Week 2: Enhancing my Understanding

Hello again! This week was a huge step in the right direction for my research. I finalized my questionnaire, which I plan to roll out in the coming days. This questionnaire will be published on social media, where I hope to gain a more adequate understanding of the general public’s opinions. In the questionnaire, I cover a multitude of different topics, ranging from opinions on mental health and therapy to understanding what one’s opinions are on the current limitations of therapy. I hope to learn more about what those my age and older think about the current status of mental health in the world. This will allow me to better understand what potential shortcomings I can research to hopefully provide adequate solutions to said issues.

Along with finishing the questionnaire, I also finished reading the article “Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults: Management.” Last week, I learned about the basics of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and selective selective selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This week, I learned more details about those therapeutic techniques. Some of the information I found most interesting and useful were the specific ways to begin treatment; however, it is important to understand that it depends on the individual. Some individuals may begin with SRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors), while others may decide to try CBT first. It is important to note that the primary objective when treating GAD is to reduce the symptoms, thereby improving functioning. This means that those with mild GAD, where symptoms don’t necessarily prevent or interfere with daily functioning, may initially forgo treatment. Also, it is important to know that both CBT and pharmacotherapy are viable options for treatment, so it is primarily up to the patient to decide which to try first. 

In the coming weeks, I plan to investigate currently implemented and developing diagnostic tests in GAD, such as GAD-7, which will consist of noting the context of the test (clinical setting). Hospital? Sample? etc.), defining the study population employed in the articles, examining varying populations that exhibit or are covered in the study, and sending out the questionnaire to the public! Thank you so much for reading my blog, and stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks!

Source:

Craske, M., & Bystritsky, A. (2023, July 5). UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/generalized-anxiety-disorder-in-adults-management