Levels of Depression in West Massachusetts

Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Doctoral Research Project Checklist

Date: ?????

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Program of Study: Social Work

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The following checklist provides a tool to develop DSW Doctoral Projects in social work contexts. The doctoral project involves multiple steps, including identification of the local problem and development of the practice-focused question(s) to address it, and a review of the background and context related to the problem (Section 1); a plan for systematic collection of data and evidence (Section 2); analysis of those data to inform a solution or strategy that addresses the practice-focused question(s) (Section 3); and product(s) or recommendation(s)-for-action based on those results (Section 4). All items may not be relevant to your particular study; please consult with your chair for guidance.

· Instructions for students:

· Indicate on the checklist the page numbers (use the actual document page number, not the MS Word pagination) where the appropriate content is located.

· Respond to comments from your supervisory committee and/or URR members in the comment history box. Do not delete previous comments. Just add your response and use some means to clearly identify your remarks (e.g., colored, bolded, or italicized text).

· Instructions for the DSW Doctoral Project committee chair, second member, and URR member.

· Provide specific feedback in the comment history column. Do not delete previous comments. Just add your response and use some means to clearly identify your remarks (e.g., colored, bolded, or italicized text).

· If you made detailed comments on the draft (using track changes and comments), you can make reference to such comments in the draft rather than copy the text into the checklist comment history section.

Front Matter

Title [Depression among Older Immigrant African Women in Metro West Massachusetts]

Your title should include:

· the area of focus of the research and applicable population,

Depression among Older Immigrant African Women in Metro West Massachusetts

· important outcome(s), variables, and/or concept(s), and

Cause of patient’s anxiety, stressors facing their patient’s life in West Massachusetts, the patient access to mental health services, and how patients coped with depression.

· research strategy.

Qualitative Interviews

PREMISE

Your premise paper should be submitted to the DSW Coordinator for approval by the Program Director before enrolling in DSW Capstone Project Research.

Problem Statement: Briefly describe a social work practice problem and why it is important to address within the context of social work practice.

This study intends to explore the views of social workers in relation to depression among older immigrant African women currently living in west Massachusetts. Depression among elderly immigrant women stands out as an essential phenomenon for study in social work, considering the extent to which the condition affects vulnerable populations. Immigrants typically face stressors relating to migration experience, which may cause or intensify mental health problems.

Research Question(s): Identify your preliminary practice-focused research question(s).

1. From the perspective and benefits of social workers, what factors influence older immigrant African women’s adaptive capacity in Metro West Massachusetts?

2. What mental health services do social workers offer to older immigrant African women in Metro West Massachusetts from the social work perspective?

3. How do social workers assess the need for mental health services for older immigrant African women in Metro West Massachusetts?

4. What service modifications can social workers introduce in practice to enhance mental health service delivery for older immigrant African women in Metro West Massachusetts?

Theoretical Framework: Identify the theory or theories you will use to frame your project and briefly explain how the theory(ies) applies.

The theoretical framework that can be used to frame this project is the structural-functional theory. This theory should play a key role in understanding the onset of depression among older immigrant African women, given the various social demands associated with being a migrant. Painful experiences may increase the possibility of suffering from stressful episodes. Stress and vulnerability add up to the chance of developing depression, where changes in the environment, lack of coping mechanisms, and lack of support have an adverse impact on the mental health outcome of this group.

Methodology: Briefly describe the project’s design, sources of evidence, and how they will be obtained.

This will be an exploratory study to uncover the views of social workers who work with African women immigrants located in Metro West Massachusetts. The data types of the study will be qualitative as the researcher will rely on interviews with the social workers. The reason for selecting this type of study is that qualitative research provides insight into the participants' feelings.

References: Include a reference list for all citations used in the premise paper.

Agbemenu, K. (2016). Acculturation and Health Behaviors of African Immigrants Living in the United States: An Integrative Review. ABNF Journal, 27(3).

Alegría, M., Álvarez, K., & DiMarzio, K. (2017). Immigration and mental health. Current epidemiology reports, 4(2), 145-155.

Derr, A. S. (2017). Mental health service use among immigrants in the United States: A systematic review. Psychiatric Services, 67(3), 265-274.

Foo, S., Tam, W., Ho, C., Tran, B., Nguyen, L., McIntyre, R., & Ho, R. (2018). Prevalence of depression among migrants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(9), 1986.

Kinser, P. A., & Lyon, D. E. (2014). A conceptual framework of stress vulnerability, depression, and health outcomes in women: potential uses in research on complementary therapies for depression. Brain and Behavior, 4(5), 665-674.

Landa, A., Skritskaya, N., Nicasio, A., Humensky, J., & Lewis-Fernández, R. (2015). Unmet need for treatment of depression among immigrants from the former USSR in the US: A primary care study. The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 50(3), 271-289.

Lynch, J. R., Berg, S. T., Manna, J., & Schade, C. P. (2016). Making a dent in undiagnosed and untreated depression among older West Virginians. West Virginia Med. J, 112(3), 60-66.

Priebe, S., Sandhu, S., Dias, S., Gaddini, A., Greacen, T., Ioannidis, E., . . . Lorant, V. (2011). Good practice in health care for migrants: views and experiences of care professionals in 16 European countries. BMC public health, 11(1), 187.

Takeuchi, D. T. (2016). Vintage wine in new bottles: infusing select ideas into the study of immigration, immigrants, and mental health. Journal of health and social behavior, 57(4), 423-435.

Thoits, P. A. (1985). Social support and psychological well-being: Theoretical possibilities Social support: Theory, research and applications (pp. 51-72): Springer.

PROPOSAL Abstract

Limited to one page.

Describe a social work practice problem and why it is important to address within the context of clinical social work.

The current study sought to understand the causes and prevalence of depression among older immigrant African American women in Metro West Massachusetts and how the older immigrants cope with depression. By analyzing the social worker's perspectives, insights can be provided into ways the social workers sector can assist in meeting the population's emerging needs.

The practice-focused research question(s) and the purpose for the doctoral project.

a) from the social work perspective, what factors influence older immigrant African women’s adaptive capacity in Metro West Massachusetts? (b) from a social work perspective, what mental health service do social works offer to older women from Africa living in the USA? (c) How do social workers assess the need for mental health services for their clients and (d) what service modifications can social workers introduce to enhance mental health service delivery for older women coming from Africa?

State all concepts, models, and/or theories used to inform the doctoral project.

The theoretical framework that can be used to frame this project is the structural-functional theory. This theory should play a key role in understanding the onset of depression among older immigrant African women, given the various social demands associated with being a migrant. Painful experiences may increase the possibility of suffering from stressful episodes. Stress and vulnerability add up to the chance of developing depression, where changes in the environment, lack of coping mechanisms, and lack of support have an adverse impact on the mental health outcome of this group.

Concisely describe the the project’s design, sources of evidence and how they were obtained, and the analytical strategies used in the doctoral project.

This will be an exploratory study to uncover the views of social workers who work with African women immigrants located in Metro West Massachusetts. The reason for selecting an exploratory study for current research is that it would give flexibility in the entire research process. Data was collected using the quota sampling method. Interviews and questionnaires were most appropriately used to collect data and the SPSS software was used to analyze data.

Concisely summarize the findings and conclusions, and how they inform clinical social work practice (final doctoral project paper only).

Concisely identify major products and/or recommendations as appropriate (final doctoral project paper only).

Conclude with a summary of potential implications for social work practice and for positive social change.

The findings of this study will contribute new knowledge to address the gap in research regarding depression in older immigrant African women residing in Metro West Massachusetts. Findings will offer insights into ways social workers can meet the emerging needs of this population. The study results will assist the community social workers to address the emerging needs and challenges older immigrant African women face when accessing mental health services.

PROPOSAL SECTION 1: Foundation of the Study and Literature Review

Checklist Items

Pg/NA

Comment History

Introduction

Note: APA section 3.03 does not allow a heading called Introduction; it is assumed that the first part of the manuscript or section is the introduction.

Briefly introduce the social work topic/problem, the research methodology, and potential positive social change implications of the doctoral study (later sections will allow you to elaborate).

In West Massachusetts, United States, the most common health disorders are anxiety and depression, which are prevalent in elderly immigrant women aged between 50 and 79 years (Agbemenu, 2016). Despite various efficacious interventions for depression and anxiety, it is clear that elderly immigrant women experience mental health care disparities in their access to mental health services and the quality of treatment they receive. The current study sought to understand the causes and prevalence of depression among older immigrant African American women in Metro West Massachusetts and how the older immigrants cope with depression. A total of 12 self-identified social workers were interviewed about their patient’s mental health problem symptoms and treatment experience, what they thought was the cause of their patient’s anxiety, stressors facing their patient’s life in West Massachusetts, their patient access to mental health services, and how patients coped with depression. The findings underscored the importance of attending to both between-groups and within-group differences in the mental health and mental health treatment experiences of different ethnic groups.

Preview the overall organization of the paper and major headings/subheadings.

Abstract

Section 1: Foundation of the Study and Literature Review

Problem Statement

Purpose of the Study

Research Questions

Definition of Key Terms

Significance of the Study

Theoretical Framework

Review of Professional and Academic Literature

Cultural Competence

Mental Health of Immigrants

Depression Among Older African Immigrant Women

Stressors faced by Older African Immigrant Women

Summary

Problem Statement

Explicitly state the social work practice problem that is the focus of this doctoral study.

This study intends to explore the views of social workers in relation to depression among older immigrant African women currently living in Metro West Massachusetts.

Describe the scope (locally, regionally and/or nationally, as appropriate) and evidence that demonstrates the problem is current, relevant, and significant to the professional practice of social work.

Depression among elderly immigrant women in Metro West Massachusetts stands out as an essential phenomenon for study in social work, considering the extent to which the condition affects vulnerable populations. Derr (2017) pointed out that immigrants typically face stressors relating to migration experience, which may cause or intensify mental health problems. Moreover, Derr (2017) also discussed that immigrants tend to access mental health services at a lower rate than non-immigrants. Subsequently, this situation leaves immigrants at risk of untreated health conditions leading to increased disease burden (Lynch, Berg, et al.,2016).

Frame the problem in a way that builds upon or counters previously published findings about the problem, focusing primarily on research conducted in the last five years.

It is imperative to determine the views of social workers from West Massachusetts who work with older immigrant African women in Metro West Massachusetts affected by depression. Such an undertaking may reveal service modifications such as giving patients with language barriers more time to enhance access to quality mental health services.

Purpose Statement and Research Questions

Briefly describe the social work practice problem or phenomenon that this doctoral study addresses.

In this study, the views of social workers regarding depression in older immigrant African women in Metro West Massachusetts will be obtained. By analyzing these perspectives, insights can be provided into ways the social workers sector can assist in meeting the population's emerging needs. Expected in the results of this study will be any service modification needed to meet the needs of the African immigrant women located in Metro West Massachusetts.

State the practice-focused research question(s), variables, and concepts, as applicable.

1. From the perspective and benefits of social workers, what factors influence older immigrant African women’s adaptive capacity in Metro West Massachusetts?

2. What mental health services do social workers offer to older immigrant African women in Metro West Massachusetts from the social work perspective?

3. How do social workers assess the need for mental health services for older immigrant African women in Metro West Massachusetts?

4. What service modifications can social workers introduce in practice to enhance mental health service delivery for older immigrant African women in Metro West Massachusetts?

Provide concise definitions of key terms, concepts, or constructs.

· Culturally informed - Culturally informed is defined as the offering of care by healthcare professionals that respects, acknowledges, and integrates the patient's cultural values, practices, and beliefs.

· Older immigrant African women - Older immigrant African women refer to women over 65 years of age.

· Immigrant - According to the Gimeno-Feliu, Calderón-Larrañaga, Díaz, et al. (2019), an immigrant is defined as a person who comes to permanently living in a foreign country.

· African women - African women refer to native or inhabitant women of African or African ancestry.

· Coping mechanisms - Coping mechanism is the collection of strategies used to cope with stressful events in one’s life and the trauma along with its painful memories.

· Migration - Migration is the temporary or permanent movement of humans or animals from one geographic region to another.

· Host country - According to Yamlaksira et al. (2021), a host country is a country that holds a cultural event or sporting event to which others are invited.

Describe why this doctoral study is needed and how it will result in an original contribution that advances professional social work practice.

The significance of this research could be assessed because the African American community has been facing racial disparity since the times of their slavery and has still not ended, which could be seen in modern times (Watkins, Hawkins & Mitchell, 2019). This type of modern slavery affects their living social conditions and directly affects their health. Among them are old women and they have a more severe tendency to get health conditions due to their negative racial experiences.

Nature of the Doctoral Project

Describe the design of the study providing a concise rationale for how the design aligns with the purpose statement and research questions(s).

This will be an exploratory study to uncover the views of social workers who work with African women immigrants located in Metro West Massachusetts. The reason for selecting an exploratory study for current research is that it would give flexibility in the entire research process. A better understanding of the established research question is the primary objective of such a study, which suits best for this research. When the necessary information is gathered about the selected issue through literature analysis, the researcher contemplates why the issue needs to be addressed, and that exploratory insight is needed. The interpretation is made based on the gained data so that the research question and its relevant queries like ‘what,’ ‘how’ and ‘why’ are answered.

Briefly identify the sources of data and how they will be obtained.

Due to their understanding of and interaction with this population, the views of the social workers will be examined to ensure the information being presented is reliable. Social workers are responsible for addressing the health challenges that this community faces. The source of information for this study will come from the responses obtained from the individual interviews with each social worker. The epistemology of this study will focus on exploring the experiences of social workers working with older African immigrant women living in Metro West Massachusetts.

Briefly summarize the methodology that will be used to organize and analyze these data.

All the interviews will be audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of the data will be used for analyzing the interviews. Thematic analysis is flexible and can be used for explorative studies where no clear patterns are being searched for.

Note: You will elaborate on these topics in Section 2, and you will change the tense in the final document.

Note: Data from people or agencies cannot be collected and/or analyzed prior to approval by the Walden University Institutional Review Board (IRB). Only published evidence (e.g., articles, books, or reports that are accessible to anyone in the public) may be examined prior to IRB approval.

Significance of the Study

Identify potential contributions of the project that will advance social work practice knowledge.

The findings of this study will contribute new knowledge to address the gap in research regarding depression in older immigrant African women residing in Metro West Massachusetts. Findings will offer insights into ways social workers can meet the emerging needs of this population. The study results will assist the community social workers to address the emerging needs and challenges older immigrant African women face when accessing mental health services. More specifically, the study will focus on how the target population is affected by depression when there are barriers to receiving support. Findings in the study will equip social workers with the knowledge to develop strategies to treat depression and bring awareness to older African women immigrants' unique needs.

Briefly explain how this doctoral study holds significance for the field of social work (practice, research, and policy).

Social workers would gain support from this research to specifically address the concerns of the older immigrants from the African American community. The increment in social work for this particular community has been rising for the past few decades. The Afrocentric or Africentric paradigms have been established to discuss the seriousness of the oppression and the prolonged culture of slavery still faced by this community (Watkins, Hawkins & Mitchell, 2019). It travels along the lines of physical and mental health due to loss of identities when they traveled to a new region, and there is a change in their living conditions. For this purpose, the current study would address the social work interventions for the elderly community among African American immigrants.

Describe potential implications for positive social change.

Expected in the results of this study will be any service modification needed to meet the needs of the African immigrant women located in Metro West Massachusetts (Takeuchi, 2016). These findings can enhance access to quality mental health services and ensure the women understand the implications of not seeking mental health services. Having examined the stressors faced by the migrant women, insights will be gained into the issues the women face within the population, and solutions directly targeted to the population can be developed (Agbemenu, 2016). Social workers will also benefit as they will use the findings of this study to determine methods they can use to reach out to the population under investigation.

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

Identify the theoretical/conceptual framework used to frame/inform the study.

The theoretical framework used to frame this project is the structural-functional theory.

Synthesize primary writings by key theorists, philosophers, and/or foundational/seminal scholars related to the concept, model, or theory used as a framework for the project.

Some theorists such as Cassel (1995) and Cobb (1976) expressed that social support serves as a resistance factor and plays an essential role in reducing the adverse impact of exposure to negative life events (Thoits, 1985). This theory should play a key role in understanding the onset of depression among older immigrant African women, given the various social demands associated with being a migrant. Further, Kinser and Lyon (2014) emphasized that painful experiences may increase the possibility of suffering from stressful episodes. Stress and vulnerability add up to the chance of developing depression, where changes in the environment, lack of coping mechanisms, and lack of support have an adverse impact on the mental health outcome of this group (Alegría et al., 2017).

Provide rationale for the choice of this theoretical/conceptual framework and describe how it aligns with the problem statement, research question(s), and purpose of the study.

To become culturally competent when dealing with this population, social workers must be familiar with the structural-functional theory. Explained in this theory is why society functions the way it does, and it emphasizes the relationships between the different social institutions that make up society (Emadpoor, Lavasani, & Shahcheraghi, 2016). Some of these social institutions are education, law, government, religion, and culture. The social workers are trained to understand that society is like a system where all the parts will work together to create a whole.

Values and Ethics

Identify the values/principles of the NASW Code of Ethics (2008) related to the clinical social work problem.

Service, Cultural Competence and Social Diversity, Dignity and Worth of the Person, and Competence

Explain how the NASW Code of Ethics (2008) guides clinical social work practice in this area of practice.

The NASW Code of Ethics (2008) guides social work practice by guiding the professional conduct of social workers. The ethical principle of service mandates a social worker to rise above their self-interest when offering services. Culture plays a key role in social work and it is vital for social workers to understand the client's culture. The services offered should be sensitive to the client's culture. Social workers should treat each person with dignity and respect. Competence mandates social workers to continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and skills. They can then apply the new skills towards their practice.

Describe how the social work values of the agency or organization are evident in the purpose of this project

By analyzing the perspectives of social workers, insights can be provided into ways the social workers sector can assist in meeting the population's emerging needs. Having examined the stressors faced by the migrant women, insights will be gained into the issues the women face within the population, and solutions directly targeted to the population can be developed.

Describe how this project supports the values/principles of the NASW Code of Ethics (2008).

Depression among elderly immigrant women stands out as an essential phenomenon for study in social work, considering the extent to which the condition affects vulnerable populations. immigrants tend to access mental health services at a lower rate than non-immigrants. Subsequently, this situation leaves immigrants at risk of untreated health conditions leading to increased disease burden. This negative health predisposition created a greater need for mental health services among immigrants who seem more susceptible to develop depression.

Review of the Professional and Academic Literature

A thorough review may have 50 – 75+ sources.

Briefly describe the process and steps for the literature review. Include justification for selection of databases, search engines used, key terms, years searched, as well as types of literature and sources searched.

A comprehensive search from peer-reviewed publications was conducted for this study focusing on mental health among older African immigrant women from the following sources, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EBSCO, Research Gate, ProQuest, SAGE Journals, and EMBASE. The keyword(s) used to search for the appropriate literature for this study was depression in older women, depression in older immigrant women, older African American women, older immigrant African women, depression in immigrant African women, depression, and older immigrant women. To specifically target the research towards ‘African American women’, this keyword is included for keeping the literature concise.

Note: The description should be brief to provide an overview of how you went about the literature review process and determined appropriate content.

Provide a synthesis of the current (within past 5 years) literature that establishes the relevance of the social work problem and justifies the rationale for conducting this study. Additional sources older than 5 years can be used but focus on recent peer-reviewed, academic journals.

Okudo, J. C., & Ross, M. W. (2016). Common health concerns in African immigrants in the Us-implications for the family physician. International Journal of Medical and Health Sciences Research, 3(4), 44-49.

Sánchez, M., Cardemil, E., Adams, S. T., Calista, J. L., Connell, J., DePalo, A., . . . Kaminow, P. (2014). Brave new world: Mental health experiences of Puerto Ricans, immigrant Latinos, and Brazilians in Massachusetts. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 20(1), 16.

Delara (2016)

Rashid, R., & Gregory, D. (2014). 'Not giving up on life': a holistic exploration of resilience among a sample of immigrant Canadian women. Canadian ethnic studies, 46(1), 197-214.

Thomson, M. S., Chaze, F., George, U., & Guruge, S. (2015). Improving immigrant populations’ access to mental health services in Canada: a review of barriers and recommendations. Journal of immigrant and minority health, 17(6), 1895-1905.

Baldwin-Clark, T., Ofahengaue Vakalahi, H. F., & Anderson, B. (2016). What about African American older women and depressive symptoms? Educational Gerontology, 42(5), 310-320.

Lazar-Neto, F., Louzada, A. C. S., de Moura, R. F., Calixto, F. M., & Castro, M. C. (2018). Depression and its correlates among Brazilian immigrants in Massachusetts, USA. Journal of immigrant and minority health, 20(4), 832-840.

Li, S. S., Liddell, B. J., & Nickerson, A. (2016). The relationship between post-migration stress and psychological disorders in refugees and asylum seekers. Current psychiatry reports, 18(9), 82.

Foo, S., Tam, W., Ho, C., Tran, B., Nguyen, L., McIntyre, R., & Ho, R. (2018). Prevalence of depression among migrants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(9), 1986.

Ekwemalor, C. C., & Ezeobele, I. E. (2020). Psychosocial Impacts of Immigration on Nigerian Immigrants in the United States: A Phenomenological Study. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 31(3), 276-283.

In cases where there is little current research, and few (if any) doctoral studies/dissertations and/or conference proceedings, describe how this was handled.

Summarize the ways social scientists/researchers in clinical social work have addressed the identified social work problem. Briefly identify and discuss the strengths and weaknesses in the work to date.

The professional and academic literature indicate older immigrant African women do not receive adequate mental health services. There are systemic and cultural barriers promoting the lack of access to mental health services. Most of the researchers have opted to focus on ways to promote access while ignoring the underlying cultural issues. There is a lack of research focused on older immigrant African Women. Most of the studies have focused on other communities.

Summarize the interventions and/or approaches social scientists/researchers have suggested to address this social work problem. Briefly identify and discuss the strengths and weaknesses in the work to date.

Researchers have indicated there is a need to have different approaches for the African women. However, implementing the recommendations has been challenging. Majority of the women are not trusting of social workers and they have language barriers making it hard to express or understand the instructions given by the social worker.

Justify, from the literature, the rationale for selection of variables and concepts studied in this project.

Cultural competence, mental health of immigrants, and Depression Among Older African Immigrant Women

Review and synthesize empirical studies related to the key variables/concepts to produce a description and explanation of what is known about the variables/concepts, what is controversial (i.e., mixed findings by researchers), and what remains to be studied.

When African immigrants relocate to the U.S., they are healthier than their American counterparts due to HIE. However, as the immigrants acclimatize into the U.S. system, they will adopt the unhealthy lifestyles and behaviors of the U.S., which leads to them developing lifestyle diseases they would not have developed had they not relocated to the U.S. African immigrant women face numerous challenges when relocating to the U.S. However, some women have managed to overcome the obstacles and withstand the adversity they faced. It is vital to know why some older immigrant African women will suffer from depression while others will not. depression is a major problem among older African immigrant women, and since they are understudied, their depression is rarely discussed or researched. The lack of relevant research focusing on older immigrant African women indicates that the prevalence rates of depression might be higher than what is thought. The focus of most depression studies has been White older adults.

In a summary section, identify any remaining gaps or unexplained areas related to the social work practice problem.

It is rare to find African immigrants making use of healthcare, social services, and long-term care, and the reason is they lack awareness of the resources, limited financial resources, differences in the interpretation of mental health issues, and mistrust of the systems. Access to mental health services could be due to systemic issues and not the migrants themselves. While it might be easy to state the failure to access is due to a lack of knowledge by the migrants, there are other issues like cultural preferences and lack of services. Immigrants from Africa and Brazil face the same language barriers where they are not competent in English, which results in them failing to understand what physicians or mental health professionals are recommending or advising.

Summary

Summarize the main points of Section 1.

Social workers interact closely with the immigrants, and they can offer vital insights into how the immigrants make use of the available mental health services. The social workers can also confirm the lack of services as they are charged with offering the available services to the population. Most researchers have pointed out the impact of immigration and how African immigrants begin developing depression and other mental health issues.

Provide a transition section to connect the findings from the literature review, including gaps or unexplained areas to the data collection described in Section 2.

The professional and academic literature indicate older immigrant African women do not receive adequate mental health services. There are systemic and cultural barriers promoting the lack of access to mental health services, which should be investigated further. Identifying the missing links is not enough, and there should be an investigation on how to overcome the barriers and make it easier for women to access mental health services.

PROPOSAL SECTION 2 – Research Design and Data Collection

Checklist Items

Pg/NA

Comment History

Introduction

Note: APA section 3.03 does not allow a heading called Introduction; it is assumed that the first part of the manuscript or section is the introduction.

Restate the overall social work practice problem described in Section 1.

This study intends to explore the views of social workers in relation to depression among older immigrant African women currently living in west Massachusetts. Depression among elderly immigrant women stands out as an essential phenomenon for study in social work, considering the extent to which the condition affects vulnerable populations. Immigrants typically face stressors relating to migration experience, which may cause or intensify mental health problems.

Preview the major sections of Section 2.

Section 2: Research Design and Data Collection

Research Design

Methodology

Data Analysis

Ethical Procedures

Limitations, Challenges, and/or Barriers

Summary

Research Design

Restate the social work practice problem along with the research question(s) being addressed in this research study.

In this study, the views of social workers regarding depression in older immigrant African women in Metro West Massachusetts will be obtained. By analyzing these perspectives, insights can be provided into ways the social workers sector can assist in meeting the population's emerging needs. Expected in the results of this study will be any service modification needed to meet the needs of the African immigrant women located in Metro West Massachusetts.

1. From the perspective and benefits of social workers, what factors influence older immigrant African women’s adaptive capacity in Metro West Massachusetts?

2. What mental health services do social workers offer to older immigrant African women in Metro West Massachusetts from the social work perspective?

3. How do social workers assess the need for mental health services for older immigrant African women in Metro West Massachusetts?

4. What service modifications can social workers introduce in practice to enhance mental health service delivery for older immigrant African women in Metro West Massachusetts?

Describe the nature of the study and overall approach or design for conducting it.

This will be an exploratory study to uncover the views of social workers who work with African women immigrants located in Metro West Massachusetts. The reason for selecting an exploratory study for current research is that it would give flexibility in the entire research process. A better understanding of the established research question is the primary objective of such a study, which suits best for this research.

Provide rationale for how the purpose of the study aligns with the approach/methodology used in this study.

When the necessary information is gathered about the selected issue through literature analysis, the researcher contemplates why the issue needs to be addressed, and that exploratory insight is needed. The interpretation is made based on the gained data so that the research question and its relevant queries like ‘what,’ ‘how’ and ‘why’ are answered.

Clarify operational definitions of any key aspects of the doctoral project.

Note: The DSW doctoral project proposal describes a plan for collecting and analyzing data, and as such, this section should be written in the future tense for the proposal and changed to past tense after completion of the final project.

Methodology

Note: Complete only the following subsections that are relevant to the doctoral project, in consultation with your supervisory committee, and explain how a particular source of data/data collection aligns to your project. Not all items in this section will apply.

Also, be mindful that data from people and agencies cannot be collected and analyzed prior to approval by the Walden IRB. Existing data from organizations can be examined prior to IRB approval, however, when the sole purpose is to determine its applicability to the doctoral project.

Prospective Data

Note: You should complete this section for data that will be primarily generated for the purpose the doctoral project, and not part of the normal operations of the site.

Describe the overall method in collecting the data (i.e., surveys, focus groups, interviews, emails)

The data types of the study will be qualitative as the researchers will rely on interviews with the social workers. The reason for selecting this type of study is that qualitative research provides insight into the participants' feelings (Rahman, 2017), emotions, and opinions, which is crucial. However, extreme care needs to be taken to interpret language and meanings assigned to the words that the participants utter. The validity and reliability of the research results depend on this phase since ethical research must be free of bias.

Describe variables, concepts, constructs, or outcomes (as applicable) that will comprise data collected in the project.

The social workers’ feelings and thoughts relevant to the setting and the culture they deal with, which is African American, would help shape their comments. Hence, when the analysts would give marks and grades to the responses, the meaning of their evaluations would be better understood. As qualitative research is flexible, the participants can open their feelings and emotions in detail, which cannot be done through a survey. The detailed information helps the researcher determine what is constant for the participants and what is omitted.

Participants

Describe the participants and the strategies for identifying and recruiting participants. Do not include specific school or job site names or interviewees in narrative.

To conduct the research, samples will be selected from social workers who are currently serving the Metro West MA region, a prior place of employment for the researcher. 10-12 social workers working with elderly immigrants participating in various institutions throughout West Massachusetts will be selected for the study.

This researcher will post flyers around mental health offices, retirement homes, and hospitals inviting social workers to participate in the study. The additional method will be handing out flyers to social workers attending conventions, training, and programs within the area.

Identify and justify the type of sampling strategy that was used.

This study will use quota sampling due to the inclusionary criteria that identify the characteristics for participants to be included in this study.

Explain the alignment of the participants to the practice-focused question.

Social workers working in the community for three or more years and are graduate-level social workers or higher, will be used for this study. Exclusions will include social workers who meet the above criteria but have not worked with older African immigrants.

State size of the participant sample and justify its appropriateness.

The projected number of study participants is 10-12 social workers who have been working in the Metro West Massachusetts area for a minimum of three years. The researcher has determined that working with this number of social workers would represent the population under study as there are around 120 social workers in the area.

Instrumentation

Describe all tools and/or techniques used to collect the data.

Interviews conducted using internet services like GoToMeeting, Skype, Zoom, or any other web-based service suggested by the social workers.

For existing measurement instruments, provide name of developer(s) and year of publication, appropriateness to the current study, permission from developer to use the instrument (permission letter should be included in an appendix), published reliability and validity values relevant to their use in the study, and where and/or with what populations the instrument was previously used and how validity/reliability are/were established in the study sample.

Explain the rationale for using the method and/or instrument(s) in this project.

The researcher chose quota sampling because the researcher has a specific criterion of the participants he would like to have for the study. Using the quota sampling strategy, this researcher will focus on the social workers who would be most likely to have experience working with older African immigrants, know about depression in the community, and have vital insights into the research topic.