Examination of the Relationship Between Mental Health and Social Contact

Background Overview

According to Manwell, Barbic, Roberts, Durisko, Lee, Ware & McKenzie (2015), mental health is better explained as the condition, wherein the psychological, biological or the communal aspects facilitate an individual to perform actions within an environment. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is described as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community” (OECD, 2010; p. 6). It is perceived as an essential constituent of human’s health, as it develops social, mental, and emotional comfort (Galderisi, Heinz, Kastrup, Beezhold & Sartorius, 2015). Based on the observation made by Galderisi et al. (2015), the significance of mental health research focuses on identifying the ways through which it support humans to develop their individual social roles. Additionally, it also facilitates them to partake in momentous community interactions. The problems relating to mental health are widespread among all the populations including the children, young people, and the older adults as well. Therefore, emphasizing the issue, research on mental health is important to acquire a brief understanding about the reasons along with the risk factors that create problems within the individuals. It is also essential to further identify the ways or strategies for managing poor mental health (Crown, 2017).

Aim & Objectives

The aim of the mental health research will be to determine whether there exists a relationship among the mental health of an individual and improved social contact along with communication with the respective community members. Based on this specific aim, the following research objectives will be addressed:

• To obtain a concise idea relating to the mental health along with its positive and negative consequences
• To develop and assess relevant interventions as well as treatments for the people suffering from poor mental health
• To identify the ways through which social contact and communication among the people with poor mental health can be enhanced

Plans for Undertaking the Proposed Research

Study Design

A mixed method of study design will be used in this particular research for the purpose of attaining the above framed research aim and objectives. This particular design approach has been selected in order to determine whether there lays a strong relationship among mental health and enhanced social contact along with communication.

Data Collection Methods

Both primary and secondary data will be collected for drawing out valid inferences for this particular research. In this context, primary data will be gathered by conducting a questionnaire survey with 100 community members, who are suffering from poor mental health. On the other hand, secondary information will be retrieved by accessing various scholarly journals, books, articles, and authentic websites.

Ethical Considerations

Certain ethical practices will be considered for this research. This will help in enhancing its reliability along with validity and maintain generalizability of the obtained results. For instance, informed consent will be received from the survey respondents i.e. the community members prior to conducting the data collection process. Moreover, similar questionnaire will be distributed to every survey participant so as to avoid the chances of data duplication and biasness.