Clinical research in mental health : a practical guide / Gordon J. G. Asmundson, G. Ron Norton, Murray B. Stein.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Asmundson, Gordon J. G.

Contributor:

Norton, G. Ron, 1941-

Stein, Murray B., 1959-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mental Health.

Research Design.

Mental Health Services.

Medical Subjects:

Mental Health.

Research Design.

Mental Health Services.

Physical Description:

xvii, 181 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Other Title:

Mental health

Place of Publication:

Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Sage Publications, [2002]

Summary:

The philosophy behind this research methods text is to provide practical, how-to guidance in an accessible format. The authors hope to reach clinical students and postdoctoral trainees at the early stages of training to muster excitement by showing that research need not be either dull or threatening. Their goal is to "demystify the research process," with a style that is informative yet easy-to-read, humorous, and user friendly. One of our reviewers puts it best when he describes the book as "a true 'paperback' research mentor." The authors hope to hook students on research early in their studies so that they see it as a natural extension of their work rather than as drudgery to be endured just to get a degree. The ultimate hope is that this will lead to more direct-care practitioners getting involved in research after they leave school. This book is also different from any other on the subject in being problem oriented. It will emphasize research methods that are appropriate to most clinical settings and will deal with many issues of clinical research that are often ignored by other research methods books.

Contents:

1. An Introduction to Clinical Research 3

Potential Obstacles to Conducting Research 4

Time 5

Confidence 6

Motivation 6

Space and Equipment 7

Bottom Line 7

The Scientific Approach 9

Importance of a Mentor 10

Overview of the Chapters 12

2. Why Do Research? 15

It Is Rewarding 16

Satisfying Curiosity 16

Informing Clinical Practice 17

Questions That Clarify a Concern 18

To Test an Idea 19

To Add to Our Knowledge 20

So, Why Should You Do Research? 22

3. Generating Worthwhile Research Ideas and Setting an Action Plan 24

Sources of Research Ideas 25

Intuition 25

Theory 26

Previous Research 27

Is the Idea Worth Investing In? 28

The Action Plan 32

Gathering Articles From the Literature 33

PsycLit 34

Medline 34

Searching 34

4. How to Read and Critically Evaluate Research Articles 37

Step 1 The Initial Read 39

Step 2 The Second Read 41

Results 45

Step 3 Pulling It All Together 47

5. Writing a Research Proposal 52

Know the Format 54

Relevant Sections 54

Length Requirements and Limitations 55

Additional Materials 56

Preparing an Introduction 56

Preparing the Background 57

Preparing the Specific Aims and/or Hypotheses 57

Preparing the Methods Section 58

Participants 58

Methods 59

Power Analysis and Statistical Analysis 59

Preparing the Literature References 60

Preparing a Budget 61

Preparing an Appendix 63

After You've Written It ... 63

6. A Primer on Research Ethics 65

A Model for Making Ethical Decisions 67

Informed Consent 69

Informed Consent in Special Populations 70

Exceptions to Informed Consent 70

Parts of the Information and Consent Form 71

A Word on Data Fabrication 76

Part II Data and Methods 79

7. Understanding Data 81

Reliability 81

Inter-Rater Reliability 82

Inter-Interval Reliability 83

Test-Retest Reliability 83

Validity 84

Face Validity 84

Construct Validity 85

Concurrent Validity 85

Predictive Validity 85

Convergent and Discriminant Validity 86

Types of Data 86

Qualitative Data 87

Quantitative Data 89

Self-Report Data 90

Semi-Structured Interviews 90

Paper-and-Pencil Measures 91

Idiosyncratic Situations 92

8. Guidelines for Collecting Sound Data 95

General Guidelines for Collecting Data 95

Selecting Measures 96

Experimenter Biases 99

Comparing Active Treatment to Placebo 99

Comparing Two Types of Psychotherapy 101

More on Using Placebos: Wait-List and Attention Control 102

Participant Biases 104

Group Effects 105

Attrition Effects 107

Selecting an Appropriate Method 109

General Conclusions 110

9. Understanding Variables 111

Variables as Different States 111

Mathematical Classification 112

Measurement Classification 113

Experimental Classification 116

Independent Variables 117

Dependent Variables 121

Extraneous Variables 122

10. Handling Data and Using Statistics 126

A Word on Creating and Cleaning Electronic Databases 127

Descriptive Statistics 129

Data Distribution 130

Measures of Central Tendency 132

Measures of Variation 136

Inferential Statistics 138

Estimating Probability 138

Determining Whether Data Are Significantly Different 140

Determining Whether Data Are Significantly Related 145

Part III Communicating Your Findings 151

11. Presenting Your Findings 153

Why Present Your Research? 153

Where to Present Your Research 155

Informal Presentations 155

Presenting at Professional Conferences or Meetings 155

Choosing a Presentation Format 157

Tips on Preparing an Effective Presentation 159

Oral Presentations 161

Disclosure of Financial Interests or Other Affiliations 163

12. On Writing and Publishing 166

Why Good Work Goes Unpublished (And What to Do About It) 167

Writing a Manuscript for Peer Review 168

Elements of a Peer-Reviewed Manuscript 171

Interpreting, Acting on, and Responding to an "Action" Letter 174.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0761922105

OCLC:

48773975