In week 3, you will be adding the procedures, limitations, and the ethical considerations sections to your methodology from week 1 & 2. In addition to this, you will fill out an informed consent form. Please pay close attention to the language used to protect the participants. Use the outline below to ensure you are not missing any important or relevant information in these sections.

Procedures- Recruitment - Where and how are you going to get your sample? (don't recruit people you know)

Data collection - Step by step, how are you going to collect your data?

Data analysis- You should be able to get insight on how you can analyze your data through the literature. This is not a huge focus since we are not spending a lot of time on analysis. Include at least one practical way to analyze the data. Simply provide a sentence stating that you will enter the data into some kind of software to analyze it. Some examples include Excel, Google Sheets, SPSS, and JASP.

Limitations of the study -

Confounding variables- list at least 2 possible confounding variables that may need to be controlled for in your experiment

Threats to validity- describe at least one threat to validity (usually, this is some sort of limit to the type of research being conducted)

Any additional limitations that you can think of (remember, this could be hypothetical)

Ethical considerations-

What possible ethical issues need to be considered? (there is always something, never say there are no ethical issues)

Make sure you discuss informed consent, right to privacy, and the voluntary nature of research. Any possible risks should also be covered here.

State the importance of the Internal Review Board (IRB) and that you will be seeking approval from the IRB before conducting any data collection.

If you conduct research on vulnerable populations like prisoners or children, be sure to do some additional research to see how best to protect them. Address that here as well.

• IRB Application- This is part of an internal review board application. You will fill out the form provided in the final project template above in the yellow highlighted areas with the relevant information from your study. You will submit a copy of this for the week 3 assignment and after the References section of your final project in week 4.

methodology from week 1 & 2

Introduction

Research has shown that insufficient sleep can contribute to the development and exacerbation of depressive symptoms (Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, 2022). Depression and sleep are strong links. Around three-quarters of depressed patients experience insomnia, and hypersomnia affects around 40% of young adults and 10% of older people(Nutt et al, 2008).These symptoms can cause immense distress and are associated with a higher risk of suicide.Studies have shown that insomnia in non-depressed individuals is associated with a higher risk of developing depression later.Sleep disorders are often associated with depression and these symptoms can sometimes appear before a major depressive episode. Studies have shown that chronic insomnia is associated with the development of depression in older, middle, and young adults(Franzen & Buysse, 2008). These studies also indicated that the combination of depression and sleep can affect the severity of the depression and the relapse rate. These findings support the idea that certain sleep-related symptoms can be a contributing factor to the development and maintenance of depression. Having a successful sleep disturbance management can help patients with depression improve their quality of life. It can also reduce the likelihood of experiencing relapse.In this paper, we will explore the relationship between sleep and depression symptoms, present the methodology used, and discuss the findings. The importance of this topic lies in the significant impact of sleep on mental health and the potential for better understanding and managing mental health issues through sleep regulation.

The research question for this study is: "Does the amount of sleep have a direct effect on symptoms of depression?"

The hypothesis is that no getting enough sleep or no sleeping well is positively correlated with increased symptoms of depression.

Research Design

For this study, a correlational research design will be used. Correlational research is the best choice for this study as it allows for the examination of the relationship between two variables without manipulating them (University Libraries, 2023). This design will enable the researchers to assess the extent of the relationship between the amount of sleep and symptoms of depression without intervening in the participants' sleep patterns. Additionally, correlational research is suitable for exploring the strength and direction of the relationship between variables, which aligns with the aim of this study to understand the impact of sleep on depression symptoms (Jilcha, 2020). The research design process is essential to ensure that the study is valid, reliable, and produces meaningful results. By choosing a correlational research design, the study aims to provide valuable insights into the association between sleep and symptoms of depression, contributing to the existing body of knowledge in this area.

Setting

The study will be conducted online, utilizing a secured platform to collect data anonymously. Participants will access the survey link provided through an online platform such as SurveyMonkey. As the research is focusing on the correlation between sleep and symptoms of depression, an online survey provides a comfortable and private setting for participants to disclose personal information, ensuring confidentiality and encouraging honest responses.

Participants

The population will include adults aged 18-65 years from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities. The sample size will aim for at least 500 participants, utilizing a convenience sampling method. The choice of this sample size is to capture a wide range of experiences, ensuring a representative pool for the analysis. The selection of adults in this age range aligns with the prevalence of depression and sleep-related issues in this demographic. Eligibility requirements for participation will include being an adult within the specified age range and the ability to understand and respond to the survey questions in the language provided.

Measures

The variables in this study include the amount of sleep and symptoms of depression. The amount of sleep will be self-reported by participants in hours per night over a designated period (e.g., a week). Symptoms of depression will be measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), a widely used and validated psychometric test available through the PsycTests database. The PHQ-9 assesses depression severity based on the nine criteria for major depressive disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). It provides a reliable measure of depressive symptoms by evaluating the frequency of symptoms over the past two weeks, ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day) for each criterion, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms. This standardized scale ensures reliability and consistency in measuring depression symptoms for this study. Using an online platform for data collection and the validated PHQ-9 scale ensures the study's replicability and reliability, allowing for future researchers to duplicate and verify the findings.