A qualitative descriptive study design will be used for the proposed research paper. The aim of the proposed paper is to understand the perceived mental care needs of older adult patients of minority groups and perceived problems and adjust care practices to ensure that they are provided with timely and effective care. The qualitative research design is the best option to gather qualitative data from the participants’ answers to interview questions (King et al., 2018). Qualitative research methods are aimed at obtaining the most complete and detailed information about the object of study. The difference between quantitative and qualitative methods is that the latter do not focus on statistical estimates and measurements, but emphasize the understanding and interpretation of empirical data. It will allow for studying human behavior and perceptions regarding the given topic in an in-depth manner (Magnusson & Marecek, 2015). The research questions that were posed in the previous assignment cannot be addressed by yes or no, which requires using the qualitative design to clarify the patterns of thinking and reasons for limited access to mental therapy among the identified populations.
The descriptive method is used to obtain the most detailed information about the object of the study. This method is beneficial to collect and analyze qualitative information to focus on the details, characteristics, and underlying reasons, et cetera (Holloway & Galvin, 2016). In the proposed study, it is expected to clarify the role of SES (ethnicity and age) in low access to mental therapy in terms of the concept of the perceived need (Epping et al., 2017; Jang et al., 2015). In-depth interviews are a direct method of qualitative research, which consists of interviewing a respondent with a trained specialist using sequentially asked questions (Green & Thorogood, 2018). It is expected to elucidate the opinions of individual members of the group on the problem under study, the motives of behavior, et cetera.
As aptly noted by Noble and Smith (2015), the effect of qualitative methods of research is possible only with the dominant ethical standards. Selecting information from all kinds of data, a researcher should not be limited only to his or her own preferences, which will ensure credibility. In addition, trying to answer the question about the given topic, collecting specific information – empirical data, referring to the properties of the phenomenon being studied, the researcher will not operate on generally accepted provisions of common sense or appeal to authorities (Gunawan, 2015). While documenting the answers of participants, the researcher will avoid any distortion. A person, presenting the results of the study, even if they do not satisfy him or her, should neither hide nor embellish anything (Connelly, 2016). The requirement of honesty also includes the provision of complete documentation relevant to the case. It is necessary to be responsible for all the information to critically evaluate the method and results of the study. This is especially important to keep in mind in order to avoid the temptation to distort information, which would undermine the credibility of the findings.
In the proposed study, transferability will be demonstrated by the consideration of the results with regard to the literature to show that they can be applied in different settings as well. Dependability refers to the extent to which the study can be repeated, which will be ensured by means of providing enough information about the study design and findings (Thorne et al., 2016). In combination, these factors will make the proposed research trustworthy.
Data collection techniques will include interviews with the enrolled patients and the review of their medical data, such as demographic information and existing mental conditions. The sample size of 60 participants is appropriate for the qualitative research that aims to study attitudes and perceptions (Malterud et al., 2016). Data analysis processes will be based on Yin’s stage theory to compile a database, disassemble data, reassemble data, interpret findings, and make relevant conclusions. NVivo software will be applied to organize and process the collected information.
A self-labeling theory will be used as the foundation for conducting the proposed study. According to this theory, there are particular grounds on which a person’s belonging to a certain community identifies himself or herself, such as linguistic, cultural, social, and so on (Villatoro et al., 2018). Today, identity is the axis around which discussions revolve in the area of healthcare studies, which allows understanding the most important processes of the time. The aspect of social identity is based on the process of social labeling (Stolzenburg et al., 2017). When people act in conflict with social norms, their behavior is considered deviant, which devoid them of social recognition (Packness et al., 2017; Narendorf & Palmer, 2016). Based on these assumptions, the perceived need for care will be conceptualized as a component of self-labeling to explain how patients behave in terms of seeking mental health care services (Villatoro et al., 2018). Norms and rules of behavior, cultural perspectives, and individual motivation will be studied in terms of the chosen theory.
References
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