Part I: Briefly discuss the working thesis and model of your proposed research topic and your impetus for this topic.Part II: On June 11, 2020, Dr. Andrew Gelman, Professor of Statistics and Political Science and Director of the Applied Statistics Center at Columbia University, posted a blog on the peer-review process. Review his comments and those of others. Regarding academic research, discuss who is responsible for the quality of the research? Is it the authors or researchers or the peer reviewers of the academic journal or the academic journal? Part III: Some people believe that poor writing in a peer-reviewed paper is a reflection on the writer. Others believe it is a reflection on the journal and its editors. What are your thoughts? Why?
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Unit III: Scholarly Activity
Taneya N. Chandler
Doctoral Writing and Inquiry Into Research
Dr. Audra Spicer
Columbia Southern University
February 14, 2024
Article Synthesis
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Part I
The thesis of the study by Gawrych et al. (2022) is to provide an impact of COVID-19influencing symptoms and predictors of depression among Polish young adults in distributed
learning. The authors proposed that a variety of sociodemographic factors, including coping
mechanisms and mental stress brought on by the pandemic, could significantly predict
depressive symptoms in our target population.
The design of the model for the research was a cross-sectional and observational study. It
utilized multivariable logistic regression for analyzing the association between predictors (sociodemographic variables, stressors of the pandemic, and coping behaviors) and the outcome
variable (depressive symptoms, assessed using the Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale). The
adoption of this method boosted the researcherÂ’s ability to establish the factors that were
associated with the risk and protection of depression among young adults during the pandemic
from a holistic angle. This evinced the challenges of mental health among that group during a
time of stress and change.
Part II
XiuÂ’s (2020) References
American Psychiatric Association (1984). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders DSM-IV (4th ed.). American Psychiatric Press.
Asian American Federation. (2014). The state of Asian American children.
http://www.aafederation.org/doc/AAF_StateofAsianAmericanChildren.pdf.
[This source is likely non-scholarly because it is a report by an organization rather than an article
in a peer-reviewed academic journal. Such reports can provide valuable information but are
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considered grey literature since they haven’t undergone the rigorous peer-review process typical
of scholarly articles.]
Avakian, M. (2002). Atlas of Asian-American history. Checkmark Books. Berry, J. W. (1980).
Acculturation as varieties of adaptation. In A. Padilla (Ed.), Acculturation: Theory,
models and some new findings (pp. 9–25). Westview.
[This source might be considered non-scholarly depending on its content and use. Atlases and
historical overviews can be scholarly; however, the publisher, Checkmark Books, is not known
for academic publishing, suggesting this might be more of a general audience publication.]
Berry, J. W. (2005). Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. International Journal of
Intercultural Relations, 29(6), 697-712.
Berry, J. W. (2017). Theories and models of acculturation. Oxford Handbook of Acculturation
and Health (pp. 15-27). Oxford University Press.
Berry, J. W., Poortinga, Y. H., Segall, M. H., & Dasen, P. R. (2002). Cross-cultural psychology:
Research and applications. Cambridge University Press.
Cervantes, A., Keith, L., & Wyshak, G. (1999). Adverse birth outcomes among native-born and
immigrant women: Replicating national evidence regarding Mexicans at the local level.
Maternal and Child Health Journal, 3(2), 99-109.
Chae, M. H., & Foley, P. F. (2010). Relationship of ethnic identity, acculturation, and
psychological well-being among Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Americans. Journal of
Counseling & Development, 88(4), 466-476.
Chang, L., Arkin, R. M., Leong, F. T., Chan, D. K., & Leung, K. (2004). Subjective
overachievement in American and Chinese college students. Journal of Cross- Cultural
Psychology, 35(2), 152-173.
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Chang, D. F., Myers, H. F., Yeung, A., Zhang, Y., Zhao, J., & Yu, S. (2005). Shenjing Shuairuo
and the DSM-IV: Diagnosis, distress, and disability in a Chinese primary care setting.
Transcultural Psychiatry, 42(2), 204-218.
Cheung, F. M., (2009). The cultural perspective in personality assessment. In J. N. Butcher (Ed.).
Oxford handbook of personality assessment (pp. 44-56). Oxford University Press.
Cheung, F. M., Cheung, S., & Fan, W. (2013). From Chinese to cross-cultural personality
inventory: A combined emic–etic approach to the study of personality in culture. In M.
Gelfand, C. Y. Chiu, & Y. Y.Hong (Eds.), Advances in Culture and Psychology (Vol. 3)
(pp. 124-126). Oxford University Press.
Cheung, F. M., Cheung, S. F., Leung, K., Ward, C., & Leong, F. (2003). The English version of
the Chinese personality assessment inventory. Journal of Cross- Cultural Psychology,
34(4), 433-452.
Cheung, S. F., Cheung, F. M., Howard, R., & Lim, Y. H. (2006). Personality across the ethnic
divide in Singapore: Are “Chinese traits” uniquely Chinese? Personality and Individual
Differences, 41(3), 467-477.
Cheung, F. M., Cheung, S., & Zhang, J. (2004). What is ‘Chinese’ personality? Subgroup
differences in the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI-2). Acta
Psychologica Sinica, 36(4), 491-499.
Cheung, F. M., Cheung, S. F., Zhang, J., Leung, K., Leong, F., & Huiyeh, K. (2008). Relevance
of openness as a personality dimension in Chinese culture: Aspects of its cultural
relevance. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 39(1), 81-108.
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Cheung, P. C., Conger, A. J., Hau, K. T., Lew, W. J., & Lau, S. (1992). Development of the
Multi-Trait Personality Inventory (MTPI): Comparison among four Chinese populations.
Journal of Personality Assessment, 59(3), 528-551.
Part III
The synthesis of the three articles reveals the holistic nature of depression among young
people, bringing to light the multifariousness and intricacy of the interplay of factors responsible
for its occurrence and consequences. Achterbergh et al. (2020) focus their attention on the
reciprocal relationship between loneliness and depression, suggesting that social withdrawal and
concealing depression intensify loneliness and perpetuate the vicious cycle. Basta et al. (2022)
carried out a socio-demographic and family history study to illustrate how mental health
disorders take precedence over socioeconomic factors in Greek adolescents and young adults.
Amaltinga and Mbinta (2020) present more of the global factors related to depression among
youth by mentioning gender, inherited traits, and environmental stressors. And that stresses the
need for effective mental health services and public health programs to be put in place to
decrease such occurrences.
One common thread across the studies is the recognition that the factors that cause
depression in youth are more complex, and social dynamics play a big role. Also, the provision
of early interventions and supportive environments is critical to controlling the effects of factors
that predispose youth to develop depression. The articles, in normalizing this, highlight the
importance of understanding the intricate interactions of these factors if effective prevention and
treatment strategies are to be developed. However, the data reveals the imperative of designing
specialized strategies that account for the diverse socio-demographic and psychological factors
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in the population at that level. This also requires an understanding of the global context
comprising disparities, worldwide resource availability of research, and respective health policies
for the improvement of mental health disparities. Community mental health programs should be
an integral part of our efforts, alongside increasing the quality of mental care provided and
nurturing environments that eliminate stigma and encourage mental health. It is on these grounds
that we can lessen the burden of depression and loneliness among youth globally.
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References
Achterbergh, L., Pitman, A., Birken, M., Pearce, E., Sno, H., & Johnson, S. (2020). The
experience of loneliness among young people with depression: A qualitative metasynthesis of the literature. BMC Psychiatry, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-02002818-3
Amaltinga, A. P., & Mbinta, J. F. (2020). Factors associated with depression among
young people globally: A narrative review. International Journal Of Community
Medicine And Public Health, 7(9), 3711. https://doi.org/10.18203/23946040.ijcmph20203949
Basta, M., Micheli, K., Koutra, K., Fountoulaki, M., Dafermos, V., Drakaki, M., Faloutsos, K.,
Soumaki, E., Anagnostopoulos, D., Papadakis, N., & Vgontzas, A. N. (2022). Depression
and anxiety symptoms in adolescents and young adults in Greece: Prevalence and
associated factors. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 8, 100334.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2022.100334
Gawrych, M., Cicho?, E., & Kiejna, A. (2022). Depression among young adults – risks and
protective factors in the COVID-19 pandemic. Post?py Psychiatrii i Neurologii, 31(2),
52–61. https://doi.org/10.5114/ppn.2022.118265
Xiu, Z. (2020). Acculturation, personality and depression among Chinese and Chinese American
young adults. William James College ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
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Unit IV: Scholarly Activity
Taneya N. Chandler
Doctoral Writing and Inquiry into Research
Dr. Audra Spicer
Columbia Southern University
February 21, 2024
Doctoral Writing
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Part 1
The article reveals the connection between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and
depression in homeless young adults in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, Arizona, from a social
determinants of health perspective. The authorsÂ’ goal is to advance knowledge of how traumatic
experiences in childhood influence the mental health of the most at-risk community members.
They emphasize the importance of comprehensive public health interventions and social support
systems.
This studyÂ’s main statement is that ACEs and depression have been identified as strongly
correlated among homeless young adults. The data turned out to show a growing trend in the
level of depression with each additional ACE. Nevertheless, the association between ACEs and
the clinical diagnosis of depression as a regular case was not significant statistically. This
highlights the possibility that both mental health diagnosis and treatment processes encounter
impediments in this group of people.
The main target group for this research is composed of different public health
professionals, policymakers, and social workers alike, as well as researchers. These are people
with an interest in homelessness, mental health, and the social determinants of health. They do
this by focusing on this particular category of stakeholders with the goal of influencing public
health strategy, policy development, and service provision. The intention is to solve or at least
reduce the impacts of ACEs on depression amongst homeless young adult individuals.
In summary, the article aims to demonstrate the critical connection between trauma
experienced in childhood and mental health challenges facing homeless young adults and,
accordingly, suggest multidisciplinary concentrations to tolerate the main sources and
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expressions of homelessness and mental illness (Wu et al., 2024). The authors recommend
extended provision of diverse support efforts, special programs that are adapted to people’s
unique counterproductive aspects, and inclusive policies that reflect the intricacy of interaction
between social, natural, and personal factors leading to homelessness and mental health
disparities.
Rhetorical Analysis
The selected paragraph, which is the conclusion paragraph, effectively addresses the
research’s contribution to endorsing the complexity of the relationship between ACEs and
depression in the context of homelessness (Wu et al., 2024). It indeed highlights the importance
of such research by summarizing the findings and emphasizing their implications for further
research and intervention.
Interpretation of the Situation (Kairos): The authors take advantage of this propitious chance to
deal with this challenge that has continued to be a matter of concern to society thanks to recent
data and the social anxiety concerning homelessness and mental health. Through the examination
of ACEs as a major factor in depressive disorders among homeless youths, the research leads to
a well-recognized gap within the public health discourse, featuring the enormous homelessness
crisis of the Phoenix metropolitan area. With this period in mind, it is evident that there is a need
to come up with clearly defined interventions and policies.
Purpose for Writing: The role of this paragraph and the article generally is multifaceted. Firstly,
it is to clarify the complex connections between childhood trauma and depression among
homeless youth, one of the groups. Secondly, it is to lobby for precise health interventions to be
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developed. Lastly, it is to highlight the lack of research in this particular area. The authors who
address health disparities attempt to educate their readers, identify the inadequacies in their
current understandings and responses, and project future work that may help in overcoming this
health gap.
WriterÂ’s Projected Character (Ethos): By detailing the causal link between depression among
the homeless and ACEs, the authors present themselves as experts and reliable sources of
information. They boost their credibility by putting their research into the general public health
research topic, which shows the depth of their understanding of the field. Alongside this, their
wide appeal to the multidimensional opinions of stakeholders demonstrates the presence of a
sympathetic and integrative attitude toward tackling the issue.
Intended AudienceÂ’s Emotions, Beliefs, and Values (Pathos): The paragraph is written in such
a way that it evokes the emotions of its readers, especially when the extreme prejudice of
depression towards special groups from homeless communities like racial, ethnic, and sexual
minorities, unmarried people, and young parents is highlighted. This appeal hopes to awaken
empathy and heighten a sense of urgency among policymakers, healthcare professionals, and the
masses in order to make compassionate and adequate interventions to deal with these disparities.
Claims and Evidence (Logos): According to the authors’ study findings, there is a direct
correlation between ACEs and diagnosed depression among homeless people. They apply
logical thinking and conclude that the realization of this connection is significant for the creation
of effective interventions. The request that future studies determine the efficacy of intervention
stems from the assumption that tackling the primary causes of depression will result in better
treatment outcomes for this population.
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Types of Evidence Used (Logos): The paragraph utilizes statistical data generated from the study
(such as the substantial relationship between ACEs and depression outcomes) and logical
reasoning to support its claims. The authors discuss the necessity of diverse sources of
information and consider basing intervention development on findings combined with the
experiential knowledge of stakeholders.
In summary, this paragraph employs several rhetorical techniques to emphasize the
importance of the findings, convince the readers of the authors’ credibility, show feelings of the
audience’s pity for them, and logically present an argument for targeted interventions and further
investigations.
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References
Wu, S., Ta, L., Vieira, J., Schwartz, K., Perez, J., Zeien, J., Li, D., & Hartmark-Hill, J. (2024).
Adverse childhood experiences and depression among homeless young adults: A social
determinants of health perspective. International Journal of Environmental Research and
Public Health, 21(1), 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21010081
