Paper Example on Quantitative Study Results: Analysis of HAM-D and HAM-A Tests

Introduction

The study is quantitative and based on survey responses to several research questions and is a non-experimental descriptive research design (McCuskers &Gunaydin, 2015). Also, according to Moore et al. (2015), data analysis is the most central step in quantitative research. Chapter four describes the relationship between the results of the study and the research objectives. The tests used were the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, which were used to determine patients' level of Depression and Anxiety. The chapter mostly focuses on the characteristics of the sample, the link between the demographics and general knowledge of the subject, the pre and post intervention scores.

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Sample size

The research did not incorporate a lot of participants due to the limited nature of research resources. HAM-A and HAM-D rating scales were administered to patients above the age of 18 and who were not pregnant. The sample was of an n=14 whereby n = {z2 (a) (1-a)}/ c2} where z is the standard deviation, c is the confidence interval and the alpha level, a which shows the probability that an event occurred by chance. The study had participants of different ages, whereby between the ages 18-24, 14.4% were male and 7.1% female while between the ages 25-34, 14.3% were females and 35.7% female, a total of 7. Between ages 35-44 there were only two females, 13.45 and in ages 45-54 only two male.

Education levels in the selected sample also varied, and 4 participants, three male and the other female had education less than high school, three males and four females had gone to high school, only two females had some college knowledge, and only one female had a college degree. Moreover, the sample had six male and six female whites, one black female and one Hispanic female.

The study took place for over six weeks and was conducted in supervised clinical dependency treatment centres. The people who affected the research were gatekeepers and stakeholders, where gatekeepers are the individuals who give oral or written consent for research to be undertaken in the residential centres. Stakeholders who are the individuals that may be interested in the study evaluation (Pandi-Perumal et al., 2015), in this pilot study are the clinicians at the clinical dependency centres who may want to implement the rating scales to deliver care better. Patients who are substance dependent and under Depression and Anxiety may need the treatment.

Pearson's Correlations

Pearson's correlation was made for the data in the study to establish the strengths of relationships between the variables. This showed that in the past over six weeks of the study, there was a positive correlation between the depression symptoms and HAM-D scores by p<.05. There was also a positive correlation between anxiety symptoms and HAM-A scores by p<.01 and a significant positive relationship between treatment for depression and both HAM-D and HAM-A scores by p<.001. We found out that there is a weak correlation between race and HAM-A and HAM D scores and this is because the Pearson's correlation factor coefficient was -0.10* for the HAM-A and -0.50* for HAM D scores. Therefore, the race does not influence the Depression and anxieties experienced by individuals.

Also, there was a significant correlation between the depression symptoms and the HAM-D scores, a factor of 0.6* and a HAM-A factor of 0.73**. Therefore, substance-induced Depression had a higher coefficient in the HAM-A test showing that sadness that is induced by Anxiety and they are almost the same in effect caused on the patients. Depression symptoms influence HAM-A scores more than they do HAM-D ratings, and this makes it challenging to separate Depression and Anxiety.

To add onto that, the age 18-24 experienced high coefficients especially for HAM-A where the ratio was 0.64** showing that at this age individuals are more likely to experience Anxiety, and also the HAM-D scores were a coefficient of 0.5*. Depression is more prevalent than Anxiety in this group of individuals because of the more significant relationship strength, the youthful stage, and with an increase in the age, the scores reduce. This is shown through the negative coefficient -0.12* for HAM-A and -0.08* FOR THE HAM-D, the negative coefficients imply an indirect proportion between the variable and the factor. Age significantly affects depression and anxiety scores.

Furthermore, the results showed a negative relationship between gender and test scores. Many times, it is assumed that gender greatly influences Depression and Anxiety, but for this study, that was not the case. A negative correlation of -0.53* for HAM-A scores and -0.61* for HAM-D in the males was obtained. There was no direct relationship between the males in the study and the depression and anxiety scores. The sample probably did not manifest that relationship.

The level of education also moderately affects the HAM-A and HAM-D scores by a coefficient of 0.56** that shows a positive correlation between education and depression and anxiety levels. However, the table also shows a negative factor between HAM-A and high school education as -0.63** and HAM-D coefficient as -0.46, which shows no signs of high school education in the test scores. From the table, we also find out that anxiety symptoms significantly determine the HAM-A scores by a coefficient of 0.75 and HAM-D by a lower factor of 0.62. The ratio is higher for HAM-A because of a stronger influence and relationship Anxiety has on the scores.

Treatment of Depression also shows a positive correlation with both HAM-D and HAM-A having a coefficient of 0.56* for both. This indicates that the tests would be very needful in the treatment of Depression and Depression has been easier to treat for many people. The same case might not be observed for Anxiety treatment because the relation between the variable in HAM-A and HAM-D scores is lesser, 0.23* and 0.28* respectfully.

HAM-D is the most widely utilized clinician-administered depression assessment scale, and it provides an indication of Depression and, over time, proves a valuable guide to progress and HAM-A used to measure the severity of anxiety symptoms. According to the statistics provided for the Ham-A and Ham-D descriptive.

Hamilton Anxiety Score severity shows:

• n=1 (0 anxiety)
• n=2 (mild severity, 1-17)
• n=4 (mild to moderate, 18-24)
• n=3 (moderate to severe)
• n=4 (severe, 31 and above)

These statistics show that most of the individuals, n=11 who took part in the survey are undergoing between moderate and severe Anxiety. The 11 participants amount to 85% of all the participants meaning many patients in the dependency unit observed severe anxiety symptoms. This analysis is fundamental because it gives insight to the clinicians on how to handle the patients in the dependency units. Anxiety is becoming widespread, and these scores enable early planning by medics in facing the problem head-on.

The scores from the Hamilton Depression severity table showed:

• n=1 (normal, 0-7)
• n=3 (mild, 8-13)
• n=2 (mild to moderate, 14-18)
• n=2 (Moderate to severe, 19-22)
• n=6 (Severe 23 and above)

These scores also show a more than average percentage of the participants undergoing Depression. The severity of Depression is very high according to this data with only one patient being normal and the other thirteen having depression symptoms, 6 of whom have severe Depression, making 43%. Most of these patients are undergoing severe Depression, which may lead to increased suicides and sicknesses. The change needed has to be urgent with the availability of this data.

Additionally, the average Hamilton Anxiety and Depression table also emphasize the depression and anxiety symptoms. The HAM-A has a mean score of 23.4, Standard Deviation of 12.7, Median of 24.5, Minimum of 0 and maximum of 48 while the HAM-D has a mean score of 21.1, Standard Deviation of 10.6, a median of 20.5, minimum score as 0 and a maximum score of 37. Both the standard deviations of HAM-A and HAM-D are low, showing less variation in the sets of data and deviation from the mean showing most patients have very close scores. The mean and median scores are also very high showing great severity of depression and anxiety symptoms. Ratings for ages 19-22 for Ham-D show very severe Depression and a median of 20.5 still lies in the same category of severe Depression.

The Ham-A and Ham-D cross-tabulation table were also used for the data analysis, and it presents lots of information on the ordinals of the tests. Ham-D ordinals for normal (0-7) was 7.14, recorded by just one participant. In the second stage, mild Depression (8-13), the ordinal was 21.43 marked by 3 participants. Between mild to moderate, (14-18), two patients recorded a 14.29 ordinal. The moderate-severe (19-22) stage had two patients, 14.29 and finally the severe Depression (23 and above) there were six patients, an ordinal of 42.83 and all of these total to 100. Ham-An ordinal was 7.14 for the participants with no anxiety, which was only one patient.

Two patients recorded mild anxiety levels (1-17), an ordinal of 14.29 and between the mild and moderate Anxiety, (18-24) there were 4 participants, and the ordinal was 28.57. Between the moderate to severe Depression (25-30), there were three patients, an ordinal of 21.43 and the severe Anxiety (31 and above) was recorded by three people, an ordinal of 21.43. According to these ordinals, it is evident that Depression is more of a problem in the sample than Anxiety.

Conclusion of the chapter

The purpose of this quantitative research is to investigate the use of Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Testing Scales to measure Depression and Anxiety in the patients at dependency centres with clinicians under 24-hour supervision. The results of the research show a positive relationship between the tests, depressive and Anxiety symptoms. This indicates that the Hamilton Testing Scales are credible and reliable in testing for Depression and Anxiety. The questionnaires had positive responses to the problems presented, and it is essential that treatment for Anxiety and Depression be undertaken. Depression and Anxiety are severe conditions that affect many individuals as proven by the study, and the study can be used to make recommendations on the treatment further.

Discussion and Conclusions

This fins chapter of the study onsets with a concise discussion of the findings of the subject under investigation. Moreover, the section will discuss the implications for current and also future practice and the limitations of the study. Finally, the chapter will explain recommendations for future research based on the findings of the completed survey.

Discussion of findings

The quantitative study sought to find out whether the implementation of the Hamilton's Depression and Anxiety Testing Scales within four to eight weeks among patients in 24-hour supervised clinical dependency treatment centres positively affects the evaluation of depression and anxiety outcomes. Individuals with dependency problems have a high prevalence of psychological comorbidity that most times go undiagnosed and untreated and this is consistent with Maina, Mauri & Rossi (2016) who implied a high rate of psychological comorbidity in individuals with substance use disorders.

The study consisted of an evaluation of the relationship between several variables such as age, race, education level, depression symptoms and treatment, anxiety symptoms and treatment. HAM-D and HAM-A scales were used to evaluate the severity of Depression and Anxiety in the patients and questionnaires were administered to establish the relationships. The maximum score of HAM-D, 37, is exceedingly dangerous and implies utmost severity. The HAM-A scores show lesser strength compa...