Introduction
Clinical depression is one of the most troubling problems in the healthcare sector. This makes it necessary to conduct scientific research on this problem to find its causes, consequences, and ways to limit it in patients. Within the framework of this research proposal, the nature of clinical depression will be examined, a research design for its study will be proposed, and possible ethical issues associated with this choice will be highlighted.
The Nature of Disease
The occurrence of clinical depression is a fairly common problem in the healthcare sector. Research stated that it “is a mental health condition that causes a persistently low or depressed mood and a loss of interest in activities that once brought joy” (“Clinical depression (Major depressive disorder),” 2022, para. 2). This disorder can seriously affect the well-being of individuals; in addition to the listed symptoms, they may have difficulty sleeping, thinking, and eating. The severity of this disease is also due to the chronic nature and periodization of the most severe episodes.
Research Design
The first stage, within the framework of writing this research proposal, is the definition of research design, which will be used as part of a forthcoming paper. This choice will allow researchers to find the necessary information and data. Thus, the main research design will be descriptive, as it can provide the most complete and clear understanding of the causes of clinical depression and its impact on individuals.
In the future, the collected data can assist in finding measures and tools to help patients suffering from this psychological problem. In addition, the study will include a group design, allowing those conducting it to compare the results obtained during the work with each other and come to the most productive conclusions.
Ethical Issues of the Research
Confidentiality
The first ethical consideration when choosing a descriptive research design is the preservation of confidentiality. Research underlined that it “requires safeguarding the information that an individual has disclosed in a relationship of trust and with the expectation that it will not be disclosed to others without permission” (“Maintaining data confidentiality,” 2021, p. 1). In other words, this aspect consists of the non-proliferation of any personal information that may be included in the research process.
Informed Consent
Moreover, it is also essential to include informed consent in this issue, which will ensure the preservation of the ethics of scientific work. This will contribute to limiting privacy problems and adverse outcomes of the experiment. The second possible ethical issue is considering the potential harm the research may cause. This poses a particular criticality since the main task of scientific work is to provide patient benefits. To limit this problem, researchers should receive participant feedback at each stage and check the data for potential harm.
Conclusion
In conclusion, before proceeding with the study, it is necessary to determine several critical aspects. First, this becomes the definition of the problem that clinical depression has become. The next step is to define the research design and potential ethical issues. Hence, when conducting a descriptive study, the confidentiality of the acquired information and data may be harmed. To limit these problems as much as possible, researchers must obtain informed consent from all participants and check the work for harm.
References
Clinical depression (Major depressive disorder). (2022). Cleveland clinic. Web.
Maintaining data confidentiality. (2021). University of Nevada. Web.