CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF AN ARTICLE 1 Essay Example

Critical Appraisal of an Article

Introduction

In their article,Peters, Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson (2016) seek to explore how people feel stigmatized after their loved ones die as a result of suicide. According to the article, many lives around the globe are lost through suicide and many people are affected in one way or another by each of the suicide cases. Using a qualitative research design, the article provides findings on how people experience stigma when they lose their loved ones to suicide. The findings show that the stigma affecting those who lose their loved ones to suicide has devastating outcome on their relationships and the behavior they display when seeking help. The authors of this article note that individuals who lose their loved ones to suicide not only endure immense suffering owing to an abrupt loss of loved ones but also the social stigma that come with suicide. Using a suitable critique tool, this paper presents a critical analysis of this particular article in order to establish the validity and reliability of the findings presented in the article regarding the topic on how people experience stigma after losing loved ones to suicide.

Statement of significance

This topic is very important in my area of specialty because it helps one attain a comprehensive understanding of how people are affected by stigma resulting from the loss of a loved one to suicide. This understanding is very important because a huge number of people around the world commit suicide every year and many people are affected in one way or another by each of the suicide cases. For example, according to a report presented by World Health Organization (WHO), the number of lives lost in 2012 through suicide was approximately 804, 000; but it is believed that the number could be much higher because of the sensitive and complicated nature of such cases and the resulting partial reporting (World Health Organization, 2014). The report further pointed out that each of these suicide cases affects the bereaved in one way or another. According to Peters, Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson (2016), the people who lose their loved ones to suicide not only endure immense suffering owing to an abrupt loss of loved ones but also the social stigma that come with suicide. Cvnar (2005) also notes, “apart from the pain brought about by the abrupt loss of a loved one to suicide, the bereaved families normally would have to endure the social stigma that accompanies the suicide, complicating their grief and affecting the recovery process negatively”. It is therefore imperative to understand how the affected people feel after losing their loved ones to suicide so that appropriate ways of helping them can be developed and implemented.Peters, Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson (2016), note that further training and education is needed for health professionals to improve their understanding of the needs of people who lose their loved ones to suicide. The topic of this article and the critical analysis of the article using appropriate tool is very important because it is one of the ways through which health experts can acquire further skills that will help improve their understanding of specific needs of people suffering from stigma of losing their loved ones to suicide.

Selection of Critique tool

The most suitable critical appraisal tool for this study is qualitative research tool. After reading through the article carefully, and based on the explanation presented by it was clear that the research design used by the authors of this article is qualitative research design. According to Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (2017), “a qualitative study evaluates the beliefs and experiences of people from their own point of view. It can take various forms such as focus groups and in-depth interviews with analysis seeking to make out fundamental themes. Direct quotes of participants can be used to demonstrate these themes”. Various aspects of this article reflect this explanation regarding the key features of a qualitative study design. For instance, the article uses in-depth interviews as a method for collecting data from people bereaved by a suicide death of a member of the family (Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson, 2016). It is also clear that this particular study evaluated the beliefs and experiences of people from their own point of view. “The participants were asked to narrate their individual experiences of being bereaved by the suicide of their loved one” (Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson, 2016). Another aspect that qualifies the study design used in this article as qualitative is that many direct quotes of participants have been included in the article to illustrate fundamental themes of the study.

Critical analysis

The article presents a research that sought to explore how people feel stigmatized after their loved ones die as a result of suicide. The goal of the research is clearly explained in the article through clear statement of research aims. According to the authors, the key aim of the article was to “present findings that convey how people felt stigmatized after the loss of a loved one to suicide” (Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson, 2016). This research aim is important because there are so many cases of suicide in the society and thus it is imperative to understand how such incidents affect friends and relatives of those who die of suicide. This will subsequently help health professionals develop appropriate ways of helping the affected individuals.

The study employed qualitative research methodology. This methodology is suitable for addressing the goal of the study. The study sought to explore how people felt stigmatized after the loss of a loved one to suicide by illuminating the experiences of the research participants. In other words, the study sought to evaluate the experiences of people from their own point of view. “The participants were asked to narrate their individual experiences of being bereaved by the suicide of their loved one” (Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson, 2016). Even though the right research methodology is used for this study, there is no explanation on why this methodology was chosen. The researchers, however, used a participant recruitment strategy that is appropriate to the aims of the study. They also explained how the recruitment strategy was implemented to ensure that the participants selected were most suitable to provide the information required. Some of the key criteria used to select participants were that one has to be bereaved for a minimum of 12 months; speaks fluent English, and not less than 18 years old (Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson, 2016).

From the article, it is clear that data collection was carried out in a way that addressed the goal of the research. The study used in-depth face-to-face interviews to collect data but the researchers failed to explain why this data collection method was used. Nonetheless, the researchers explicitly explained how the interviews were carried out. For instance, participants were asked a series of open-ended questions in order to encourage dialogue (Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson, 2016). On the other hand, the relationship between the participants and the researchers has not been considered adequately in the article. For example, it is unclear how the researchers reacted to events during the study. The researchers, however, took into consideration the ethical issues. For example, participants were informed of the voluntary nature of the study. Moreover, relevant Human Research Ethics Committee provided approval for the research before the start of participant recruitment (Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson, 2016).

Another important aspect of this particular study is that data analysis was carried out rigorously. This was achieved by adhering to the criteria of credibility and reflexivity. The researchers presented a comprehensive explanation on how data analysis was carried out. However, they have not explained how the presented data were chosen from the original sample. Nonetheless, the researchers have provided an explicit statement of findings. The findings showed the degree of stigma experienced by the participants (Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson, 2016). These findings have also been discussed in connection to the original study question. It was depicted that study suggests that both actual and expected stigma is a widespread experience for individuals who experience the death of a loved one due to suicide (Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson, 2016). Finally, the significance of the research has been discussed by the researchers. According to the researchers, the study has shown that stigma, blame, confusion, and rejection generate rational conflict and that changes in familial relationship further complicates the situation thus leading to grater distress. The researchers also emphasized the need for greater training and awareness for health professionals and support services to help people experiencing stigma due to suicide of loved ones (Cunningham, Murphy, and Jackson, 2016).

Recommendations for practice

The design and general structure of this study is good but there are recommendations that can be made in order to enhance trustworthiness, results, and relevance of the study. The first recommendation is concerned with the goals and aims of the study. The goal of the research is should be clearly explained a clear statement of research aims made. The goal and aims of the experiment should also be relevant to the topic of study. The other recommendation is on research methodology. Sufficient attention must be given to the choice of research methodology because different studies use different research methodologies. For example, qualitative methodology is used in studies that seek to evaluate the beliefs and experiences of people from their own point of view. Recruitment strategy is another important area of a research. The researcher must explain how the participants were chosen and the suitability of the selected participants. Above all the researcher should justify the suitability of the recruitment strategy used. Data collection is another area that requires sufficient attention. On data collection, the researcher should explain how data were collected as well as justification of the data collection method used. The researcher should also explain explicitly how the method chosen was used to collect data. In addition, ethical issues must be taken into consideration in any research. The researcher should provide enough information on the manner in which the study was explained to the participants. The researcher should also discuss issues raised by the study as well as whether an approval was sought from the ethics committee. Finally, the study must have an explicit statement of findings and the contribution of the research to the existing understanding or knowledge.

Conclusion

Many lives around the globe are lost through suicide and many people are affected in one way or another by each of the suicide cases. According to this article, the people who lose their loved ones to suicide not only endure immense suffering owing to an abrupt loss of loved ones but also the social stigma that come with suicide. It is therefore imperative to understand how the affected people feel after losing their loved ones to suicide so that appropriate ways of helping them can be developed and implemented. To achieve this, need for greater training and awareness for health professionals and support services to help people experiencing stigma due to suicide of loved ones.

References

Cvinar, J. (2005). Do suicide survivors suffer social stigma: A review of the literature.

Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 41, 14–21.

Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (2017). CASP Qualitative Checklist. [online] Available at:

http://www.casp-uk.net/checklists. Accessed: August 18, 2017.

Peters, K., Cunningham, C., Murphy, G., & Jackson, D. (2016). People look down on you when

you tell them how he died. Qualitative insights into stigma as experienced by suicide survivors. International Journal of Mental health Nursing, 25, 251 – 257, DOI:10.1111/inm.12210.