Mental Health Conditions and Substance Abuse in Adolescents
Restate the aims of your research Then identify the population and the variables. Finally, refine your research question.
First, revise and state the purpose of your study:
Example
Purpose: The purpose of the research is to compare level of trauma stress between adults on the autism spectrum who have experienced workplace bullying and those who have not experienced workplace bullying.
Next, identify the population and variables in your study. Provide an operational definition of the variables and identify the level of measurement for each variable.
Example
Population: The population is employed adults on the autism spectrum
Independent variable: The independent variable is workplace bullying. This variable is defined as whether the person has experienced workplace bullying or not. The level of measurement would be nominal because there are two categories: bullied/not bullied.
Dependent variable: The dependent variable is the trauma stress effect of bullying. This variable is defined as level of trauma stress. The level of measure would be interval or ratio because the measurement tool will give trauma score.
Now, refine your research question. Make sure your population and variables are included in the question:
Example
Do adults on the autism spectrum who experience workplace bullying have higher trauma stress levels than adults on the autism spectrum who have not experienced workplace bullying?
Aims of the Research
The aims of this research are to:
Population and Variables
Population:
The target population for this research is adolescents aged 12 to 18 years old. This age group is chosen because it is a critical period of development during which adolescents are particularly vulnerable to mental health conditions and substance abuse.
Variables:
Operational Definitions of Variables:
Refined Research Question:
How prevalent are mental health conditions and substance abuse among adolescents, and what factors contribute to the co-occurrence of these conditions? Additionally, what is the impact of mental health conditions and substance abuse on adolescents’ academic performance, social functioning, and overall well-being?