Abstract
Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT) is a modern approach to solving psychiatric problems. The techniques used in this form of therapy have proved to be effective in many situations. In recent years, cases of depression in women have risen considerable. This study proposes the application of the cognitive behavioral therapy in treating cases of depression in women. A brief introduction is provided to highlight the significance of the study. Through the literature review, the applications and perceived success of CBT is substantiated. A randomized study design will be used to select the study participants. Qualified individuals will be subjected to CBT and other therapeutic approaches, and the outcomes evaluated using a depression scale. The depression measures obtained will then be treated with analytical tools, which will direct the drawing of conclusions.
Introduction
Mental health is a fundamental aspect of human life. By definition, it refers to psychological wellness that is associated with functional brain activity. The opposite situation to this is the occurrence of mental illness that affects individuals’ mental stability and efficacy. Psychologists view mental health as a satisfactory state of emotional balance. This spreads to the maintenance of consistent behaviors that are viewed as normal in a medical sense. Various branches of psychology have sought to demystify the truths surrounding the aspect of mental health. Holism provides that a good and fulfilling life is evidence of a person’s state of agreeable mental health. This allows people to balance the forces that affect their daily life and fulfil their particular desires. In recent years, mental illness has become prevalent among populations. The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy makes it a suitable candidate for the treatment of women with depression.
Literature Review
Depression can be described as a mental derangement that causes mood issues. Concerning this, a depressed person withdraws from normal activity and tends to lose their sense of wellbeing. Depression is also associated with feelings of sadness, anxiety and hopelessness. Some cases of mental derangement may drive people to guilt and make them have a self-conception that is characteristic of subnormal human reasoning. A common feature of depression includes a drastic behavioral change that shifts people interests from their initial desires about life. People may have a different opinion about things that they once considered pleasurable. Usually, this change stimulates a series of events that may affect victim’s general appetite. Additionally, several disorders may crop up from a case of depression. Eating behaviors may take the forms that would predispose to morbidity and significant health complications. Depression has also been blamed in the gradual loss in mental functionalities. Ultimately, the composite of these health conditions may significantly reduce the life span of a patient.
Various medical interventions have been used to treat cases of depression. Within the spheres of psychological treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been employed in the treatment of depressive disorders. Several CBT protocols have been formulated to treat the occurrence of behavioral abnormalities. Nevertheless, these strategies have been designed to adapt to particular disorders. This degree of specificity has enabled therapists to approach treatment objectively. This means that the fact that various CBT approaches share core principles does not tie them to common procedural frameworks. There is substantial evidence in favor of CBT effectiveness (Hofmann, 2012). Nevertheless, some weaknesses have hampered efforts to spread the methodology across the world. Among the limitations include the high costs incurred during interventions. This aspect has discouraged many practitioners from employing the method fully. Few countries have implemented CBT strategies as a first line of intervention for mental conditions.
The treatment outcomes of CBT has been explained in various forms of scientific literature. According to a review compiled by Butler and Chapman (2006), the efficacy of CBT techniques cannot be disputed. The paper provided a clear summary of literature surrounding meta-analytic approaches to the treatment of mental disorders through CBT interventions. The review involved an investigation into sixteen methodologies involved in the treatment of psychiatric conditions. The outcomes of the study were interesting. CBT scored highly with the provision of impressive effect sizes.
Nevertheless, the relevance of CBT has been debated severally. Mental health is an important topic that occurs in various public and scientific discussions. Polarized views on the efficacy of CBT have subjected the treatment approach to criticism. Some members of the scientific community claim that this treatment method is not practical in an economic sense. Concerning this, it is disputed that CBT cannot provide sustainable solutions to psychiatric problems. This is due to the cost-intensive nature of most CBT protocols. This means that the implementation of CBT strategies will be affected by significant financial constraints. This concerns the aspect of training therapists and the maintenance of CBT programs in health systems. For CBT approaches to work, therapists may be forced to utilize limited sessions than expected. Thus, this would be deleterious to the effective application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the alleviation of patient suffering.
Hypothesis
Concerning this proposal, it is hypothesized that cognitive behavioral therapy is the ultimate solution to depression problems occurring in women. This is also inclusive of various other mental health derangements that are associated with similar conditions.
This hypothesis is backed up by empirical evidence that highlights the efficacy of CBT approaches in the treatment of psychiatric conditions. Studies have shown that significant progress can be made in the medical arena if practitioners may adopt CBT strategies fully. Additionally, the convenience associated with CBT methods augments its merit. Some people exhibit adverse responses to the sole application of antidepressants in medical treatment. Telephone-based CBT can go a long way to treat women showing depressive symptoms.
Methodology
This chapter gives an overview of the methods used for conducting the research. The proceeding section explains the procedure to be used in the selection of sampling units and the chapter ends with a description of data analysis.
Research design and rationale
The study will employ a randomized design. Randomization has been used to conduct various forms of scientific studies. It is extensively employed in studies that feature clinical trials in the field of human medicine. Additionally, experiments are best done when randomized samples are used to collect necessary data. The upside of randomization is that it excludes most possible forms of bias during a study. It prevents the occurrence of selection and accidental bias that may affect the validity of results. This method of sample treatment also allows for the creation of comparable groups that are vital in scientific research. Additionally, randomization enables researchers to employ the principles of probability to highlight the possibilities that are attributable to chance. This has a significant influence on the outcomes of a research study.
Confounding factors must be avoided to safeguard the validity of the research process. Concerning this, the determining variables of a study must be eliminated at the point of evaluating variabilities. Randomization guarantees the inclusion of all the members of the sample population into the treatment process. In this situation, all participants would be accorded an equal chance of taking part in the study procedure. Intervention groups would also be established efficiently. Furthermore, randomization gives a solid basis for the application of appropriate statistical tools that would be employed in data treatment.
In summary, randomization provides many benefits that are valuable to any research study. In this study, it would aid in the circumvention of bias. It would also create a balance between groups concerning different variables. Additionally, it would vindicate the application of the statistical tools to be used in data treatment. A randomized study design is a practical means to conducting a study on the efficacy of CBT approaches in the treatment of women with depression.
Sampling
The sampling units will be selected from a health facility. The choice of candidates will rely on classified information provided by medical staff from the chosen health center. Eligibility will be determined by the application of a screening too to check for persons with depressive symptoms. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) will be used to provide a depression scale used to evaluate potential study participants. Qualification will be based on individuals who will attain scores above eight.
Data collection methods
The chosen participants will undergo a vetting process described by an exclusion criterion. First, one will be expected to have a history of mental illness. This may be in the form of mild depressive symptoms or an overt form of mental illness. Among the disorders to be considered in this case will be mania and drug dependence. Participants will not be expected to have a convenient access to telephone services. Additionally, participation will be subject to the participant’s consent as a cautious measure to prevent the occurrence of legal mishaps. Qualified individuals will be subjected to telephone-based CBT and other forms of cognitive therapies.
Measurement
Depression outcome measures will be used as variables in investigating the efficacy of CBT in treating depression in women. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17) will provide these measures. Additionally, a symptom checklist will be used to measure depression levels in the participants. Assessment will be done after eight weeks, which will be followed by a subsequent evaluation after twenty-four weeks of the study period.
Data analysis plan
Scale data will then be analyzed using ANOVA to compute the study’s level of significance.
The Analysis of Variance is a range of statistical tools used in data analysis. Regarding this, they are instrumental in treating data obtained from comparable groups. In this case, the group means obtained in the study will be compared scientifically. Additionally, this will also cover the procedures employed in the treatment of sample units. The ANOVA tool will give answers concerning the possible variations that exist between study groups exposed to telephone-based CBT and those treated with other forms of behavioral therapies.
In the context of ANOVA testing, observable variances are divided into components connected to various sources of variation. This means that this statistical tool can be used to establish whether the means of study groups are equal in the statistical sense. The fact that it can be used to evaluate the significance of a study makes it a relevant tool in this particular study.
References
Butler, A. C., Chapman, J. E., Forman, E. M., & Beck, A. T. (2006). The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy: a review of meta-analyses.Clinical psychology review, 26(1), 17-31.
Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: a review of meta-analyses.Cognitive therapy and research, 36(5), 427-440.
