METHODOLOGY
The research methodology describes the pathway used to approach the study question. While weak methods may lead to sterile speculation and a lack of scientific base, excessive attachment to rules and models could generate stereotypical responses and insufficient contextualization. A proper methodology may combine coherent techniques and the researcher’s flexibility, knowledge and ethics.
A reasonable method to approach Houston’s mental health network should consider its complexity. Many lists of mental health care facilities in the area are already available online, provided by trustful organizations. There shouldn’t be an attempt to standardize these services. Their plurality is a valuable source of innovation, not a detrimental factor per se, and ranking parts of such a fragmented net would result in a fallacy, a faulty reasoning. Our intention is to enrich the existent information with the providers, patients and families’ collaboration, building a qualitative tool that can capture the variety of our framework. …show more content…
Many researchers (like Wallace, 1971, and Boudon, 1979) have worked to overcome the simple opposition between qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The first may be equivocally seen as relying on pure intuition and subjectivity, while the last may seem to represent the science itself or a picture of the reality. In fact, each of these methods has a goal, and choosing one is only a matter of purpose and perspective.
To understand “the meaning people attach to things in their lives” (Taylor, Bogdan, DeVault, 2015), a broad range of disciplines make use of qualitative methods. They assess human and sociological phenomena and should be prioritized when analyzing beliefs, representations, habits and opinions, especially in universes that cannot or should not be merely quantified (Corbin; Strauss, 2007). Research steps 1. Reviewing the literature Our first step will be a brief literature review of the modern history of America’s mental health system, seeking to contextualize some of its struggles. Scientific books and academic papers will be complemented with information from newspapers and magazine articles about the United States’ mental health crisis and some of its social and economic consequences. The bibliographical study will also present a concise analysis of the particularities of inpatient and outpatient settings for mental health care, focusing on the deinstitutionalization movement and the shift from a biological, hospitalization-centered treatment to a social, community-centered model. We intend to stress their interdependence and the importance of a solid inpatient/outpatient network for proper severe mental illness treatment. 2. Focus groups Once the research’s theoretical background is finished and the study problem is contextualized, we work on building a qualitative method to assess the research object: the inpatient and outpatient services for serious mental illness in the Houston area. The first tool used in this step will be the focus group technique. Morgan (1996) defines it as a method to collect data from the interaction that happens in a group discussion. Its strength, according to the author, “is not simply in exploring what people have to say, but in providing insights into the sources of complex behaviors and motivations” (Morgan, 1996, p. 139). Less structured discussions allow participants to define their interests and issues. Also, the conversation that take place in the focus groups can help people to clarify views and elaborate thoughts with their vocabulary and style (Kitzinger, 1995). Four focus groups will gather the patients and families’ viewpoints about the search for treatment for serious mental illness in Houston. Two will be held with relatives of patients from the Houston area, and two with patients treated in Houston. All groups will have six participants. Morgan (1996) states that small groups are more appropriate for “emotionally charged topics that generate high levels of participants’ involvement”, giving them time, freedom and intimacy to discuss experiences. Since finding a mental health treatment and dealing with severe mental disorders are personal and emotional situations, a small group seems to be the adequate approach in this case. The groups will initially debate the same questions: . In your opinion, what are the five top aspects to be considered by the patients and families seeking treatment for serious mental illness? . What was your best experience looking for serious mental illness’ treatment in the Houston area? . What was your worst experience looking
The research methodology describes the pathway used to approach the study question. While weak methods may lead to sterile speculation and a lack of scientific base, excessive attachment to rules and models could generate stereotypical responses and insufficient contextualization. A proper methodology may combine coherent techniques and the researcher’s flexibility, knowledge and ethics.
A reasonable method to approach Houston’s mental health network should consider its complexity. Many lists of mental health care facilities in the area are already available online, provided by trustful organizations. There shouldn’t be an attempt to standardize these services. Their plurality is a valuable source of innovation, not a detrimental factor per se, and ranking parts of such a fragmented net would result in a fallacy, a faulty reasoning. Our intention is to enrich the existent information with the providers, patients and families’ collaboration, building a qualitative tool that can capture the variety of our framework. …show more content…
Many researchers (like Wallace, 1971, and Boudon, 1979) have worked to overcome the simple opposition between qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The first may be equivocally seen as relying on pure intuition and subjectivity, while the last may seem to represent the science itself or a picture of the reality. In fact, each of these methods has a goal, and choosing one is only a matter of purpose and perspective.
To understand “the meaning people attach to things in their lives” (Taylor, Bogdan, DeVault, 2015), a broad range of disciplines make use of qualitative methods. They assess human and sociological phenomena and should be prioritized when analyzing beliefs, representations, habits and opinions, especially in universes that cannot or should not be merely quantified (Corbin; Strauss, 2007). Research steps 1. Reviewing the literature Our first step will be a brief literature review of the modern history of America’s mental health system, seeking to contextualize some of its struggles. Scientific books and academic papers will be complemented with information from newspapers and magazine articles about the United States’ mental health crisis and some of its social and economic consequences. The bibliographical study will also present a concise analysis of the particularities of inpatient and outpatient settings for mental health care, focusing on the deinstitutionalization movement and the shift from a biological, hospitalization-centered treatment to a social, community-centered model. We intend to stress their interdependence and the importance of a solid inpatient/outpatient network for proper severe mental illness treatment. 2. Focus groups Once the research’s theoretical background is finished and the study problem is contextualized, we work on building a qualitative method to assess the research object: the inpatient and outpatient services for serious mental illness in the Houston area. The first tool used in this step will be the focus group technique. Morgan (1996) defines it as a method to collect data from the interaction that happens in a group discussion. Its strength, according to the author, “is not simply in exploring what people have to say, but in providing insights into the sources of complex behaviors and motivations” (Morgan, 1996, p. 139). Less structured discussions allow participants to define their interests and issues. Also, the conversation that take place in the focus groups can help people to clarify views and elaborate thoughts with their vocabulary and style (Kitzinger, 1995). Four focus groups will gather the patients and families’ viewpoints about the search for treatment for serious mental illness in Houston. Two will be held with relatives of patients from the Houston area, and two with patients treated in Houston. All groups will have six participants. Morgan (1996) states that small groups are more appropriate for “emotionally charged topics that generate high levels of participants’ involvement”, giving them time, freedom and intimacy to discuss experiences. Since finding a mental health treatment and dealing with severe mental disorders are personal and emotional situations, a small group seems to be the adequate approach in this case. The groups will initially debate the same questions: . In your opinion, what are the five top aspects to be considered by the patients and families seeking treatment for serious mental illness? . What was your best experience looking for serious mental illness’ treatment in the Houston area? . What was your worst experience looking