Assessment;

Discussion stating the problem and research question

Assessment type;

Discussion

Word limit/length;

700 words (all inclusive of in-text citations, reference list,)

Overview

Choose a topic, develop a problem statement and formulate a research question that critically examines an area of personal interest in Mental Health located within your discipline or course specialisation. The format of the research question will fit the type of critical review that suits your topic and problem statement. You will discuss this process.

Learning Outcomes

This assessment task is aligned with the following learning outcomes:

1. Develop a research question and problem statement to guide critical examination of an area of personal interest in Mental Health, located within your discipline or course specialisation.

Instructions;

Use , associated readings 1.2a-e, and the Assignment rubric (over page) as guidance:

Write your assignment as a discussion, including:

1. Problem statement (significance of the research problem);

2. The systematic review type that best fits the problem;

3. Structured question;

4. The question format (e.g. ‘PICO’, ‘PICo’, ‘PEO’) and how the question fits the format;

5. Justification of question format referring to Reading 1.2 by Munn et al. (2018) and your problem statement.

6. Reference/s (a minimum of 5 references)
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Problem Statement:

Mental health is a crucial aspect of overall well-being and is as important as physical health. Despite advancements in mental health research and treatments, mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and stress continue to affect individuals globally. The stigma associated with mental health and the lack of access to quality care further compound the problem.

Research Question:

The research question for this critical examination of mental health is, “What is the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in young adults?”

Systematic Review Type:

The systematic review type that best fits this research question is a meta-analysis. A meta-analysis is an empirical investigation that combines and quantitatively synthesizes the results of multiple studies to draw inferences and make conclusions.

Question Format:

The question format that fits this research question is the PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) format. The population in this case is young adults, the intervention is mindfulness-based interventions, the comparison is with other treatments or a control group, and the outcome is the reduction of … continue …

Justification of Question Format:

The PICO format is commonly used in evidence-based practice to clarify and define the elements of a clinical question (Munn et al., 2018). In the context of this research question, the PICO format provides a clear and concise structure for identifying the relevant aspects of the study. The population element defines the group of individuals being studied, young adults, which allows for a clear understanding of who the findings will apply to. The intervention element defines the specific type of treatment being evaluated, mindfulness-based interventions, which helps to clarify the focus of the study. The comparison element allows for a comparison of the mindfulness-based interventions with other treatments or a control group, providing a clearer understanding of the effectiveness of the intervention being evaluated. The outcome element defines the specific outcome being measured, reduction of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, which allows for a clear understanding of the impact of the intervention.

By using the PICO format, this research question provides a clear and concise structure for evaluating the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in young adults. This format helps to ensure that the study is focused, relevant, and will provide useful and applicable findings.

References:
Munn, Z., Hasson, F., Naughton, F., & Entwistle, V. (2018). Developing clear and focused clinical questions: a stepwise approach using PICO. Journal of advanced nursing, 74(9), 2066-2075.