computerized judgment) accounted reliability assessment measurements. It is expected that the results are worse for assessing social significance (28% reporting, reliability), social importance (4% reporting reliability) and validation processes (8% accounting reliability). There were used various processes that can ensure the reliability of measurement methods, including questionnaire retest. (Wilson, and Keane, 1996).

Validity

Validation processes are effectual so far as they evaluate what they take about the measurement. This is crucial that beneficial internal as well as external validity checking which are valid. External validity checking processes described here is doubtful. Researchers believe that they measure the sizes may have little relationship to the one that actually assessed as well as face validity is sufficient because the exclusive standard for assessing validity of measuring instrument (Foa, Keane and Friedman, 2000).

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