Ethical Issues in Research

Ethical Issues in Research
Tentative Problem, Purpose, and Research Questions
The adolescent stage is one where an individual faces many psychological as well as
emotional changes. The changes may be sudden and affect a child’s ability to cope. The issue is
that these individuals may experience depression. Research has shown that most adolescents
experience at least one episode of depression by the time they attain the age of sixteen years
(Weersing et al., 2017). One of the main issues that account for depression in adolescence is the
vulnerability associated with this stage. While depression is a common phenomenon among
adolescents, it becomes complicated in cases of adolescents with bipolar. It is a challenge for
professionals to analyze behavioral patterns among adolescents and distinguish between
paranormal and normal activities. Usually, there is a need to establish whether the individual is
experiencing hypomanic or manic episodes (Chang, 2022). Additionally, it is important to
differentiate whether the depression is due to bipolar or is caused by the changes that occur
during adolescence.
Considering the high prevalence of depression among teenagers and the occurrence of
depression among bipolar adolescents, it is necessary to study this area and gain a more
knowledge of the manifestation of this condition. This problem will be explored in the study with
an aim to add to the existing literature on bipolar depression and some of the distinguishing
features between bipolar depression and depression during the normal phase of adolescence.
There is a gap in existing knowledge in this area and this study seeks to fill this gap.
There seem to be divergent opinions on what constitutes bipolar depression among adolescents
and how depression manifests among adolescents who are not bipolar. With more research, it is
possible to have a clear definition and distinction between the two conditions. Besides, there is a

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possibility of associating bipolar depression with other comorbid disorders. According to
DelBello et al. (2017), it is possible to identify depression in its early on-set and even manage it
better during this stage instead of waiting until it is in its advanced stages. The effectiveness of
achieving this through psychological counseling can be explored so that adolescents get help
early enough before depression advances and becomes difficult to manage.
The study will be guided by this research question; “Do adolescent mood-related
changes pose an increased risk of depression among bipolar adolescents aged 14-18 years?”
Data Collection Strategies
Data will be collected using interviews and questionnaires. Structured interviews will be
used because they help reduce context effects and other biases. Since participants will be asked
the same set of questions in the same order and within almost the same contexts, this will help
ensure that the risk of introducing bias is minimized. Also, the use of the structured interview
will lead to increased credibility, validity, and reliability. Questionnaires will also be used. These
will enhance data accuracy, hence a good strategy to collect data.
When selecting a data collection strategy for this research, there are several factors to
consider. First, the nature of the research and the specific population to be studied. The
population includes teenagers. They possess adequate knowledge to be able to complete the
necessary questionnaires for this study. If the study population was comprised of toddlers, then
questionnaires would not have been an appropriate strategy, nor would interviews because they
cannot answer questions. However, these strategies will be appropriate for this kind of study.
Also, the nature of the study. Since the study will be on bipolar depression among adolescents,
the strategies will be appropriate in collecting the data required for this study. The strategies

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selected must suit the nature of inquiry for the study. Also, it is important to identify whether the
kind of data to e collected is primary or secondary.
Another factor to consider in selecting a data collection strategy is the availability of
funds. Some strategies are quite costly, capital and time-intensive (Pandey & Pandey, 2021).
These are appropriate if the needed funds are available and if the researcher has the time required
o collect the data. However, in this study, the methods selected will be appropriate and will not
be capital intensive. They will help collect the necessary data and, at the same time, ensure that it
does not incur a lot of resources. Finance is a big constraint in research, especially when there
are no funders. Thus, finance must be considered when settling on a data collection strategy.
Time is also an important factor to consider (Pandey & Pandey, 2021). Some methods take long
periods of time while others stake relatively shorter periods of time to collect the same amount of
data. In this study, a strategy that takes a reactive shorter amount of time would be preferred. In
the case of a questionnaire, it is possible to collect large amounts of data within a very short
period of time. Even as a researcher considers time and finances, precision is also considered.
The precision of a method is an important factor (Pandey & Pandey, 2021). Questionnaires and
structured interviews are precise. They help ensure the accuracy of the data collected.
Target Group
The study will target adolescents aged 14-18 years. The study aims at studying
depression among adolescents. Individuals aged 14-18 years are most likely in high school,
hence the reason the sample will be drawn from various high schools.
Ethical Issues Associated with this Target Group
Ethics in research is a critical aspect of any study. However, when the study involves
teenagers, it requires special consideration. This is because teenagers are deemed a vulnerable

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group in research. When conducting a study on teenagers, issues of anonymity, confidentiality,
informed consent, and voluntary participation are legal, if not moral (McKellar & Toth, 2018).
When conducting a study, participants must be given a promise that they will be protected and
that their identities will not be revealed. When dealing with teenagers, the researcher must ensure
that the participants are not subjected to any psychological harm or discomfort. Ethics must be
upheld during planning, design, and even during the actual study.
Standards of informed consent must be adhered to at all times. The researcher must
ensure that the adolescents taking part in the study, their parents and guardians, and teachers are
given adequate information and time to have a clear understanding of the purpose and nature of
the study (McKellar & Toth, 2018). They also should have ample information to know any
possible consequences of taking part in the study. Written and informed consent must be given to
the teenagers. Other people who are legally permitted to give consent include the parents and
teachers. Participants should be given ample time to decide whether or not they want o to be part
of the study. They should also be allowed to withdraw at any time during the research.
Further, when conducting research among teenagers, standards of privacy and
confidentiality must be maintained. It is important to store the records safely and limit the scope
of the disclosure. Whenever participants disclose confidential information, it must be kept safely
to avoid a breach of confidentiality (McKellar & Toth, 2018). Participants must be made aware
that some of the information they share might be published or even disclosed to third parties.
They must, however, be convinced that their personal details will remain anonymous. In case of
audio or video recordings during interviews, participants must give informed consent.
Another ethical consideration is that of self-determination. The standard of self-
determination holds that participants in research must be informed of their right to withdraw

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from the exercise at any time and without consequences or coercion. Scholars must also comply
to withdraw any data of a participant who decides to withdraw (McKellar & Toth, 2018). Also,
any information that may be used to reveal the identity of the participant should be destroyed. If
research is happening within a school, then the researcher should make arrangements with the
teacher to have a place for participants who decide to withdraw. This is necessary until all other
participants have completed the process.
Additionally, at the end of the data collection exercise, it is ethical to conduct a
debriefing exercise. This will entail informing the participants about the nature and outcomes of
the research. The standard of debriefing requires that the researcher reassures the participants
that the data collected will be handled confidentially and that anonymity will be upheld
(McKellar & Toth, 2018). Also, participants should be reminded of the intended use of the data.
The researcher should also respond to any questions asked regarding the data collection exercise
and the study at large.
Other Groups That Could Also be Considered
Considering that the study specifically involves adolescents and the prevalence of
depression among this population, no other group could be considered for this study.
Gaining Permission
First, I will seek permission from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Once approved
to conduct research, I will seek permission from the school administration in all the schools that I
will visit for purposes of conducting the study. I will then seek permission from the guardians
and parents of the students that will take part in the study. Accessing these parents face-to-face
might be complicated, and they will thus send them emails, text messages, or make phone calls

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to seek permission to have their teenagers take part in the study. I will also seek permission from
the teenagers themselves who will take part in the study.
There will be no conflicts of interest. I do not plan on compensating the participants.
Provision of compensation to participants might pose possible ethical issues. First, participants
might experience undue influence to misrepresent facts and say what they think the researcher
wants them to say as opposed to answering the questions objectively. Payment to participants
may obscure their judgment (Persad et al., 2019). They may feel the need to impress the
researcher since they have been paid. When this occurs, the accuracy of the data collected is
affected. Thus, to ensure that the data collected is accurate, it is important not to compensate or
give the participants any incentives.
Ensuring Confidentiality and Mitigating Any Issues of Coercion
One way of ensuring confidentiality in the handling of data collected is by ensuring that the
questionnaires are kept safely. Even after the data is fed into the computer, the questionnaires
will still be stored in such a manner that they cannot be accessed by third parties without consent.
Interviews will be recorded. The recordings will be stored confidentially as well. These will be
secured using a password such that even if someone else was to access the computer, he or she
would still not be able to access the records.
One way to mitigate issues of coercion is to ensure that no participant is paid to take part in
the study. This way, there will be no undue influence. Another way is by ensuring that the
participants do not receive too much information that they feel compelled to be part of the study
(Klitzman, 2017). just enough information to help them make an informed decision will be
provided. Additionally, if a participant decides to withdraw, their wish will be granted without

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asking for reasons or even urging them to stick a little longer because the research is almost over.
Voluntary participation will be emphasized.
Other Potential Data Collection Methods
A potential way to collect data would have been digital. Studies have shown that when
dealing with minors, connecting with them and collecting data online can pose certain ethical
concerns (Facca et al., 2020). First, obtaining consent from parents and minors online is not only
ethically challenging but also very complex. Some of the issues raised are that when consent is
sought online, some minors may fraudulently complete their parent’s consent forms. This would
pose an ethical risk for the researcher as it is necessary to obtain parental consent from a parent
when dealing with a minor.

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References

Chang, K. (2022). Challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric bipolar
depression. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience.
DelBello, M. P., Goldman, R., Phillips, D., Deng, L., Cucchiaro, J., & Loebel, A. (2017).
Efficacy and safety of lurasidone in children and adolescents with bipolar I depression: a
double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Journal of the American Academy of Child &
Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(12), 1015-1025.
Facca, D., Smith, M. J., Shelley, J., Lizotte, D., & Donelle, L. (2020). Exploring the ethical
issues in research using digital data collection strategies with minors: A scoping
review. Plos one, 15(8), e0237875.
Klitzman, R. (2017). How IRBs view and make decisions about coercion and undue
influence. Journal of Medical Ethics, 39(4), 224-229.
McKellar, K., & Toth, N. (2018). Ethical considerations in face-to-face and Internet-mediated
research with teenage populations. In Perspectives on HCI Research with Teenagers (pp.
29-59). Springer, Cham.
Pandey, P., & Pandey, M. M. (2021). Research methodology tools and techniques. Bridge
Center.
Persad, G., Lynch, H. F., & Largent, E. (2019). Differential payment to research participants in
the same study: an ethical analysis. Journal of medical ethics, 45(5), 318-322.
Weersing, V. R., Jeffreys, M., Do, M. C. T., Schwartz, K. T., & Bolano, C. (2017). Evidence
base update of psychosocial treatments for child and adolescent depression. Journal of
Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 46(1), 11-43.