Assignment Task
Research Proposal: Prevalence of drug abuse among Australian youth
This research proposal will emphasize the prevalence of drug abuse among Australian youth and its impact on their mental health. The inclusion of mental health awareness and the significance of cognitive-behavioral therapy will also be highlighted through the same.
This paper outlines the following:
Existing literature on the effect of drug abuse on the mental health of Australian teenagers as well as determining the effectiveness of CBT
Brief of the chosen research method and its illustration
Personal reflection of choosing this topic
Introduction
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is described as a condition of complete physical, social, and mental well-being, without the presence of diseases. Mental health has a significant impact on a person’s capacity to think, engage, and be productive (World Health Organization, 2021). The changing times have increased the incidence of drug consumption, particularly among youth. Drug misuse or addiction can impact individuals from many aspects of life, apart from their age, caste, ethnicity or, gender. When medicines are taken regularly, the quality of life suffers. Aside from the mental parts of life, the emotional, social, and behavioral aspects are also held captive. Individuals who use drugs solely for recreational purposes have also had negative outcomes (Finkelstein et al., 2017).
Drug’s fatal effect is destroying the mental states of teenagers, making it impossible for parents to maintain control. In addition to focusing on the rationales that have led to the problem, one should also consider how to address it. Taking risks and placing lives in danger is in one’s hands; yet, worries about addressing these issues must be made a priority today. When used consistently, cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective in curing illness and minimizing negative effects (King et al., 2019).
Background
Drug misuse has been linked to long-term consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Drug abuse and addiction have long been thought to be a major contributors to rising rates of illness and premature death among Australian youngsters (Balog et al., 2016). Teenagers commonly use cocaine, cannabis, and ecstasy. Cannabis usage is common among children aged 18 to 24, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2021). Since 2017, there has been a considerable increase in the number of females aged 12 to 17 who use cannabis. In recent years, rates of meth/amphetamine use have decreased from 13.2 percent to 2.3 percent. The percentage of cocaine and ecstasy users has shifted, revealing that both males and females are now consuming twice as much of these substances as they were previously. Data also reveals that the overall use of various drugs among teenagers has increased over time. In the case of hallucinogens, there is a little increase in the proportion. This has had a significant impact on people’s mental health, as the majority of cases reported under mental health problems in 2013-14 were related to the prohibited use of narcotics, alcohol abuse, or cigarette use.
Literature Review
Drugs can have a variety of long- and short-term impacts on various people, depending on their age and physical size. It can have a physical and mental impact on the body. The negative effects of the medications can lead to changes in behavior and perceptions. It has the potential to affect brain function and destabilize the neurological system. Drug addiction is one of the most costly health problems in today’s society mandating it as a public health issue. As new treatments for the host are developed, the proportionality of substance addiction to the quantity of treatment received by teenagers for mental health disorders is decreasing, resulting in no response, creating a deadly situation for the individual (Dellazizzo et al., 2020).
The rising incidence of drug addiction cases has necessitated an integrated strategy to rehabilitating youngsters so that they can live productive lives for the rest of their life. To address the co-occurrence of mental health issues and substance misuse, cognitive behavioral therapy has been used. Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on addressing both problems independently and is a cost-effective method of dealing with both. Its main features focus on cognitive variables that outline a similar approach to dealing with depression and substance dependence. The victim’s emotions and behavioral patterns are taken into account in this therapeutic technique (Hogue et al., 2020).
Research Question
The research question aims to determine the effectiveness of CBT in youth suffering from drug addiction concerns who also suffer from mental health disorders. To interpret the impact of drug addiction on Australian teenagers through this qualitative research is the motive.
Study Design
The opted study design for this research focuses on the phenomenological approach that is a form of qualitative inquiry that elucidates an understanding based on the study, life experiences of people. The major goals of phenomenological research are to extract the truth from people’s accounts of their feelings and experiences, as well as to generate detailed descriptions of the event. It assists in collecting data and developing new ideas for interpreting the actual meaning. Based on an experiential model, it facilitates a better understanding of the study illustrating the reliability and validity as well (Stolz, 2020). Herein illustration of the influence of cognitive-behavioral therapy after acknowledging mental health awareness and its relation to the prevalence of drug abuse among youngsters in Australia.
Study Population and Sampling
Participants: This study involves youngsters aged above 12 years and is residents of Australia. The completion of the survey will be used to obtain participants’ agreement for this study. Participants in this study will be asked to complete an online survey that will take 20 minutes to complete and will be administered via Google forms in online mode. The focus of the survey will be on the participant’s present stress levels. The survey questionnaire will include both open-ended and closed-ended questions, with a focus on mental health awareness and drug addiction will be asked. Participants will be asked to complete the response form and submit it via the internet. Data will also be collected via the internet. Priorities will be entertained, and participants will be able to share their questions over the internet.
Data collection method and Analysis
The survey questions will be produced on online questionnaire platforms like survey monkey and Google forms, and the data will be collected from the participants via online means. Participants will receive an electronic mail with links to the questionnaires. The responses will be gathered via mail within a certain time range, and the data will be stored in appropriate databases. The subject’s anonymity will be respected and protected (Roth & Unger, 2018). For data analysis and collecting, participants will be issued participant codes. Mail information, as well as delicate information, will not be disclosed.
The survey questions will be based on three respective domains formulating a total of 15 questions:
Substance abuse and its impact
Mental Health Awareness
Knowledge regarding Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
The survey questionnaire is given in the appendix on the last page.
After the survey has been distributed, the process of collecting responses will prolong for X weeks. Answers in the collection of 15-25 are considered reliable for this study. In focused investigations where the researcher is aware of the research domain, purposeful sampling approaches are appropriate.
Ethics
The study is constrained by various ethical considerations that must be considered while doing the research. The information and data breach is linked to the legal risk created by this study. Informed consent is one of the most important ethical issues. It is critical to have the consent of medical specialists. It may also infringe on people’s right to self-determination (Roth & Unger, 2018). For this research, informed consent will be taken from the participants so that personal data is not breached.
Reflection
Conducting the research boosted my confidence to undertake this kind of study. Since some of my friends are very well aware of the ill-effects of drugs and substance abuse but sometimes engage in this practice but have a bleak knowledge regarding its impact on mental health. Being unaware of the mental health aspect, they have little or no idea about CBT and its effectiveness. To acknowledge their thoughts, for enhancing their knowledge on the same encouraged me to go ahead with this topic.
Conclusion
Thus, substance abuse is significantly related to mental health issues that have now become a public concern and require attention. This research proposal reflects the study method for conducting a qualitative search for substance abuse and its impact on mental health among teenagers. The overall understanding of mental health literacy among the Australian youth will be acknowledged along with the interpretation of an understanding of cognitive behavioral therapy. Ethical consideration of the consent will also be taken care of so that no confidentiality breach occurs in this case. The phenomenological-based approach was followed while surveying, methodology, and data analysis for the same have been discussed along with the personal motive of the study.
Reference
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2021). Alcohol, tobacco & other drugs in Australia. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-tobacco-other-drugs-australia/contents/priority-populations/younger-people#illicitdruguseDellazizzo, L., Potvin, S., Dou, B. Y., Beaudoin, M., Luigi, M., Giguère, C. É., & Dumais, A. (2020). Association between the use of cannabis and physical violence in youths: A meta-analytical investigation. American Journal of Psychiatry, 177(7), 619-626. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19101008Finkelstein, Y., Goel, G., Hutson, J.R., Armstrong, J., Baum, C. R., Wax, P., … & Toxicology Investigators Consortium. (2017). Drug misuse in adolescents presenting to the emergency department. Pediatric Emergency Care, 33(7), 451-456. https://journals.lww.com/pec-online/Abstract/2017/07000/Drug_Misuse_in_Adolescents_Presenting_to_the.1.aspxHogue, A., Bobek, M., MacLean, A., Miranda, R., Wolff, J.C., & Jensen-Doss, A. (2020). Core elements of CBT for adolescent conduct and substance use problems: Comorbidity, clinical techniques, and case examples. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 27(4), 426-441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2019.12.002King, J., Cabarkapa, S., & Leow, F. (2019). Adolescent self-harm: Think before prescribing. Australian Prescriber, 42(3), 90–92. https://doi.org/10.18773/austprescr.2019.023Roth, W.M., & von Unger, H. (2018). Current perspectives on research ethics in qualitative research. In forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 19(3). https://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/3155/4306Scholes-Balog, K.E., Hemphill, S.A., Evans-Whipp, T.J., Toumbourou, J.W., & Patton, G.C. (2016). Developmental trajectories of adolescent cannabis use and their relationship to young adult social and behavioral adjustment: A longitudinal study of Australian youth. Addictive Behaviors, 53, 11-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.09.008Stolz, S.A. (2020). Phenomenology and phenomenography in educational research: A critique. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 52(10), 1077-1096.https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2020.1724088World Health Organization. (2021). Mental health and substance abuse. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/westernpacific/about/how-we-work/programmes/mental-health-and-substance-abuse
Appendix (Survey Questionnaire)
Substance abuse and its impact
Q1. Kindly identify your age group?
1. 13-17 years 2. 18-24 years 3. 24-27 years 4. 27-30 years
Q2. Have you ever taken drugs other than medical reasons? If yes, then why.
Q3. Do you abuse drugs or consume drugs more than one time?
Q4. Are you aware of the impact of substance abuse on mental health?
Q5. Have you experienced medical issues like loss of memory or bleeding after drug use?
Mental Health Awareness
Q6. Do you know how substance abuse can cause severe mental health problems?
Q7. In your opinion, what are some examples of mental health problems?
Q8. How many times have you visited the clinic for mental health problems?
Q9. Will you accept a friend with mental health issues?
Q10. If yes, do you know how can they be treated?
Knowledge regarding Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Q11.Have you heard about CBT? If yes can you mention the full form
Q12. What do you know about CBT?
Q13. Have you been recommended to undertake CBT by your mental health practitioner?
Q14. If yes, then have you undergone this therapy?
Q15. How was your experience?
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