15 Trending Psychology Research Topics for Students

Background and Context

Cyberbullying, referred to as the act of using digital communication tools to harass, threaten, or harm others, has become a significant concern in today's digital age (Ben-Joseph, 2018). Studies have shown that a significant number of students have reported being bullied online. Also, (Pacer's, 2023) reported that 1 out of every 5 students (around 20.2%) experienced cyberbullying, while (Lewinsky, 2023) revealed that approximately 34% of students in the United States (aged 12-17) have been cyberbullied at some point, with 20% reporting suicides and other bullying-related issues. Furthermore, (Maurya et al., 2022) highlighted that cyberbullying not only affects the well-being and mental health of individuals but also leads to long-term effects such as depression and suicidal ideations. Efforts to detect and address cyberbullying are crucial in safeguarding the mental, physical, and social well-being of children and adolescents. Research into current methods for detecting cyberbullying and recommending effective actions to combat this issue is essential for creating a safer online environment for the younger population (espeal, 2022). By highlighting the associated consequences of cyberbullying and exploring detection methods, this study aims to contribute to the development of effective strategies for addressing cyberbullying on social media and protecting the well-being of children and adolescents.

Research aims & objectives

The primary aim of this research study is to delve into the prevalent issue of cyberbullying victimization in social media to explore its key issues, and impacts on the children and adolescents and to provide suitable future directions.

SMART Objectives

The SMART objectives for this study could be set as following-

• Specific: To conduct systematic review on studying the issue, impact, and detection methods pertinent to cyberbullying victimization among adolescents and children on social media platforms
• Measurable: To reduce the rate of prevalence of cyberbullying victimization among adolescents on social media by adopting suitable measures
• Achievable: To collect and analyze the comprehensive range of reliable secondary sources on cyberbullying victimization among adolescents in social media following PRISMA guidelines
• Relevant: To explore the effectiveness of existing cyberbullying victimization detection methods on social media to propose suitable future directions.
• Time bound: To accomplish this study by achieving all the objectives within 3-4 months.

Research Questions

The below mentioned will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: What are the prevalent forms of cyberbullying victimization experienced by children and adolescents on social media platforms, and what are their impacts on mental health and well-being?

RQ2: How effective are the existing methods for detecting cyberbullying victimization among adolescents and children on social media?

RQ3: What are the potential future directions for improving the detection and prevention of cyberbullying victimization among adolescents and children on social media?

Research Methodology

To successfully accomplish the aforementioned research objectives and research questions, a qualitative research methodology will be taken into consideration, under which a systematic review of existing literature will be conducted (Owens, 2021). The qualitative research methodology will involve the systematic collection and analysis of existing literature, including academic papers, reports, and other relevant sources, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the prevalent forms of cyberbullying victimization, its impacts on mental health and well-being, and the effectiveness of existing detection methods. (Ganeshkumar and Gopalakrishnan, 2013). Furthermore, following Saunders’ research onion model, interpretivism research philosophy, and inductive approach will be followed in this study, that allow for a nuanced exploration of the experiences and impacts of cyberbullying victimization, providing valuable insights into the subjective experiences of children and adolescents (Owens, 2021). The research will follow a systematic review process, adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, to ensure the comprehensive collection and analysis of reliable secondary sources. This will involve searching multiple databases (PubMed, Science Direct, ACM Library, Taylor & Francis, etc.), screening the identified literature based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and synthesizing the findings to address the research questions (Poklepovic Pericic and Tanveer, 2019). Thus, collected data will be then analyzed by adopting a thematic analysis method, under which different themes will be formulated to cover the different aspects and elements of this research study, so that the defined objectives and questions can be addressed (Ganeshkumar and Gopalakrishnan, 2013).

References

• Ben-Joseph, E. (2018). Cyberbullying (for Teens) - KidsHealth. [online] Kidshealth.org. Available at: https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/cyberbullying.html.
• espeal (2022). Cyberbullying: A Resource for School Social Workers. [online] CORP-MSW1 (OMSWP). Available at: https://www.onlinemswprograms.com/resources/cyberbullying [Accessed 17 Jan. 2024].
• Lewinsky, M. (2023). Cyberbullying | Special Feature. [online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/cyberbullying.
• Pacer's (2023). Bullying statistics. [online] www.pacer.org. Available at: https://www.pacer.org/bullying/info/stats.asp.
• Ganeshkumar, P. and Gopalakrishnan, S. (2013). Systematic Reviews and meta-analysis: Understanding the Best Evidence in Primary Healthcare. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, [online] 2(1), pp.9-14. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/2249-4863.109934.
• Owens, J.K. (2021). Systematic reviews: Brief overview of methods, limitations, and resources. Nurse Author & Editor, [online] 31(3-4), pp.69-72. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/nae2.28.
• Poklepovic Pericic, T. and Tanveer, S. (2019). Why systematic reviews matter | Elsevier Connect. [online] www.elsevier.com. Available at: https://www.elsevier.com/en-in/connect/why-systematic-reviews-matter [Accessed 17 Jan. 2024].

Background and Context

Many children have worry, fear and different feelings of being happy, sad, depressed and hopeless over the time, but often appears in their developmental period (Smith, Segal and Segal, 2018). A report of CDC revealed that fears and worries are typical among children, but extreme and persistent forms of fear and sadness could be a resultant of depression and anxiety (CDC, 2019). Furthermore, a study conducted by (James et al., 2015), anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric issue, which occurs among 5-19% children and adolescents. Additionally, this study revealed that the prevalence of this issue varies according to different age groups and found that among children of age < 12 years, prevalence varies between 2.6% to 5.2%. Amongst different anxiety disorders, separation anxiety is one of the most common disorders (Howe-Davies et al., 2022). These disorders are most often associated with other comorbidities including suicidal ideation, depressive episodes, social phobia, substance abuse, and ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (van Steensel et al., 2022)). Currently, various treatment options are there to combat these issues among children, amongst which behavioral therapies are mostly adopted. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a collaborative psychological treatment method which is used for treating individuals, groups, adolescents, children and parents or families with anxiety disorders in 9-20 sessions. A study by (James et al., 2015) revealed that CBT for children and adolescent’s anxiety disorders have shown 56% positive response rate, but up-to-date evidence regarding the factors affecting the efficacy of CBT in treating anxiety disorder among children remains an open research issue. These factors may include severity of the condition, clinical practice factors, and the combination with other treatments. Understanding these factors is crucial to provide a consensus view on the effectiveness of CBT for treating anxiety disorders among children. Therefore, the current study focused on exploring the effectiveness of existing solutions and strategies such as CBT used for treating anxiety disorders among children, underscoring different factors affecting the efficacy of these interventions.

Research aims & objectives

The overarching aim of this study is to explore how effective CBT is for treating children with anxiety disorders, underscoring the limitations of this method, so that suitable recommendations for improvements can be provided.

SMART Objectives

The SMART objectives for this study could be set as following-

• Specific: To determine the effectiveness of CBT in reducing specific symptoms of anxiety disorders among children
• Measurable: To reduce anxiety disorders’ symptoms between CBT group and the control groups receiving other treatment modalities or interventions.
• Achievable: To collect the required secondary sources to perform and literature based analysis to determine the effectiveness of CBT children with anxiety disorders.
• Relevant: To provide evidence-based recommendations for enhancing support systems and promoting inclusivity to mitigate the impact of hate crime victimization on the well-being of the LGBT population.
• Time bound: To present the study’s findings and recommendations within the period of 90 days.

Research Questions

The below mentioned will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: Which are the most prevalent and commonly occurring anxiety disorders among children and what are comorbidities associated with them?

RQ2: What are the long and short term impacts of anxiety disorders on children?

RQ3: To what extent does CBT is effective in reducing anxiety symptoms in children?

RQ4: What are the key factors affecting the efficacy of the CBT interventions in treating children’s anxiety disorders and what are possible future directions for improvements?

Research Methodology

For determining the effectiveness of CBT in treating children’s anxiety disorders, a mixed research approach will be used, under which descriptive analysis will be performed following the quantitative research principles (Patel and Patel, 2019). Whilst, for the qualitative assessment, a comprehensive literature review will be conducted to determine the gaps in existing studies and to compare the findings obtained from descriptive statistics with available evidence in research studies (Fidahic et al., 2020). To perform descriptive statistics, a secondary dataset will be collected from the online repositories such as UCI, Kaggle, dataverse, etc., on which ANOVA, T-Test and other statistical tests will be employed to determine the effectiveness of the CBT in treating children’s anxiety disorders (Kaliyadan and Kulkarni, 2019). Below is the sample dataset presented, which can be considered for conducting this analysis to meet the primary objectives-

• Dataset link: https://dataverse.nl/file.xhtml?fileId=12250&version=1.1
• Sample Size: 128
• Variables: Age, Gender, CBT treatment Scales, condition, symptoms, intervention type, etc.

In this study, the choice of research philosophy would be “Pragmatism”, whilst both “Inductive and Deductive” approaches can be adopted under the mixed-methods research approach, as per Saunders’ onion model (Phair and Warren, 2021). The main reason behind these methodological choices is because it can provide a more complete picture of complex phenomena and answer research questions more thoroughly by addressing the effectiveness of CBT to treat children with anxiety disorders. Alongside, to perform literature based analysis, MDPI, Science direct, Elsevier, Research Gate, etc. will be used for collecting reliable sources including research articles, book chapters, conference preceding and peer reviewed studies (Dawadi, Shrestha and Giri, 2021). The collected data will be then analyzed using a thematic analysis method, under which not only these secondary sources will be analyzed, but the results from descriptive statistics will also be discussed for presenting generalized research findings.

References

• CDC (2019). Anxiety and depression in children. [online] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/depression.html.
• Dawadi, S., Shrestha, S. and Giri, R.A. (2021). Mixed-Methods Research: a Discussion on Its Types, Challenges, and Criticisms. Journal of Practical Studies in Education, [online] 2(2), pp.25–36. doi:https://doi.org/10.46809/jpse.v2i2.20.
• Fidahic, M., Nujic, D., Runjic, R., Civljak, M., Markotic, F., Lovric Makaric, Z. and Puljak, L. (2020). Research methodology and characteristics of journal articles with original data, preprint articles and registered clinical trial protocols about COVID-19. BMC Medical Research Methodology, [online] 20(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-020-01047-2.
• Howe-Davies, H., Hobson, C., Waters, C. and van Goozen, S.H.M. (2022). Emotional and socio-cognitive processing in young children with symptoms of anxiety. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 32. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-022-02050-2.
• James, A.C., James, G., Cowdrey, F.A., Soler, A. and Choke, A. (2015). Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, [online] 2(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd004690.pub4.
• Kaliyadan, F. and Kulkarni, V. (2019). Types of variables, descriptive statistics, and sample size. Indian Dermatology Online Journal, 10(1), pp.82–86. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/idoj.IDOJ_468_18.
• Patel, M. and Patel, N. (2019). Exploring Research Methodology: Review Article. International Journal of Research & Review, 6(3).
• Phair, D. and Warren, K. (2021). Saunders’ Research Onion: Explained Simply. [online] Grad Coach. Available at: https://gradcoach.com/saunders-research-onion/.
• Smith, M., Segal, R. and Segal, J. (2018). Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy, and Other Anxiety Treatments. [online] Helpguide.org. Available at: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/therapy-for-anxiety-disorders.htm.
• van Steensel, F.J.A., Telman, L.G.E., Maric, M. and Bögels, S.M. (2022). Modular CBT for Childhood Anxiety Disorders: Evaluating Clinical Outcomes and its Predictors. Child Psychiatry & Human Development. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-022-01437-1

Background and Context

Hate crime victimization involves criminal acts fueled by prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or other characteristics (cejce.berkeley, 2023). Worldwide, prevalence varies due to cultural factors such as reporting mechanisms, legal definitions, and societal attitudes toward certain groups (Schweppe, 2021). In the US, it is found that in comparison to non-LGBT people, LGBT people are 9 times more likely to be the victims of hate crimes (Dowd, 2022). Between 2017 and 2019, LGBT individuals experienced 6.6 violent hate crime victimizations per 1,000 people, contrasting with 0.8 per 1,000 for non-LGBT individuals, according to the “National Crime Victimization Survey”, as per (Truman et al., 2019). These individuals may be targeted based on their sexual orientation or gender identity and these crimes can range from verbal abuse and threats to physical violence (Meyer, 2003). These consequences can be attributed to the experience of prejudice events, expectations of rejection, hiding and concealing, internalized homophobia, and coping processes. In order to overcome these consequences, coping mechanisms, which refer to the strategies individuals use to manage and reduce the negative effects of hate crime victimization, are used (Doan Van et al., 2018). Despite this, FBI data reveals a concerning trend, with over 1,300 reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation in 2020, indicating the persistent challenges include societal attitudes and legal gaps (Fitzsimons, 2019). Despite the frequency of these crimes across the U.S., the framework and approaches used for addressing these issues varies in different states, with some robust and strut legislation and others with limited power and capacities (Doan Van et al., 2018). Thus, addressing this issue on a national level is important to protect the fundamental rights of the LGBT community across the US, and the current study will also be based on this issue, providing understanding of hate crime impacts, evaluate coping mechanisms, and provide evidence-based recommendations to enhance support systems and promote inclusivity for the well-being of the LGBT population.

Research aims & objectives

The aim of this study is to comprehensively examine the consequences of hate crime victimization within the LGBT communities in the United States, with a specific focus on coping mechanisms employed by individuals to mitigate these consequences. Additionally, the study aims to assess the effectiveness of existing coping strategies and identify potential areas for improvement.

SMART Objectives

The SMART objectives for this study could be set as following-

• Specific: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of hate crime victimization against the LGBT community in the US by analyzing the US Hate Crime Dataset from 2010 to 2019.
• Measurable: To evaluate and improve the psychological and social impacts of hate crime victimization on LGBT individuals through quantitative analysis of relevant data.
• Achievable: To collect a secondary dataset to assess the effectiveness of existing coping mechanisms used by LGBT individuals to manage the effects of hate crime victimization and identify areas for improvement.
• Relevant: To provide evidence-based recommendations for enhancing support systems and promoting inclusivity to mitigate the impact of hate crime victimization on the well-being of the LGBT population.
• Time bound: To present the study’s findings and recommendations within the period of 90 days.

Research Questions

The below mentioned research questions will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: What are the prevalence and characteristics of hate crime victimization against the LGBT community in the US?

RQ2: What are the psychological and social impacts of hate crime victimization on LGBT individuals?

RQ3: What coping mechanisms are currently utilized by LGBT individuals to manage the effects of hate crime victimization?

RQ4: How effective are these coping mechanisms, and how can they be improved to better support the well-being of LGBT individuals?

Research Methodology

The study will utilize a quantitative investigation approach, incorporating descriptive statistics using the secondary dataset to address the research questions and objectives (Zook and Pearce, 2018). Additionally, relevant secondary data, such as the “National Crime Victimization Survey” and reliable journal articles, will be analyzed to evaluate the psychological and social impacts of hate crime victimization on the LGBT community. Data will be collected from secondary sources such as a dataset “US Hate Crime Dataset from 2010 to 2019” and other secondary sources published in high quality journals, conference proceedings and other sources. Descriptive statistics such as chi-square tests and t-tests, will be applied to analyze the data (PRIULLI et al., 2022). In addition, by following the research onion model, “Pragmatism” research philosophy will be taken into account to perform descriptive statistics while adopting deductive approach (Seuring, Stella and Stella, 2021). These approaches help in drawing both quantitative and qualitative evidence by providing robust evidence to existing theory. The effectiveness of coping mechanisms will be assessed through a comprehensive review of existing literature and empirical evidence (Snyder, 2019). The study will result in the development of evidence-based recommendations to enhance support systems and promote inclusivity for the well-being of the LGBT population (Patel and Patel, 2019).

References

• Patel, M. and Patel, N. (2019). Exploring Research Methodology: Review Article. International Journal of Research & Review, 6(3).
• cejce.berkeley (2023). What is a hate crime? | Centers for Educational Justice & Community Engagement. [online] cejce.berkeley.edu. Available at: https://cejce.berkeley.edu/report-incident/what-hate-crime.
• Doan Van, E.E., Mereish, E.H., Woulfe, J.M. and Katz-Wise, S.L. (2018). Perceived Discrimination, Coping Mechanisms, and Effects on Health in Bisexual and Other Non-Monosexual Adults. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 48(1), pp.159–174. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1254-z.
• Dowd, R. (2022). LGBT people nine times more likely than non-LGBT people to be victims of violent hate crimes. [online] Williams Institute. Available at: https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/lgbt-hate-crimes-press-release/.
• Fitzsimons, T. (2019). Nearly 1 in 5 hate crimes motivated by anti-LGBTQ bias, FBI finds. [online] NBC News. Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/nearly-1-5-hate-crimes-motivated-anti-lgbtq-bias-fbi-n1080891.
• Meyer, I.H. (2003). Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: Conceptual Issues and Research Evidence. Psychological Bulletin, [online] 129(5), pp.674–697. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674.
• PRIULLI, E., PEREIRA, C.M.T., OLIVEIRA, A.C. and PIRES, C.R.F. (2022). Use of the quantitative descriptive analysis for sensory assessment of tapiocas with adding waste from soy processing. Food Science and Technology, 42. doi:https://doi.org/10.1590/fst.08621.
• Schweppe, J. (2021). What Is a Hate crime? Cogent Social Sciences, [online] 7(1), p.1902643. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2021.1902643.
• Seuring, S., Stella, T. and Stella, M. (2021). Developing and Publishing Strong Empirical Research in Sustainability Management—Addressing the Intersection of Theory, Method, and Empirical Field. Frontiers in Sustainability, [online] 1, pp.1–9. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2020.617870.
• Snyder, H. (2019). Literature Review as a Research methodology: an Overview and Guidelines. Journal of Business Research, [online] 104(1), pp.333–339. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039.
• Truman, J.L., Morgan, R.E., Gilbert, T. and Vaghela, P. (2019). Measuring Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the National Crime Victimization Survey. Journal of Official Statistics, 35(4), pp.835–858. doi:https://doi.org/10.2478/jos-2019-0035.
• Zook, K.L. and Pearce, J.H. (2018). Quantitative Descriptive Analysis. Applied Sensory Analysis of Foods, pp.43–71. doi:https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315137681-3.

Background and Context

This research endeavors to explore the multifaceted factors influencing the psychological well-being of women during the postnatal period. A study by (Brummelte and Galea, 2016) revealed that globally, there are 10-20% women suffering with postpartum depression, whereas 8-13% with postpartum anxiety. The postpartum or post-natal phase is a critical period characterized by significant physiological, emotional, and lifestyle changes. According to existing studies, optimal levels of positive mental health involve the experience of high levels of emotional, psychological, and social well-being (Monteiro et al., 2020). However, there is limited research about values and preferences in the postnatal period, and few studies have investigated the extent to which psychological well-being changes during this period (Quick et al., 2023). Other factors such as changing lifestyles of women, working conditions, perinatal period challenges due to emotions and physical changes, sleep quality, stress and depression, marital and social relations, etc. are also creating complexities for women to manage their mental health during the postnatal period (Monteiro et al., 2020). Therefore, understanding the enablers and disablers that impact the psychological well-being of women during this time is crucial for developing targeted interventions and support systems. The study will delve into a comprehensive analysis of both positive and negative factors to provide a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities women face in maintaining optimal mental health post-childbirth.

Research aims & objectives

The aim of the research is to identify and analyze the enablers contributing to positive psychological well-being in women during the postnatal period, as well as to investigate the disablers that pose challenges to their psychological well-being, with a focus on interventions and support programs that enhance positive mental health and well-being among postpartum women.

SMART Objectives

The SMART objectives for this study could be set as following-

• Specific: To identify and analyze the major contributing factors to the psychological well-being of women in the postnatal period, distinguishing between supportive and hindering elements.
• Measurable: To quantify and eliminate the impact of societal expectations and cultural factors on the psychological experiences of post-natal women and assessing the prevalence and significance of these influences.
• Achievable: To collect secondary data to perform literature based analysis to assess the specific barriers and challenges faced by women in accessing mental health resources during the postnatal period.
• Relevant: To improve the psychological well-being of women during and after pregnancy and assess how these interventions impact their postnatal mental health.
• Time bound: To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions within a specified timeframe.

Research Questions

The below mentioned research questions will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: What are the major factors contributing and resisting the psychological wellbeing of women in the postnatal period?

RQ2: What role do societal expectations and cultural factors play in shaping the psychological experiences of postnatal women?

RQ3: What are the barriers and challenges faced by women in accessing mental health resources during the postnatal period?

RQ4: What is the effectiveness of interventions in improving the psychological well-being of women, and how does this impact their postnatal mental health?

Research Methodology

This research will employ a qualitative literature-based methodology to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the psychological well-being of women during the postnatal period. A comprehensive review and analysis of existing qualitative studies, scholarly articles, and relevant literature will be conducted (Pare and Kitsiou, 2019). The chosen methodology will allow for the synthesis of diverse perspectives and insights, enabling the development of a rich and holistic understanding of the enablers and disablers affecting postnatal psychological well-being (Bai et al., 2021). Alongside, the choice of research philosophy for this would preferably be "Interpretivism", and the research will be conducted inductively with mono-method qualitative research design (Phair and Warren, 2021). Selection of these methodological choices allows for a more in-depth exploration of the experiences and perspectives of the participants regarding the key enablers and disablers affecting postnatal psychological well-being of women. This approach can provide a richer understanding of the phenomenon and help answer research questions more thoroughly. The data collection for the research on postnatal psychological well-being of women will involve secondary data sources such as journal articles, research papers, peer reviewed studies, book chapters, and other reliable sources, from online databases such as BMJ, NCBI, PubMed, Science Direct, Frontiers, etc. (Snyder, 2019). Different keywords related to the chosen research domain such as "postpartum", "post-natal", "depression", "anxiety", "psychological well-being", "depression among women", "postnatal depression", "interventions", "enablers and disablers", etc. These keywords will be searched over chosen databases and then the extracted sources will be checked for its relevance with the undertaken issue as per defined study selection criteria. Final sample of the collected studies will be analyzed as per thematic analysis, which involves identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns within data (Jackson et al., 2021).

References

• Bai, X., Song, Z., Zhou, Y., Wang, X., Wang, Y. and Zhang, D. (2021). Bibliometrics and Visual Analysis of the Research Status and Trends of Postpartum Depression From 2000 to 2020. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.665181.
• Brummelte, S. and Galea, L.A.M. (2016). Postpartum depression: Etiology, treatment and consequences for maternal care. Hormones and Behavior, [online] 77, pp.153-166. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.08.008.
• Jackson, L., De Pascalis, L., Harrold, J.A., Fallon, V. and Silverio, S.A. (2021). Postpartum women's psychological experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: a modified recurrent cross-sectional thematic analysis. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 21(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-04071-2.
• Monteiro, F., Pereira, M., Canavarro, M.C. and Fonseca, A. (2020). Be a Mom's Efficacy in Enhancing Positive Mental Health among Postpartum Women Presenting Low Risk for Postpartum Depression: Results from a Pilot Randomized Trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(13), p.4679. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134679.
• Pare, G. and Kitsiou, S. (2019). Methods for literature reviews. [online] Nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK481583/.
• Phair, D. and Warren, K. (2021). Saunders' Research Onion: Explained Simply. [online] Grad Coach. Available at: https://gradcoach.com/saunders-research-onion/.
• Quick, A.D., Tung, I., Keenan, K. and Hipwell, A.E. (2023). Psychological Well-being across the Perinatal Period: Life Satisfaction and Flourishing in a Longitudinal Study of Black and White American Women. Journal of happiness studies, [online] 24(3), pp.1283-1301. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-023-00634-6.
• Snyder, H. (2019). Literature Review as a Research methodology: an Overview and Guidelines. Journal of Business Research, [online] 104(1), pp.333-339. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039.

Background and Context

Aging can be a challenging and complex process, underscoring the increased proximity as well as exposure to death, and several other social, cognitive, and emotional declines characterizing old age(Aisenberg-Shafran and Shturm, 2022). The senior age group is always found to be continuously facing challenges while maintaining their wellbeing. A report of WHO revealed that around 14% of the adults aged above 60, are living with a mental disorder (World Health Organization, 2023). Similarly, a study by (Mental Health Foundation, 2023) revealed that 22% of men and 28% women (age>65 years) are living with depression, affecting the quality of lives of the older population. The concept of demographic dividend, which refers to the economic growth potential resulting from shifts in a population's age structure, is linked to the increasing prevalence of depression among the elderly population (UNFPA, 2014). As the global population rapidly ages, the proportion of older people is expected to double, leading to a significant increase in the number of elderly individuals. This demographic shift has contributed to the challenges faced by the elderly, including the dissolution of the nuclear family system, urban housing shortages, and the changing employment landscape, which have led to increased isolation among the elderly (Singh and Kumar, 2021). These factors have made the elderly feel alone at home, contributing to the prevalence of depression among them (Deepak Vishwakarma, Abhay Gaidhane and Bhoi, 2023). In order to improve the quality of lives and ease the challenges faced by older people, mindfulness or other behavioral interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), are highly adapted for treating the mental health and cognitive issues among the older adults (Kessler, Agines and Bowen, 2014). Many existing studies advocated that the older adults are often resistant to seek psychological treatments, due to the reason that they found it challenging and difficult for them to cope with psychological issues such as depression, anxiety and stress (Bryant, 2017). In addition, it is also found that mindfulness impacts cognitive and emotional flexibility along with self-perception changes. Thus, the implications of mindfulness interventions to treat depression and other psychological issues are wider ranging, which needs to necessarily be recognized and addressed properly, to ensure their well-being and quality of lives (Cho, 2016). The current study will be focusing on the same issue to systematically assess the effectiveness of the mindfulness interventions and other therapies on depression among the elderly population.

Research aims & objectives

Primary aim behind conducting this study is to understand and examine the extent to which mindfulness and other therapies are effective to treat elderly population with depression, so that evidence-based recommendations can be given to improve the health and well-being of this population group.

SMART Objectives

The SMART objectives for this study could be set as following-

• Specific: To assess the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions and therapies on depression among the elderly population by performing systematic review.
• Measurable: To decrease the depressive symptoms among older adults by implementing mindfulness interventions and therapies.
• Achievable: To conduct a systematic literature review by collecting secondary sources on mindfulness interventions and depression in the elderly population to evaluate their effectiveness.
• Relevant: To provide evidence-based recommendations for improving the health and well-being of older adults with depression.
• Time bound: To complete the study and report the findings within a specified timeframe of 4 months.

Research Questions

The below mentioned research questions will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: What are the key mindfulness interventions used for treating depression and other psychological issues among elderly population?

RQ2: What is the impact of mindfulness interventions on the depressive symptoms among the elderly population?

RQ3: How effective are the mindfulness interventions compared to other therapies in treating depression among older adults?

RQ4: What improvements can be made to the mindfulness interventions impacting depressive symptoms in the elderly population?

Research Methodology

For the purpose of successfully accomplishing the undertaken research study assessing the efficacy of the mindfulness interventions and therapies on depression among the elderly population, a qualitative research methodology and research questions will be taken into account (Tong et al., 2014). The main motive behind choosing this research methodology is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issue under consideration, exploring different theoretical explanations and studies. Under this chosen research methodology, a systematic literature review approach will be conducted for addressing the research objective and questions aforementioned (Seers, 2015). The research philosophy for this study will be "Interpretivism", and mono-method qualitative research design will be adopted to conduct this study inductively, complying to the research onion model (Seuring, Stella and Stella, 2021). These choices are effective for this study as they provide a more thorough understanding of the effectiveness of mindful interventions to treat depression and anxiety among the older population. The review will be guided by the PRISMA guidelines, in which a series of steps are followed.

Relevant sources of information, which will be collected for conduct this analysis will include:

• Online journal articles
• Peer reviewed studies
• Conference papers
• Book chapters
• Reliable websites, etc. (Seers, 2015).

These information sources will be collected from several online repositories and databases, including:

• PubMed
• NCBI
• Taylor & Francis
• Science direct
• ACM Digital Library
• JSTOR

These information sources will be then screened and collected by matching the quality and relevance on a suitable inclusion and exclusion criteria for study (Seers, 2015). The final sample of secondary sources will be then included in the thematic analysis, wherein, different codes and themes will be designed to analyze and present the key findings of this study pertaining to the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions in treating depression among older adults (Tong et al., 2014).

References

• Aisenberg-Shafran, D. and Shturm, L. (2022). The effects of mindfulness meditation versus CBT for anxiety on emotional distress and attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment: a semi-randomized trial. Scientific Reports, 12(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24256-9.
• Bryant, C. (2017). Psychological Interventions for Older Adults: Evidence-Based Treatments for Depression, Anxiety, and Carer Stress. Mental Health and Illness Worldwide, [online] pp.481-514. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2414-6_21.
• Cho, J. (2016). The Science Behind How Mindfulness Can Help Break Negative Thought Patterns. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeenacho/2016/12/27/the-science-behind-how-mindfulness-helps-you-to-break-negative-thought-patterns/.
• Deepak Vishwakarma, Abhay Gaidhane and Bhoi, S.R. (2023). Depression and Its Associated Factors Among the Elderly Population in India: A Review. Cureus. doi:https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.41013.
• Kessler, E.-M., Agines, S. and Bowen, C.E. (2014). Attitudes towards seeking mental health services among older adults: personal and contextual correlates. Aging & Mental Health, 19(2), pp.182-191. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2014.920300.
• Mental Health Foundation (2023). Older people: Statistics. [online] www.mentalhealth.org.uk. Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/older-people-statistics.
• World Health Organization (2023). Mental health of older adults. [online] Who.int. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-of-older-adults.
• Seers, K. (2015). Qualitative systematic reviews: their importance for our understanding of research relevant to pain. British Journal of Pain, [online] 9(1), pp.36-40. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/2049463714549777.
• Seuring, S., Stella, T. and Stella, M. (2021). Developing and Publishing Strong Empirical Research in Sustainability Management-Addressing the Intersection of Theory, Method, and Empirical Field. Frontiers in Sustainability, [online] 1, pp.1-9. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2020.617870.
• Singh, P. and Kumar, S. (2021). Demographic Dividend in the Age of Neoliberal Capitalism: An Analysis of Employment and Employability in India. The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 64(3), pp.595-619. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-021-00326-w.
• Tong, A., Palmer, S., Craig, J.C. and Strippoli, G.F.M. (2014). A guide to reading and using systematic reviews of qualitative research. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, [online] 31(6), pp.897-903. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/ndt/gfu354.
• UNFPA (2014). Demographic dividend. [online] UNFPA Arabstates. Available at: https://arabstates.unfpa.org/en/topics/demographic-dividend-6.

Background and Context

Bullying remains a significant concern in educational settings, affecting not only individual students but also the broader atmosphere within schools. The prevalence of bullying in schools is a significant concern, with various statistics highlighting its widespread impact. According to the study of (National Center for Education Statistics, 2021), in 2019, about 22% of students ages 12-18 reported being bullied at school during the school year, which was lower than the percentage reported in 2009 (28%). Additionally, a report of (StopBullying.gov, 2019) revealed that 19% of students in grades 9-12 reported being bullied on school property in the 12 months prior to the survey. Furthermore, a study by (Ahmed et al., 2022) found that the prevalence rate of bullying behavior was 12.5% among primary school students, with males having a higher percentage than females. These statistics underscore the pervasive nature of bullying in school settings and the need for effective prevention and intervention strategies. Moreover, the impact of bullying is not limited to physical harm but also extends to social and emotional distress, self-harm, and academic consequences (Ahmed et al., 2022). These findings emphasize the urgency of addressing bullying through comprehensive prevention programs and supportive school climates. Several evidence-based bullying prevention programs are used in schools, aiming to create a positive school environment and reduce bullying. These programs are designed to address various forms of bullying, including physical, verbal, social, and cyberbullying. Some of the widely recognized programs include "Second Step (SS-SEL)" "Positive Action "Bullying Prevention Programs" and "Olweus Bullying Prevention Program" (Rivara and Suzanne Le Menestrel, 2016) and (Gaffney, Ttofi and Farrington, 2021). These programs are often implemented using a whole-school approach, involving not only the students but also their peers, parents, teachers, and the wider community. While these bullying prevention programs have been shown to be effective, there are limitations and issues associated with these programs that need to be explored (Gaffney, Ttofi and Farrington, 2021). These issues include sustainability, variability in program effectiveness, suitability for all students, neglect of certain forms of bullying, and unintended consequences of peer involvement. By understanding these limitations and issues, stakeholders can work towards implementing effective and sustainable bullying prevention programs that address the complex issue of bullying in schools. The research will delve into the impact of bullying prevention programs on both students and the overall school climate. Additionally, this study will explore the effectiveness of existing prevention programs in mitigating bullying incidents and promoting a positive environment.

Research aims & objectives

The study aims to explore the effectiveness of the bullying prevention programs in schools as well as improving the school's climate.

SMART Objectives

The SMART objectives for this study could be set as following-

• Specific: Determine the specific impact of evidence-based bullying prevention programs on reducing different forms of bullying in schools
• Measurable: Reducing bullying incidents by implementing suitable bullying prevention programs in schools
• Achievable: Collecting existing secondary sources to identify the gaps in the existing bullying prevention programs and develop a structured questionnaire to know the perspectives of the teachers regarding this
• Relevant: Evaluate the effectiveness of existing bullying prevention programs to address the challenges of students and improves school climates.
• Time bound: Presenting the research findings within the period of 3 months.

Research Questions

The below mentioned research questions will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: How does the implementation of bullying prevention programs affect student well-being and overall school atmosphere?

RQ2: What are the key challenges and facilitators in implementing evidence-based bullying prevention programs in diverse school settings?

RQ3: What are the short-term and potential long-term effects of bullying prevention programs on students and school climate?

RQ4: How effective are the existing bullying prevention programs and how can they be improved in future?

Research Methodology

In order to complete this study successfully by accomplishing the aims and objectives of the study, a mixed research methodology will be chosen. Under the chosen research methodology, an online survey along with literature based analysis will be conducted to determine the perceptions of the staff members regarding the impact of bullying prevention programs on the student's and school climate (Guetterman et al., 2017). As per the nature of the study, pragmatism research philosophy will be taken into consideration, followed by the mixed-method research strategy and inductive approach to accomplish this study, as it allow for a deeper exploration of the research questions from personal perspectives of the school staff and existing literature regarding bullying prevention programs (Phair and Warren, 2021). A random sample of school staff will be selected to ensure representation from diverse demographic backgrounds to explore their views on how the existing bullying prevention interventions and programs have affected school climate (Patel and Patel, 2019). A structured survey will be administered to teachers to gauge their perceptions of the effectiveness of bullying prevention programs. Questions will focus on changes in the classroom environment, teacher observations, and interactions with students. Additionally, a comprehensive review of existing literature will be conducted to provide a contextual understanding of the current state of bullying prevention programs, their methodologies, and reported outcomes (Patel and Patel, 2019). To collect this data, several existing resources and online databases such as MDPI, Science direct, PubMed, etc. will be searched (Snyder, 2019). To support the findings obtained from the survey, a literature-based analysis will be conducted by adopting a thematic analysis method, in which diverse viewpoints of different researchers will be considered to evaluate bullying prevention in schools under different themes (Guetterman et al., 2017). The study will prioritize the confidentiality and anonymity of participants. Informed consent will be obtained, and the research will adhere to ethical guidelines and protocols (Arellano, Alcubilla and Leguizamo, 2023).

References

• Ahmed, G.K., Metwaly, N.A., Elbeh, K., Galal, M.S. and Shaaban, I. (2022). Prevalence of school bullying and its relationship with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder: a cross-sectional study. The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, 58(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-022-00494-6.
• Arellano, L., Alcubilla, P. and Leguizamo, L. (2023). Ethical Considerations in Informed Consent. [online] www.intechopen.com. Available at: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/1123544.
• Gaffney, H., Ttofi, M.M. and Farrington, D.P. (2021). Effectiveness of school-based programs to reduce bullying perpetration and victimization: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 17(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1143.
• Guetterman, T.C., Babchuk, W.A., Howell Smith, M.C. and Stevens, J. (2017). Contemporary Approaches to Mixed Methods-Grounded Theory Research: A Field-Based Analysis. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 13(2), pp.179-195. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689817710877.
• National Center for Education Statistics (2021). Fast Facts: Bullying. [online] Ed.gov. Available at: https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=719.
• Patel, M. and Patel, N. (2019). Exploring Research Methodology: Review Article. International Journal of Research & Review (www.ijrrjournal.com), [online] 6(3), pp.48-55. Available at: https://www.ijrrjournal.com/IJRR_Vol.6_Issue.3_March2019/IJRR0011.pdf.
• Phair, D. and Warren, K. (2021). Saunders' Research Onion: Explained Simply. [online] Grad Coach. Available at: https://gradcoach.com/saunders-research-onion/.
• Rivara, F. and Suzanne Le Menestrel (2016). Preventive Interventions. [online] Nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK390407/.
• StopBullying.gov (2019). Facts about bullying. [online] StopBullying.gov. Available at:

Background and Context

Childhood anxiety is a prevalent mental health issue that significantly impacts a child's well-being and development (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). This perspective explores the role of parental abuse and disputes in the development of childhood anxiety. Parental abuse refers to any form of mistreatment or harm inflicted upon a child by their parents or caregivers (Quinlan, 2023). It can manifest as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, as well as neglect. Parental disputes, on the other hand, involve frequent conflicts, arguments, or an unhealthy dynamic between parents, which can create a hostile and unstable environment for the child (Cummings, 2014). Preliminary research has shown a strong association between parental abuse, disputes, and childhood anxiety. Children who experience abuse or witness parental disputes are more likely to develop anxiety symptoms compared to those from non-abusive or non-disputing households (Iram Rizvi and Najam, 2014). A study of (News, 2022) revealed that 22.5% adults who are suffering from the major depressive disorders, were exposed to these negative outcomes due to parental domestic conflicts, abuses and violence. A study by (Platt, Williams and Ginsburg, 2015) also advocated that the quality of parental relationships and the presence of frequent disputes can have a detrimental effect on a child's mental health. Childhood anxiety, if left unaddressed, can have long-term consequences on an individual’s mental health and overall functioning. It can increase the risk of developing other mental health disorders, such as depression, as well as interfere with academic performance and social relationships (Colizzi, Lasalvia and Ruggeri, 2020). Thus, it is paramount to determine the role and impact of parental abuse and disputes in the development of childhood anxiety, which will be done in this study.

Research aims & objectives

The primary aim of this study is to investigate the impact of parental disputes and abuse on the development of childhood anxiety so that suitable interventions and strategies can be proposed for the identification, detection, and preemption of these disorders. For achieving this aim, below mentioned SMART objectives will be followed-

SMART Objectives

The SMART objectives for this study could be set as following-

• Specific: To conduct a literature review to determine the prevalence of childhood anxiety and its ranking among other mental health disorders in children
• Measurable: To identify the distinct forms of parental abuse that have been linked to childhood anxiety and its impact
• Achievable: To collect and analyze existing sources to assess the impact of witnessing parental disputes on a child’s susceptibility to developing anxiety symptoms.
• Relevant: To investigate and summarize the long-term consequences of untreated childhood anxiety on mental health, academic performance, and social relationships.
• Time bound: To present study findings within the defined time frame of 100 days.

Research Questions

The below mentioned research questions will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: What are the different forms of parental abuse that can contribute to childhood anxiety?

RQ2: What is the prevalence of childhood anxiety and what are the long-term consequences of childhood anxiety if left untreated?

RQ3: What are effective prevention and intervention strategies for mitigating the impact of parental abuse and disputes on childhood anxiety?

Research Methodology

To successfully achieve the aforementioned objectives and questions of the study on investigating the effect of the parent abuse and disputes on the development of childhood anxiety, a qualitative research methodology and similar research questions will be taken into account (Sileyew, 2019). The chosen research methodology will be effective in diving deep into the key reasons, causes, and impacts of the parental abuse and disputes on the children's anxiety disorder's development, through the review of existing studies (Pathak, Kalra and Jena, 2013). The methodological choices for this study involve interpretivism research philosophy, because it will explore the empirical evidence collected by the researchers on parental disputes and its impact on children to draw robust findings for undertaken study (Seuring, Stella and Stella, 2021). Additionally, an inductive approach will be followed because it helps in condensing and exploring the summary of the existing sources to draw meaningful results. Various secondary information sources such as journal articles, review papers, conference papers, white papers, etc. will be collected from online databases and reports such as Google Scholar (Bhawna and Gobind, 2015). These sources will be screened, filtered and extracted as per a suitable inclusion and exclusion criteria involving several factors such as date and type of publication, access to the articles, full text availability, etc. The final sample of the studies collected through this search procedure will be then analyzed as per thematic analysis method. Different themes and patterns will be explored under the themes developed for the analysis of the identified secondary information sources to provide a clear and nuanced understanding of the chosen area of research of parental disputes and its impact on children's mental health (Sileyew, 2019).

References

• Bhawna and Gobind (2015). Research Methodology and Approaches. Research Methodology and Approaches, [online] 5(3), pp.4-51. doi:https://doi.org/10.9790/7388-05344851.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019). Anxiety and depression in children: Get the facts. [online] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/features/anxiety-depression-children.html.
• Colizzi, M., Lasalvia, A. and Ruggeri, M. (2020). Prevention and early intervention in youth mental health: Is it time for a multidisciplinary and trans-diagnostic model for care? International Journal of Mental Health Systems, [online] 14(1), pp.1-14. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-020-00356-9.
• Cummings, E.M. (2014). Developmental Science- What Happens to Children When Parents Fight - Developmental Science. [online] Developmental Science. Available at: https://www.developmentalscience.com/blog/2014/04/30/what-happens-to-children-when-parents-fight.
• Iram Rizvi, S.F. and Najam, N. (2014). Parental Psychological Abuse toward children and Mental Health Problems in adolescence. Pakistan journal of medical sciences, [online] 30(2), pp.256-60. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3998989/.
• News, N. (2022). Witnessing Parental Domestic Violence in Childhood Linked to Mental Illness in Adulthood. [online] Neuroscience News. Available at: https://neurosciencenews.com/mental-health-parental-violence-20431/ [Accessed 19 Jan. 2024].
• Pathak, V., Kalra, S. and Jena, B. (2013). Qualitative Research. Perspectives in Clinical Research, [online] 4(3), p.192. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-3485.115389.
• Platt, R., Williams, S.R. and Ginsburg, G.S. (2015). Stressful Life Events and Child Anxiety: Examining Parent and Child Mediators. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 47(1), pp.23-34. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-015-0540-4.
• Seuring, S., Stella, T. and Stella, M. (2021). Developing and Publishing Strong Empirical Research in Sustainability Management-Addressing the Intersection of Theory, Method, and Empirical Field. Frontiers in Sustainability, [online] 1, pp.1-9. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2020.617870.
• Quinlan, C. (2023). Parental Abuse: Definition, Examples & How to Heal. [online] Marriage Advice - Expert Marriage Tips & Advice. Available at: https://www.marriage.com/advice/parenting/parental-abuse/.
• Sileyew, K.J. (2019). Research Design and Methodology. Text Mining - Analysis, Programming and Application, [online] pp.1-12. doi:https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85731.

Background and Context

Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide, around 1 in 10 adults are found to be suffering from chronic pain each year (Goldberg and McGee, 2011). "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy" (ACT) has gained attention for its potential in treating chronic pain and is a specialized form of therapy that aims to increase valued action in the presence of pain (Hughes et al., 2017). This therapy focuses on acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based action, aiming to increase psychological flexibility and improve functioning in the presence of pain. Research has shown that ACT for chronic pain can lead to improvements in depression, anxiety, pain intensity, physical functioning, and quality of life (Dindo, Van Liew and Arch, 2017). Additionally, (Reme et al., 2022) in their study highlighted the effectiveness of ACT in treating chronic pain. Despite the evidence supporting its effectiveness, the protocol also emphasized the need for a systematic review to further evaluate the efficacy of ACT in relieving chronic pain. This indicates the significance of conducting a comprehensive systematic review to provide an evidence-based assessment of the therapy's effectiveness in addressing the debilitating impact of chronic pain (Castano-Asins et al., 2023). This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in treating chronic pain and eliminating the challenges faced in its implementation.

Research aims & objectives

This study aims to comprehensively assess the effectiveness of ACT in treating chronic pain, exploring its impact on various dimensions, and synthesizing current evidence to provide a nuanced understanding of the therapy's role in chronic pain management. For achieving this aim, below mentioned SMART objectives will be followed -

SMART Objectives

The SMART objectives for this study could be set as following-

• Specific: To evaluate the effectiveness of ACT in treating chronic pain, specifically addressing its impact on depression, anxiety, pain intensity, physical functioning, and quality of life.
• Measurable: To assess the key components of ACT contributing to its efficacy in chronic pain relief, including mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based action.
• Achievable: To identify and review existing literature ensuring a realistic yet current synthesis of evidence regarding the effectiveness of ACT in chronic pain management.
• Relevant: To explore the relevance and applicability of ACT for chronic pain management by identifying the key challenges in treating chronic pain and providing suitable recommendations for eliminating these challenges.
• Time bound: The systematic review will adhere to a defined timeline of three months, incorporating milestones for each stage, including literature search, screening, quality assessment, and synthesis.

Research Questions

The below mentioned research questions will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: What is the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy in relieving chronic pain?

RQ2: What are the key components of acceptance and commitment therapy that contribute to its effectiveness in treating chronic pain?

RQ3: What are the challenges associated with implementing acceptance and commitment therapy in clinical settings?

RQ4: What are the potential recommendations to eliminate the challenges encountered during the implementation of ACT therapy?

Research Methodology

The study will use a qualitative research methodology, in which a systematic review of the existing studies on the therapies and interventions related to chronic pain relief. The process followed for accomplishing this research will as per Suander's research onion model and involve a comprehensive search of electronic databases such as PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library, following interpretivism philosophy and inductive approach (Phair and Warren, 2021). This will allow analyzing existing sources to draw the high quality findings pertinent to the effectiveness of ACT for chronic pain management, so that suitable recommendations can be proposed. The search strategy will use a combination of keywords related to ACT, chronic pain, and treatment effectiveness (Frandsen, Gildberg and Tingleff, 2019). The inclusion criteria will encompass peer-reviewed articles, randomized controlled trials, and systematic reviews published in the last two decades to ensure the review includes the most current evidence. The selected studies will be screened based on their titles and abstracts to determine their relevance (Heath, Levay and Tuvey, 2021). Data extraction will involve capturing key information such as study design, relevance of articles with problem domain, details of the ACT intervention, and outcomes related to chronic pain relief. The findings from the selected studies will be synthesized to provide a comprehensive overview of the effectiveness of ACT in treating chronic pain and analyzed by coding and developing several themes related to the topic (Frandsen, Gildberg and Tingleff, 2019). This will include a narrative synthesis of the key components of ACT, the methodological quality of the included studies, and the overall impact of the intervention on chronic pain relief (Pathak, Kalra and Jena, 2013).

References

• Castano-Asins, J.R., Sanabria-Mazo, J.P., Luciano, J.V., Barcelo-Soler, A., Martin-Lopez, L.M., Alejandro Del Arco-Churruca, Jesus Lafuente-Baraza, Bulbena, A., Victor Perez-Sola and Montes-Perez, A. (2023). Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for the Management of Postsurgical Pain: Study Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial (SPINE-ACT Study). Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(12), pp.4066-4066. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12124066.
• Dindo, L., Van Liew, J.R. and Arch, J.J. (2017). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: A Transdiagnostic Behavioral Intervention for Mental Health and Medical Conditions. Neurotherapeutics, [online] 14(3), pp.546-553. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-017-0521-3.
• Frandsen, T.F., Gildberg, F.A. and Tingleff, E.B. (2019). Searching for qualitative health research required several databases and alternative search strategies: a study of coverage in bibliographic databases. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, [online] 114, pp.118-124. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2019.06.013.
• Goldberg, D.S. and McGee, S.J. (2011). Pain as a global public health priority. BMC Public Health, [online] 11(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-11-770.
• Heath, A., Levay, P. and Tuvey, D. (2021). Literature searching methods or guidance and their application to public health topics: A narrative review. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 39(1), pp.6-21. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12414.
• Hughes, L.S., Clark, J., Colclough, J.A., Dale, E. and McMillan, D. (2017). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Chronic Pain. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 33(6), pp.552-568. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/ajp.0000000000000425.
• Pathak, V., Kalra, S. and Jena, B. (2013). Qualitative Research. Perspectives in Clinical Research, [online] 4(3), p.192. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-3485.115389.
• Phair, D. and Warren, K. (2021). Saunders' Research Onion: Explained Simply. [online] Grad Coach. Available at: https://gradcoach.com/saunders-research-onion/.
• Reme, S.E., Munk, A., Holter, M.T.S., Falk, R.S. and Jacobsen, H.B. (2022). Pre- and post-operative psychological interventions to prevent pain and fatigue after breast cancer surgery (PREVENT): Protocol for a randomized controlled trial. PLOS ONE, 17(7), p.e0268606. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268606.

Background and Context

Substance use disorders in youth are a major public health concern with serious consequences for physical and mental well-being (Cleveland Clinic, 2022). In a study (Robinson, Smith and Segal, 2018) reported that around 50% of the individuals have severe mental health issues attributed to substance abuse. To treat such disorders, several therapies and interventions are used and group therapy is one of them. Group therapy is an effective intervention for addressing substance abuse among adults (Lopez et al., 2021). It provides a supportive and structured environment where individuals with similar experiences can share struggles, learn coping strategies, and receive encouragement (Ezhumalai et al., 2018). This approach is particularly beneficial for youth, fostering a sense of belonging and reducing isolation. According to the (SAMHSA, 2021), group counseling has been provided in 93% of substance use disorder treatment facilities, highlighting the widespread use and acceptance of this approach. It also helps develop crucial skills like communication, problem-solving, and emotional regulation necessary for recovery (SAMHSA, 2021). A relevant study by (APA, 2022) revealed that the demand of this therapy is on continuous rise, as 79% of the anxiety disorders reported by the psychologists have reported that in 2022, and 64% requires help for treating trauma related disorders. Given that group therapy is an effective option of treating such mental health issues in individuals and groups (APA, 2022) Despite its benefits, there are potential drawbacks to group therapy. Some individuals may feel uncomfortable sharing personal information in a group setting, hindering their progress. Subgroups may form within the group, leading to exclusion and feelings of isolation (Lopez et al., 2021). Moreover, individuals with severe mental health issues or personality disorders may require more individualized treatment. These findings suggest that group therapy may not work for everyone, and some individuals may need different or combined treatments. The current study will be based on the similar context, with a specific aim to evaluate the effectiveness of group therapy as an intervention for managing and treating substance use disorders among youth, while encountering its both positives and negatives in youth. This study will be focused to determine the effectiveness of group therapies on the African and American use with substance abuse disorders to improve the treatment outcomes and provide guidance to implement evidence based treatment approaches on a broader level through efficient decision making.

Research aims & objectives

The principal aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of group therapy as an intervention for managing and treating substance use disorders among youth in African and American regions by performing a comparative study.

SMART Objectives

The SMART objectives for this study could be set as following-

• Specific: To assess the impact of group therapy on the reduction of substance use among youth with substance use disorders in African and American regions.
• Measurable:To identify and lower potential negative aspects or limitations associated with group therapy for youth with substance use disorders in the two regions by analyzing existing studies.
• Achievable: To collect relevant literature to determine the long-term outcomes and sustainability of the effects of group therapy on substance use and psychosocial well-being among youth in African and American regions.
• Relevant: To provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of group therapy in managing substance abuse disorders among youth in African and American regions and provide evidence-based recommendations to improve treatment outcomes.
• Time bound: To complete the data collection, analysis, and reporting of the study findings within the period of 3 months to ensure timely dissemination of the research outcomes.

Research Questions

The below mentioned research questions will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: What is the impact of group therapy on the reduction of substance use among youth with substance use disorders?

RQ2: Are there any potential negative aspects or limitations associated with group therapy for youth with substance use disorders?

RQ3: How effective are the group therapies for treating the youth with substance use disorders and how their treatment outcomes can be improved further?

Research Methodology

The purpose of examining the effectiveness of the group therapies in treating and preventing the youth from substance abuse disorders, a comparative study will be conducted. The main focus of this study would be on the adults from America and Africa region, due to the increased prevalence of substance abuse among youth in these regions (Simister and Scholz, 2017). The selection of methodology for this study would be qualitative, in which different existing studies pertaining to the chosen area of research would be collected and reviewed in detail to form the rigors and robust conclusion (Onwuegbuzie and Weinbaum, 2017). Existing studies, research articles, and reports related to the effectiveness of group therapy in treating substance abuse among youth in African and American regions will be collected and reviewed. Under the research onion model, "Interpretivism", "Inductive" and "Qualitative" choices will be made as research philosophy, approach and choice of research design, which will help to address the issue of substance abuse among adults in different regions relying on the basis of existing empirical evidence (Seuring, Stella and Stella, 2021). This will involve gathering information from reputable sources such as academic journals, government publications, and international organizations available on digital repositories and databases (Lucas and Szatrowski, 2014). The collected qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis, which involves identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns within the data. This will help in understanding the various themes and sub-themes related to the effectiveness of group therapy in the treatment of substance abuse among youth in African and American regions. Additionally, a comparative analysis of these findings will be conducted to identify any differences in the effectiveness of group therapy in managing and treating substance abuse disorders among youth. This analysis will help in understanding the contextual factors that may influence the outcomes of group therapy in different regions (Legewie, 2013).

References

• APA (2022). Psychologists struggle to meet demand amid mental health crisis. [online] Apa.org. Available at: https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/practitioner/2022-covid-psychologist-workload.
• Cleveland Clinic (2022). Substance Use Disorder (SUD): Symptoms & Treatment. [online] Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16652-drug-addiction-substance-use-disorder-sud.
• Ezhumalai, S., Muralidhar, D., Dhanasekarapandian, R. and Nikketha, B.S. (2018). Group interventions. Indian journal of psychiatry, 60(Suppl 4), pp.S514-S521. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_42_18.
• Legewie, N. (2013). An Introduction to Applied Data Analysis with Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, [online] 14(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-14.3.1961.
• Lopez, G., Orchowski, L.M., Reddy, M.K., Nargiso, J. and Johnson, J.E. (2021). A review of research-supported group treatments for drug use disorders. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, [online] 16(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-021-00371-0.
• Lucas, S.R. and Szatrowski, A. (2014). Qualitative Comparative Analysis in Critical Perspective. Sociological Methodology, 44(1), pp.1-79. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0081175014532763.
• Onwuegbuzie, A. and Weinbaum, R. (2017). A Framework for Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis for the Review of the Literature. The Qualitative Report, [online] 22. Available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/80036105.pdf.
• Robinson, L., Smith, M. and Segal, J. (2018). Dual diagnosis: Substance abuse and mental health. [online] HelpGuide.org. Available at: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/addictions/substance-abuse-and-mental-health.htm.
• SAMHSA (2021). GROUP THERAPY IN SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT. [online] store.samhsa.gov. Available at: https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/pep20-02-01-020.pdf.
• Seuring, S., Stella, T. and Stella, M. (2021). Developing and Publishing Strong Empirical Research in Sustainability Management-Addressing the Intersection of Theory, Method, and Empirical Field. Frontiers in Sustainability, [online] 1, pp.1-9. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2020.617870.
• Simister, N. and Scholz, V. (2017). QUALITATIVE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS (QCA). [online] Available at: https://www.intrac.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Qualitative-comparative-analysis.pdf.

Background and Context

In the digital age, adolescents are increasingly exposed to various forms of technology, including social media platforms. According to a report by (Cross, 2019), children under the age of 8 spend an average of 2 hours and 19 minutes with screen media each day, and 42% of children 8 and under have their own tablet devices. This widespread use of technology has raised concerns about its potential impact on adolescents' body image satisfaction. In relation to this, a study by (Goldfield, 2023) highlighted the influence of social media on shaping body ideals, promoting comparison, and fostering unrealistic beauty standards, which can negatively affect adolescents' body image and overall well-being. A relevant study by (Sagrera et al., 2022) highlighted that adolescents, especially females, have historically been subjected to pressures in favor of the thin body image ideal in traditional media, with this problem suspected of growing more severe with the rise of social media. This study also revealed that on average, 50% of adolescent females are unhappy with their bodies compared to 31% of males (Sagrera et al., 2022). However, most of the existing research has focused on Western societies, with limited cross-cultural investigations, limiting our understanding of how social media impacts body image satisfaction in different cultural contexts. While previous research has explored the negative effects of social media on body image, there is a need to identify potential positive aspects or protective factors that may exist within different cultures (Vuong et al., 2021). There is a need for a comprehensive cross-cultural study to examine the correlations between social media use and body image satisfaction among adolescents (Jean Marks, De Foe and Collett, 2020). Furthermore, the role of parental perceptions and involvement in children's social media use and its influence on body image satisfaction remains understudied and warrants further exploration. By exploring these relationships across diverse cultural groups, the study can identify the specific ways in which social media influences body image satisfaction, considering the cultural context. This will help in developing suitable recommendations to empower adolescents to adopt healthy social media habits and promote positive body image.

Research aims & objectives

The primary aim of this cross-cultural study will be to examine the correlations between social media use and body image satisfaction in adolescents, so that suitable recommendations to empower adolescents to adopt healthy social media habits, can be provided.

SMART Objectives

The SMART objectives for this study could be set as following-

• Specific: To examine the correlations between social media use and body image satisfaction among adolescents.
• Measurable: To identify and improve the significant differences between specific ways social media may influence body image satisfaction in different cultural groups.
• Achievable: To randomly select a sample of parents from different cultural backgrounds to ensure cross-cultural representation in interview analysis analyze their perceptions regarding children's social media use and its impact on body image satisfaction.
• Relevant: To address the issue of social media use and body image satisfaction in adolescents and empowering them to adopt healthy habits and attitudes.
• Time bound: To complete the interviews and analysis in 120 days.

Research Questions

The below mentioned research questions will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: What are the perceptions and experiences of parents from different cultural backgrounds regarding their child’s social media use and body image satisfaction?

RQ2: How does social media influence body image satisfaction in different cultural groups?

RQ3: What are the possible ways to empower adolescents to develop healthy social media habits and body image satisfaction?

Research Methodology

The methodology for examining the correlations between social media use and body image satisfaction in adolescents through a cross-cultural study will involve a qualitative approach (Busetto, Wick and Gumbinger, 2020). Interpretivism research philosophy, mono-method approach, inductive approach and cross-sectional design, will be selected in this study to understand subjective experiences, conduct in-depth qualitative analysis, and explore cross-cultural correlations in order to explore relationship between social media use and body image satisfaction among adolescents (Phair and Warren, 2021). Data collection includes conducting interviews with parents of adolescents to gather their perceptions and experiences related to their child's social media use and body image satisfaction. To accomplish this study, the participants for the study will be randomly selected from different cultural backgrounds to ensure cross-cultural representation (Farooq and de Villiers, 2017). Before initiating the interview process, an informed consent from the participants will be sought, while ensuring the confidentiality and anonymity of their responses (Manti and Licari, 2018). Data analysis encompasses conducting thematic analysis on the interview responses to gain insights into the specific ways social media may influence body image satisfaction in different cultural groups and comparing the findings from different cultural groups to identify any cross-cultural variations in the correlations between social media use and body image satisfaction (Sutton and Austin, 2015). In addition to it, a literature based analysis will also be conducted considering relevant secondary information pertinent to social media use and body image satisfaction among adolescents, to link the research findings and identify gaps in the studies. The findings of this qualitative analysis will be presented under the identified themes, following thematic analysis method to draw suitable conclusions (Busetto, Wick and Gumbinger, 2020).

References

• Busetto, L., Wick, W. and Gumbinger, C. (2020). How to Use and Assess Qualitative Research Methods. Neurological Research and Practice, [online] 2(1), pp.1-10. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-020-00059-z.
• Cross, J. (2019). What Does Too Much Screen Time Do to Kids' Brains? [online] NewYork-Presbyterian. Available at: https://healthmatters.nyp.org/what-does-too-much-screen-time-do-to-childrens-brains/.
• Farooq, M.B. and de Villiers, C. (2017). Telephonic qualitative research interviews: when to consider them and how to do them. Meditari Accountancy Research, 25(2), pp.29-316. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/medar-10-2016-0083.
• Goldfield, G. (2023). Reducing social media use significantly improves body image in teens, young adults. [online] American Psychological Association. Available at: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/02/social-media-body-image.
• Jean Marks, R., De Foe, A. and Collett, J. (2020). The pursuit of wellness: Social media, body image and eating disorders. Children and Youth Services Review, [online] 119(105659). doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105659.
• Manti, S. and Licari, A. (2018). How to obtain informed consent for research. Breathe, [online] 14(2), pp.14-152. doi:https://doi.org/10.1183/20734735.001918.
• Phair, D. and Warren, K. (2021). Saunders' Research Onion: Explained Simply. [online] Grad Coach. Available at: https://gradcoach.com/saunders-research-onion/
• Sagrera, C.E., Magner, J., Temple, J., Lawrence, R., Magner, T.J., Avila-Quintero, V.J., McPherson, P., Alderman, L.L., Bhuiyan, M.A.N., Patterson, J.C. and Murnane, K.S. (2022). Social media use and body image issues among adolescents in a vulnerable Louisiana community. Frontiers in Psychiatry, [online] 13. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1001336.
• Sutton, J. and Austin, Z. (2015). Qualitative Research: Data Collection, Analysis, and Management. The Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, [online] 68(3), pp.226-231. doi:https://doi.org/10.4212/cjhp.v68i3.1456.
• Vuong, A.T., Jarman, H.K., Doley, J.R. and McLean, S.A. (2021). Social Media Use and Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Thin- and Muscular-Ideal Internalisation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, [online] 18(24), p.13222. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413222.

Background and Context

Gender stereotypes in education settings have been found to have a significant impact on students' career aspirations, particularly in the STEM fields. Relevant research by (Luo et al., 2021) has shown that gender diversity is important for creating inclusive and equitable environments. A similar report by (Makarova, Aeschlimann and Herzog, 2019), indicated that women are underrepresented in STEM fields, with only 29.6% of the workforce being female (Makarova, Aeschlimann and Herzog, 2019). This is due to the gender stereotypes, which are part of a broader belief system, including attitudes toward female and male roles and abilities, and they can influence young women's and men's aspirations to pursue STEM careers (Luo et al., 2021). Previous studies have found that gender stereotypes of math and science can potentially influence young women's and men's aspirations to pursue STEM careers (McGuire et al., 2020). Additionally, gender stereotypes are reinforced by media portrayals, which can easily be internalized by both children and adults. (Mena Ning Wang et al., 2023) highlight that stereotypes portrayed in the media can affect the way individuals view themselves and others. These stereotypes can shape individuals' confidence, self-perception, and career decisions (Luo et al., 2021). Therefore, it is necessary to understand how gender stereotypes develop and influence students' career choices, particularly in STEM fields. This cross-sectional study aims to shed light on this issue by utilizing a quantitative approach, specifically an online survey to gather data from a diverse sample of participants regarding their perceptions of gender stereotypes in education, career aspirations, and attitudes towards STEM fields. Ultimately, the study focused on providing valuable insights and recommendations to address the gender gap and promote more inclusive and equitable educational and career opportunities for all individuals.

Research aims & objectives

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of gender stereotypes in education settings on students' career aspirations, particularly in the STEM fields, and to provide suitable recommendations to address this issue.

SMART Objectives

The SMART objectives for this study could be set as following-

• Specific: To investigate the impact of gender stereotypes on students' career aspirations in STEM fields by employing a cross-sectional study
• Measurable: To reduce the gender gaps and stereotypes in the educational settings especially among STEM aspirants
• Achievable: To employ a cross-sectional study design to gather information about participants' perceptions of gender stereotypes, career aspirations, and attitudes towards STEM fields
• Relevant: To provide suitable recommendations to address the issue of gender stereotypes among students' career aspirations in STEM fields.
• Time bound: To achieve the study findings within 4 months.

Research Questions

The below mentioned research questions will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: How do gender stereotypes in education settings impact students' career aspirations, particularly in STEM fields?

RQ2: What are the factors contributing to the underrepresentation of men in education, health, and welfare fields, and women in STEM fields?

RQ3: How do gender stereotypes influence students' attitudes towards pursuing careers in STEM fields?

RQ4: What suitable recommendations can be given to break through gender stereotypes and promote diversity in career choices among students' career aspirations in STEM fields?

Research Methodology

This cross-sectional study will employ a quantitative approach, utilizing an online survey to gather data from a diverse sample of participants (Setia, 2016). The survey will focus on capturing participants' perceptions of gender stereotypes in education, their career aspirations, and attitudes towards STEM fields. Further, research on onion's principles will be incorporated in this study including "interpretivism" research philosophy, which allows capturing participants' perceptions of gender stereotypes in education, career aspirations, and attitudes towards STEM fields (Seuring, Stella and Stella, 2021). The inductive approach and quantitative mono-method approach, allows in identifying the patterns, relations and themes from survey responses. Employing these approaches, this study will aim to recruit a diverse sample of participants from various educational backgrounds and age groups, ensuring representation from different socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, and geographical locations (Bhardwaj, 2019). Data will be collected through a quantitative online survey designed to gather information about participants' perceptions of gender stereotypes in education settings, their career aspirations, and their attitudes towards STEM fields (Rathi and Ronald, 2022). The collected data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify patterns and trends in participants' responses, supported by existing literature on gender stereotypes and their impact on career aspirations. The results will be presented in the form of tables, graphs, and charts to facilitate understanding (Setia, 2016). Ethical considerations will be paramount, with the study adhering to guidelines for research involving human participants. Participants will be fully informed about the study's purpose, their rights, and the confidentiality of their responses, and informed consent will be obtained from all participants before they complete the survey (Fleming and Zegwaard, 2018).

References

• Bhardwaj, P. (2019). Types of Sampling in Research. Journal of the Practice of Cardiovascular Sciences, [online] 5(3), pp.157-163. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/jpcs.jpcs_62_19.
• Fleming, J. and Zegwaard, K. (2018). Methodologies, methods and ethical considerations for conducting research in work-integrated learning. [online] Available at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1196755.pdf.
• Luo, T., So, W.W.M., Wan, Z.H. and Li, W.C. (2021). STEM stereotypes predict students' STEM career interest via self-efficacy and outcome expectations. International Journal of STEM Education, 8(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-021-00295-y.
• Makarova, E., Aeschlimann, B. and Herzog, W. (2019). The Gender Gap in STEM Fields: The Impact of the Gender Stereotype of Math and Science on Secondary Students' Career Aspirations. Frontiers in Education, [online] 4(60). doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2019.00060.
• McGuire, L., Mulvey, K.L., Goff, E., Irvin, M.J., Winterbottom, M., Fields, G.E., Hartstone-Rose, A. and Rutland, A. (2020). STEM gender stereotypes from early childhood through adolescence at informal science centers. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 67, p.101109. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101109.
• Mena Ning Wang, Tan, A.-L., Zhou, X., Liu, W., Zeng, F. and Xiang Jiong (2023). Gender differences in high school students' interest in STEM careers: a multi-group comparison based on structural equation model. International Journal of STEM Education, 10(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-023-00443-6.
• Rathi, T. and Ronald, B. (2022). Questionnaire as a Tool of Data Collection in Empirical Research. Journal of Positive School Psychology, [online] 2022(5), pp.7697-7699. Available at: https://journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/download/8840/5760/10200 [Accessed 16 Jan. 2024].
• Setia, M.S. (2016). Methodology Series Module 3: Cross-sectional Studies. Indian Journal of Dermatology, [online] 61(3), pp.261-264. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5154.182410.
• Seuring, S., Stella, T. and Stella, M. (2021). Developing and Publishing Strong Empirical Research in Sustainability Management-Addressing the Intersection of Theory, Method, and Empirical Field. Frontiers in Sustainability, [online] 1, pp.1-9. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2020.617870.

Background and Context

The 21st century is the era of competition driven by the rapid advancements in the technologies. In this rapid paced digital world, students are expected to perform excellently in order to succeed academically and establish a name for themselves in the community. (Calonia et al., 2022). In this context, a research study by (Barbayannis et al., 2022) revealed that the impact of academic stress on mental health is a significant issue that affects college students worldwide. Research has shown that academic stress is a dominant factor affecting the mental well-being of college students, leading to a variety of negative effects such as anxiety, depression, and poor academic performance (Barbayannis et al., 2022). A study conducted on university students from different streams found that high academic stress and exceeding the individual's capacity can impact headaches, weight loss, difficulty sleeping, unhealthy lifestyles, decreased academic performance, and mental health issues (Deng et al., 2022). The study also found that there are gender differences and stream-wise differences in the experience of stress, with medical and engineering students reporting higher stress levels. The shift to digital learning has introduced new challenges, with research indicating that academic stress in the digital learning environment can lead to decreased well-being and an increased likelihood of developing anxiety or depression (Barbayannis et al., 2022). A study conducted on university students from different streams found that high academic stress and exceeding the individual's capacity can impact headaches, weight loss, difficulty sleeping, unhealthy lifestyles, decreased academic performance, and mental health issues (Verbanas, 2022). The study also found that there are gender differences and stream-wise differences in the experience of stress, with medical and engineering students reporting higher stress levels (Deng et al., 2022). Exams and test preparation, grade level competitiveness, and gaining a big quantity of knowledge in a short period of time all contribute to academic stress. Furthermore, research indicates that academic stress in the digital learning environment can lead to decreased well-being and an increased likelihood of developing anxiety or depression (Aafreen, Priya.V and Gayathri, 2018). Therefore, it is important to address the impact of academic stress on the mental health of college students from different streams and provide recommendations for interventions and policies that can be implemented to improve their mental health outcomes, which will be done in this study. The study will also contribute in suggesting the coping mechanisms used by students from different streams to deal with academic stress and its impact on mental health (Calonia et al., 2022).

Research aims & objectives

The primary aim of this study will be to investigate the relationship between academic stress and mental health in college students enrolled in different streams. Specific SMART objectives of this study will be-

• Specific: To identify the factors that contribute to academic stress among college students in different academic streams.
• Measurable: To reduce the impact of academic stress on mental health outcomes of college students in different academic streams.
• Achievable: To collect the data from secondary sources to compare and contrast different types of mental health issues experienced by college students in different academic streams.
• Relevant: To explore and suggest existing and new coping mechanisms and interventions to improve the mental health outcomes of college students in different academic streams.
• Time bound: To complete the data collection, analysis, and report writing within a period of 90 days.

Research Questions

The below mentioned research questions will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: What are the specific factors that contribute to academic stress among college students in different academic streams?

RQ2: How does academic stress impact the mental health outcomes of college students in different academic streams?

RQ3: What are the coping mechanisms used by college students in different academic streams to deal with academic stress and its impact on mental health, and how effective are these mechanisms?

Research Methodology

To conduct this study, a comparative analysis will be performed on data collected from college students in different academic streams. The data will be collected through secondary sources such as existing literature and a dataset, which will include information on the students' academic performance, stress levels, and mental health outcomes (Bhaskar and Manjuladevi, 2016). The dataset for this study can be retrieved from online repositories such as “Kaggle”, “UCI”, “data. World”, “SAMHSA.gov”, etc. For this study, a sample dataset that will be used for exploring the associations between the mental health issues and academic stress among the students enrolled in different streams is, “Student Mental health”, extracted from Kaggle. Based on this dataset, the undertaken study may involve the analysis of the key factors affecting student's mental health issues while pursuing their professional courses at colleges and universities (Choy, 2014). Following the quantitative research methodology, the extracted data will be analyzed by performing descriptive statistics and inferential statistics using suitable statistical tools such as Microsoft Excel, SPSS, etc. Additionally, positivism research philosophy, which aligns with the hypothetico-deductive model and helps in exploring and verifying the factors affecting the mental health issues of students from different streams. Suitable tests will be performed to test the hypothesizing of the data and to identify any significant differences in mental health outcomes between students in different academic streams (Dawadi, Shrestha and Giri, 2021). Furthermore, the findings of these statistical analyses will be compared and contrasted with the existing evidence collected from previous studies and literature. Thus, the collective findings will be presented to provide generalized and robust conclusions (Bhaskar and Manjuladevi, 2016).

References

• Barbayannis, G., Bandari, M., Zheng, X., Baquerizo, H., Pecor, K.W. and Ming, X. (2022). Academic Stress and Mental Well-Being in College Students: Correlations, Affected Groups, and COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, [online] 13(886344). doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.886344.
• Bhaskar, S.B. and Manjuladevi, M. (2016). Methodology for research II. Indian Journal of Anaesthesia, [online] 60(9), p.646. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5049.190620.
• Calonia, J.T., Bagsic, J.C., Lato, A.S., Listahan, M.D., Bardago, C.S. and Fernando, J.G. (2022). The study aimed to ascertain the influence of academic stress on mental health among college students of the San Agustin Institute of Technology amidst COVID19 Pandemic. Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research). doi:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6812565.
• Choy, L.T. (2014). The Strengths and Weaknesses of Research Methodology: Comparison and Complimentary between Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 19(4), pp.99-104.
• Dawadi, S., Shrestha, S. and Giri, R.A. (2021). Mixed-Methods Research: a Discussion on Its Types, Challenges, and Criticisms. Journal of Practical Studies in Education, [online] 2(2), pp.25-36. doi:https://doi.org/10.46809/jpse.v2i2.20.
• Deng, Y., Cherian, J., Khan, N.U.N., Kumari, K., Sial, M.S., Comite, U., Gavurova, B. and Popp, J. (2022). Family and Academic Stress and Their Impact on Students' Depression Level and Academic Performance. Frontiers in Psychiatry, [online] 13(869337). doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.869337.
• Aafreen, M., Priya.V, V. and Gayathri, R. (2018). Effect of stress on academic performance of students in different streams. Drug Invention Today. [online] Available at: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Effect-of-stress-on-academic-performance-of-in-Aafreen-Priya.V/39a282834d54b98a1c08751f6d079e2348e97a01 [Accessed 17 Nov. 2023].
• Barbayannis, G., Bandari, M., Zheng, X., Baquerizo, H., Pecor, K.W. and Ming, X. (2022). Academic Stress and Mental Well-Being in College Students: Correlations, Affected Groups, and COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, [online] 13(886344). doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.886344.
• Verbanas, P. (2022). How College Students Perceive Academic Stress Affects Their Mental Well-Being. [online] www.rutgers.edu. Available at: https://www.rutgers.edu/news/how-college-students-perceive-academic-stress-affects-their-mental-well-being.

Background and Context

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among women. PTSD is a debilitating mental health condition that can occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It is estimated by WHO that approximately 3.6% of the global population experiences PTSD at some point in their lives, with women being more likely to develop the disorder than men (Goldman, 2023). TF-CBT is a specialized form of therapy that has shown promised results in treating PTSD. It involves a structured approach that incorporates elements of cognitive therapy and exposure therapy, with a particular focus on addressing the traumatic experiences that underlie the disorder (Watkins, Sprang and Rothbaum, 2018). TF-CBT aims to help individuals develop coping strategies, challenge negative thoughts and beliefs associated with the trauma, and gradually confront and process the traumatic memories (Furuta et al., 2018). While TF-CBT has shown promise in treating PTSD, there are several factors due to which this therapy may not be effective including lack of therapists expertise, individual differences, inadequate exposure therapy, and limited generalization of skills (Kar, 2011). The study also recognizes the emergence of personalized virtual assistance as a promising solution. By leveraging technology, virtual TF-CBT can tailor therapy to individual needs, overcome therapist shortages, enhance exposure therapy through virtual reality, and promote skill generalization. The study emphasizes the importance of carefully implementing these virtual tools, considering factors like user-friendliness and ongoing therapist involvement, with the potential to significantly impact the effectiveness of TF-CBT in treating PTSD among women. This research contributes valuable insights for mental health professionals, policymakers, and researchers, guiding the integration of personalized virtual assistance into clinical practice and informing future studies in this vital domain (Jericho, Luo and Berle, 2021).

Research aims & objectives

The primary objective of this study is to conduct a rigorous and systematic review, aimed at evaluating the efficacy of personalized virtually assisted TF-CBT in addressing PTSD specifically among women.

SMART Objectives

The SMART objectives for this study could be set as following-

• Specific: To determine the effectiveness of personalized virtually assisted TF-CBT in reducing PTSD symptoms among women.
• Measurable: To reduce the symptoms of PTSD among women and examining the impact of TF-CBT on PTSD symptoms among women.
• Achievable: To collect secondary data from existing sources to evaluate the key components of personalized virtually assisted TF-CBT that contribute to its effectiveness in reducing PTSD symptoms among women.
• Relevant: To investigate the challenges associated with implementing personalized virtually assisted TF-CBT in clinical settings for the treatment of PTSD among women, and analyze the factors that may influence its successful implementation.
• Time bound: To complete the systematic review and data analysis within three months.

Research Questions

The below mentioned research questions will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: What is the effectiveness of personalized virtually assisted trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among women?

RQ2: What are the key components of personalized virtually assisted TF-CBT therapy that contribute to its effectiveness?

RQ3: What are the challenges associated with implementing this therapy in clinical settings?

Research Methodology

The systematic review of existing literature on trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and its effectiveness in treating post-traumatic stress disorder among women will be conducted in this study under the qualitative research methodology (Fidahic et al., 2020). The research onion model, developed by Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill, will be employed to guide the research process. For the study on analyzing the impact of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy on post-traumatic stress disorder among women, the choice of “Interpretivism” as the research philosophy and “mono-method” qualitative research design will be effective. This is because they allow for a more comprehensive exploration of the TF-CBT's effectiveness in treating PTSD among women to address the research questions using a wide range of existing sources. The methodology for this review will involve a thorough search and selection process, data collection, and analysis. Employing a systematic approach, electronic databases including PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library will be searched using a predefined strategy combining keywords related to TF-CBT, PTSD, women, and treatment effectiveness. Inclusion criteria will prioritize peer-reviewed articles, randomized controlled trials, and systematic reviews published in the last two decades to ensure relevance (Bhawna and Gobind, 2015). The data collection process involves screening selected studies based on titles and abstracts, followed by a meticulous assessment of full-text articles for methodological quality and risk of bias. A thematic analysis method will be adopted for the analysis of the collected data adhering to PRISMA guidelines, which aims to ensure transparency and rigor (Sileyew, 2019). Through this robust methodology, the systematic review aspires to offer an evidence-based evaluation of TF-CBT's effectiveness in treating PTSD among women, guiding clinical practice and informing future research endeavors in this crucial domain (Nowell et al., 2017).

References

• Bhawna and Gobind (2015). Research Methodology and Approaches. Research Methodology and Approaches, [online] 5(3), pp.48-51. doi:https://doi.org/10.9790/7388-05344851.
• Fidahic, M., Nujic, D., Runjic, R., Civljak, M., Markotic, F., Lovric Makaric, Z. and Puljak, L. (2020). Research methodology and characteristics of journal articles with original data, preprint articles and registered clinical trial protocols about COVID-19. BMC Medical Research Methodology, [online] 20(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-020-01047-2.
• Furuta, M., Horsch, A., Ng, E.S.W., Bick, D., Spain, D. and Sin, J. (2018). Effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Psychological Therapies for Treating Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Women Following Childbirth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, [online] 9. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00591.
• Goldman, R. (2023). PTSD Statistics And Facts: How Common Is It? [online] Forbes Health. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/ptsd-statistics [Accessed 19 Jan. 2024].
• Jericho, B., Luo, A. and Berle, D. (2021). Trauma-focused psychotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 145(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13366.
• Kar, N. (2011). Cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: a review. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, [online] 7(7), p.167. doi:https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s10389.
• Nowell, L.S., Norris, J.M., White, D.E. and Moules, N.J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to Meet the Trustworthiness Criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, [online] 16(1), pp.1-13. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847.
• Sileyew, K.J. (2019). Research Design and Methodology. Text Mining - Analysis, Programming and Application, [online] pp.1-12. doi:https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85731.
• Watkins, L.E., Sprang, K.R. and Rothbaum, B.O. (2018). Treating PTSD: a Review of Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Interventions. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, [online] 12(258), pp.1-9. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00258.

Background and Context

In the digital age, children are increasingly exposed to various forms of technology from a young age. According to a report by (Rideout and Robb, 2020), children under the age of 8 spend an average of 2 hours and 19 minutes with screen media each day, and 42% of children 8 and under have their own tablet devices. This widespread use of technology has sparked concerns about its potential impact on child development. Many parents have expressed concerns about the effects of extensive screen time on their children's development. A study by (American Psychological Association, 2019), found that 58% of parents worry about the influence of social media on their child's physical and mental health and 94% take at least one action to manage and control children's technology use. Whilst, the same study revealed that 48% of parents found it a difficult and constant battle to regulate their children's screen time (American Psychological Association, 2019). These concerns reflect the need to understand parental perceptions of technology and its impact on child development and exploring the key contributing factors (Bozzola, 2022). Preliminary research has also shown that excessive screen time can be associated with language delays, attention problems, and poor sleep in young children and adolescents (Mougharbel et al., 2023). Thus, understanding how parents perceive the influence of technology on their children's development and the key factors behind it is essential for addressing these concerns and promoting healthy technology use. Despite the prevalence of technology use and parental concerns, there is a lack of comprehensive empirical research on parental perceptions of technology and its impact on child development. By conducting an empirical analysis, this study aims to fill this gap and provide valuable insights into the factors that shape parental attitudes towards technology and the strategies they employ to manage their children's technology use. This study would benefit the parents, policy makers and research practitioners in exploring the key strategies and measures that can be implemented to promote healthy technology use among young children, by reducing the risks associated with the technology use.

Research aims & objectives

The overarching aim of conducting this study will be to address the parental concerns regarding the technology use among their young children and to offer evidence based recommendations to parents to regulate their children's technology use. To achieve this aim, below listed specific objectives will be pursued-

SMART Objectives

• Specific: To understand parental perceptions of technology and its impact on child development.
• Measurable: To reduce the risks of parental concerns regarding the impact of technology on children's physical, mental and social well-being.
• Achievable: To collect primary data from the parents to gain their insights regarding managing the children's technology use among young children.
• Relevant: To foster healthy technology use and safe technological environment among young children in the current digital age.
• Time bound: To complete data collection, analysis, and reporting over the period of 105 days.

Research Questions

The below mentioned research questions will be addressed through this study-

RQ1: What are the main parental concerns regarding the influence of technology on their children's development and what are the contributing factors?

RQ2: How do parents perceive the effects of technology on their children's physical, mental, and social well-being?

RQ3: What strategies do parents use to manage their children's technology use and foster healthy technology use, and what difficulties do they encounter in regulating their children's screen time?

Research Methodology

The methodology for conducting this study will be empirical research, in which a qualitative interview method will be conducted for analyzing the perceptions of the parents regarding their children's technology use (Bettis et al., 2014). The main motive of conducting this research empirically will be deriving the research findings by drawing on the personal and actual insights rather than relying on the theoretical evidence. In order to perform this research, a diverse sample of parents with children of varying ages will be selected to capture a wide range of perspectives (Imran and Yusof, 2015). This could include parents from different socioeconomic backgrounds, educational levels, and cultural groups to ensure a comprehensive understanding of parental perceptions. Furthermore, a semi-structured interview protocol will be developed that covers topics such as parental attitudes and beliefs about technology, their strategies for managing their children's technology use, and their perceptions of the impact of technology on child development (Chat Wacharamanotham et al., 2022). The adoption of interpretivism research philosophy and an inductive approach in this study allows for an in-depth exploration of parental perceptions regarding children's technology use, capturing rich insights from the participants' perspectives (Seuring, Stella and Stella, 2021). Open-ended questions will be used in this interview analysis to allow for detailed responses and to capture the range of parental perspectives. The interviews will be audio-recorded with the participants' consent to ensure accurate data capture (Harari and Lee, 2021). This research will comply with ethical guidelines, including obtaining informed consent from the participants, maintaining confidentiality, and respecting the participants' perspectives and experiences. Thus, the collected data will be analyzed by employing qualitative analysis methods, such as thematic analysis, to identify recurring themes and patterns in the interview data (Imran and Yusof, 2015). This will involve coding the interview transcripts, identifying commonalities and differences in parental perceptions, and interpreting the findings to gain insights into the research questions. By employing this methodology, the research can gain valuable insights into parental perceptions of technology and its influence on child development, contributing to a deeper understanding of this important and timely topic (Bettis et al., 2014).

References

• American Psychological Association (2019). Digital guidelines: Promoting healthy technology use for children. [online] Apa.org. Available at: https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/technology-use-children.
• Bettis, R.A., Gambardella, A., Helfat, C. and Mitchell, W. (2014). Qualitative empirical research in strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, [online] 36(5), pp.637-639. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2317.
• Bozzola, E. (2022). The Use of Social Media in Children and Adolescents: Scoping Review on the Potential Risks. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, [online] 19(16), p.9960. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19169960.
• Chat Wacharamanotham, Yang, F., Pu, X., Sarma, A. and Padilla, L. (2022). Transparent Practices for Quantitative Empirical Research. CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Extended Abstracts. doi:https://doi.org/10.1145/3491101.3503760.
• Harari, L. and Lee, C. (2021). Intersectionality in quantitative health disparities research: A systematic review of challenges and limitations in empirical studies. Social Science & Medicine, [online] 277, p.113876. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113876.
• Imran, A. and Yusof, R.M. (2015). Empirical Validation of Qualitative Data: A Mixed Method Approach. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 5.
• Mougharbel, F., Chaput, J.-P., Hugues Sampasa-Kanyinga, Hamilton, H., Colman, I., Leatherdale, S.T. and Goldfield, G.S. (2023). Heavy social media use and psychological distress among adolescents: the moderating role of sex, age, and parental support. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1190390.
• Rideout, V. and Robb, M.B. (2020). THE COMMON SENSE CENSUS: MEDIA USE BY KIDS AGE ZERO TO EIGHT. [online] Available at: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2020_zero_to_eight_census_final_web.pdf.
• Seuring, S., Stella, T. and Stella, M. (2021). Developing and Publishing Strong Empirical Research in Sustainability Management—Addressing the Intersection of Theory, Method, and Empirical Field. Frontiers in Sustainability, [online] 1, pp.1-9. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2020.617870.