Jacob Du Bien Research Proposal Final Draft PDF

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Jacob DuBien WRT 106: Intro to Research Writing February 15, 2019 Research Proposal: Final Draft; Discrepancy of the use of Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Introduction: Growing up in a technologically evolved generation presents many positives, including a stronger and more resilient society. These advancements have allowed for improvements within the healthcare system, education, and overall quality of human life. However, these advancements also have caused Americans to rely on ready solutions right at their fingertips. This same expectancy of an immediate fix can be applied to mental illness, with the overprescribing of antianxiety and antidepressant medications, and, specifically, serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Today, one in six Americans rely on forms of psychotic drugs (ScientificAmerican.com) to suppress symptoms of diagnosed mental illness. According to Bandura (Simplypsychology.com) and the social learning theory, children are highly impressionable. If children witness adults taking medications constantly in order to cope with the main stressors of life, reciprocal determinism (or, the world and a person’s behavior cause each other) begins to take place. Bandura's theory would then apply to children that are also falling into a similar routine and pattern as their parents. Once confronted with issues that cause stress or anxiety, under this scenario, children would seek out medication to gain relief from symptoms, rather than seek a healthier and more sustainable alternative. This is where the problem begins to morph into the beast that the issue has turned into today. The number of children prescribed to these medications is expanding by the day (CCHR International.com). Many of America's youth are being placed into bulk categories of mental illness, where mental illnesses vary according to the individual. Due to common pharmaceutical practice, children who present with three out of the eight symptoms of a certain illness, are categorized, and given medications that correlate with only those three symptoms. The main discrepancy that arises is that children are still developing, and the medications only offer a temporary solution to a permanent problem. If children display key behaviors that alarm physicians enough to prescribe these medications, the question is: Why are alternatives not sought out prior to prescription? Why drive the child into depending on medications in order to rightfully function, opposed to prescribing intensive therapies? These are among the many issues that drive my research proposal, and I hope to provide my audience with a better understanding of what is involved. My audience consists of fellow peers and my professor, where some may lack enough knowledge about the subject matter to fully grasp the implications of pharmaceutical treatment of mental illness in children. To allow for better conceptual understanding for my audience as a whole, real life examples and in-depth use of metaphor are some of the devices that will be used to strengthen their grasps of the complex subject matter included within this research proposal. The inclusion of each of these literary tools will allow for my research to be better understood, and more relatable to my audience all together. Research Question: Should children and adolescents, ages six to seventeen, be able to be prescribed Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors? Literature Review: When conducting research within the realm of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the overall consensus carries parallel themes across all sources included within the study. Experts deem that these medications being prescribed to children below the age of 16, carries many health complications, amongst

Jacob DuBien WRT 106: Intro to Research Writing February 15, 2019 Research Proposal: Final Draft; Discrepancy of the use of Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors negative side effects. One of the first areas of study tackled within this research proposal was development of the brain, more specifically at which ages do certain portions of the brain reach full growth and maturity. It was found that the last portion of the brain to reach full growth was the prefrontal cortex, which in unison is the main supplier of serotonin. One of the most crucial points within my research findings, in which biological evidence proves is that the main target region of these medications is within a portion of the brain that does not reach full development until 18-25 years of age. Findings then were moved toward understanding the main function of Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in the sense of how they promote the secretion of more serotonin within the body. Research states that SSRIs function by creating a block within the portion of the brain, in which serotonin is reabsorbed. Once the barrier is created, this causes greater serotonin availability due to lesser portions being reabsorbed into the brain, and larger portions being secreted into the bloodstream, in which serotonin is in its most influential form. Why this is an issue for those that have yet to reach that full growth is due to the disruption of the bodies natural state of homeostasis, or biological balance. The use of these medications causes for larger amounts of serotonin availability, in which is not natural to the development of human beings. Due to this fact alone, children that are prescribed these medications risk life-long homeostatic imbalance, in which the cells within the body do not function properly. Furthermore, when this imbalance occurs in an earlier age, the effects it has on the brain are detrimental due to the homeostatic balance that has not been established within. In a more basic sense, people can think of this situation in terms of a seesaw. On one end of the seesaw are -stable mental health indicators-, and on the other end, -unstable mental health indicators-; Serotonin being what sits in the middle, and brings balance to each. Due to children and developing adolescents not yet gaining that natural state of mental health balance, the prescribing of serotonin reuptake inhibitors causes the metaphoric ‘seesaw’ to reach a permanent state of imbalance. The human body attempts to recover, however, once this imbalance occurs in a developing age, regaining that balance is nearly impossible. The only solution in gaining back natural homeostatic balance, lies in continuously taking medications that tilt the seesaw toward -stable mental health- when the body, due to the implications of these medications, naturally begins tilting the seesaw toward -unstable mental health-. This metaphor and its application paints the picture in which this research is concerned, and why the treatment that is involved in our mental health systems today is long from overdue. Search Plan and Relevant Sources: In order to better prove the negative implications that serotonin reuptake inhibitors have on the developing psyche, I plan to find more sources that side with the implication of use as being more than just a side effect. Research has found that there are multiple aversive effects to taking these sorts of medications, including cardiovascular, central nervous, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and respiratory impairments. What I found interesting, however, was that according to Black’s Medical Dictionary (43rd edition), these implications only occur ‘>1%’ of the time. In a statistical perspective, this means that the occurrence of any of the above side effects would make that individual a statistical outlier, meaning side effects do not occur in 99.7% of those that are taking the medication. To shine some light on these statistics, I will share a personal connection that I have to this research. Growing up, I had multiple aquatiences, but two very close friends. These friends, in order to maintain confidentiality, will go by individual A, and individual B. Each of these individuals showed indicators of mental illness at the ages of 17, and 18 years of age. Individual A was facing difficulty in adjusting to college and taking on a completely new routine. Individual B went through many emotional

Jacob DuBien WRT 106: Intro to Research Writing February 15, 2019 Research Proposal: Final Draft; Discrepancy of the use of Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors traumas in infancy that showed their colors only when reaching adolescence. Each of the above cases led to their physicians prescribing serotonin reuptake inhibitors to both of them in order to better their mental health. Both of the individuals received 200mg dosages, in which most common practices recommend, beginning with 50mg and working upwards. I witnessed a change in both individual A and individual B, and this change has haunted me to this day. Individual A faced severe social impairment and depersonalization, in which the essence and personality that I had grew fondly of over our years in childhood was ultimately wiped away. Individual B faced severe weight gain and clear emotional instability, which included multiple aggressive behaviors and insomnia. Both individual A and B, verbatim, experienced side effects that were said to occur in ‘>1%’ of participants. How is it possible that each of my friends that were placed on these medications are statistical outliers in the realm of the use of these medications? Both of the individuals experiencing these side effects does not make statistical sense, due to each falling in the 0.3% of those that display these aversive effects. Leading to the overall conclusion that negative implications of these medications does not occur ‘>1%’of the time, and statistical readjustment in medical literature is another of the many changes mandatory to mental health treatments. Project Timeline: In order to better grasp the understanding of the negative implications in which are caused by serotonin reuptake inhibitors, a longitudinal study must be mandated. A sample size of n= 60 children would be required, and each of the individuals included should display key indicators of some sort of mental illness, that would drive physicians to prescribe these types of medications. The study would observe individuals over the span of two to three years, where half of the sample would be prescribed medication upon physician approval, and the other half would be placed into daily intensive group and individual therapies. The main goal of the implication of this study would be to disprove ideals that medications such as these help developing individuals. And that healthier alternatives should be present to the individual before prescription of any mental health medication. Key Challenges: Many of the key challenges that this study will come across has to do with the seeking of approval. It is exponentially difficult in today’s age to perform research on children due to ethical standards, and furthermore study them in a way that won’t negatively affect any of the participants included long-term. Once approval is sought out though, most of the challenges that will come in contact with the study will be over with. However a challenge that approval will not solve, is that these medications do seem to help multiple individuals who take them. Getting over this barrier will be difficult, but hopeful in the greater success of intensive group and individual therapies, in comparison to medications is thought to be made very clear.

Jacob DuBien WRT 106: Intro to Research Writing February 15, 2019 Research Proposal: Final Draft; Discrepancy of the use of Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Working Bibliography Source: Thomas KL, Ellingrod VL. Pharmacogenetics of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and associated adverse drug reactions. Pharmacotherapy. 2009;29:822–831. Source: -

The source listed above provided in depth information on the pathways of serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Provided detailed context on how the chemical functioned within the human brain. Black'S Medical Dictionary, 42nd Edition. A&C Black, 2010. Web The source listed above provided context on which prescriptions on the medical market currently are considered serotonin reuptake inhibitors. From this, the source also provided detailed lists of side effects that are caused by these sorts of medications.

Source: Miller, GS. 1 in 6 Americans Take a Psychiatric Drug; antidepressants were most common, followed by anxiety relievers and antipsychotics: Scientificamerica.com. December, 2016. -

The source listed above provided key statistical evidence of the popularity of these sorts of medications. The numbers found and used in this document were surprisingly large, and provided strong evidence for my proposal.

Source: Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. New York: General Learning Press. -

The source listed above provided information from a famous psychological theorist that is still taught about in basic psychology classes to this day. Theories made by Bandura coincided with theories made within my document quite well.

Source: IQVia, Total Patient Tracker (TPT) Database, Year 2017, Extracted April 2018. -

The source listed above provided data in which proved that the number of individuals being prescribed these medications is exponentially growing. The numbers and figures provided in the source show surprising numbers that display a clear growing dependence on these prescriptions....