Week 7 Appraising Systematic Reviews Essay
Week 7 Appraising Systematic Reviews Essay
Week 7 Appraising Systematic Reviews Essay
Appraising Systematic Reviews
The DNP-prepared nurse plays a significant role in appraising and analyzing different studies to apply them to address national practice problems. The nurse also selects evidence from all study levels and determines how it can be translated into everyday practice. Systematic reviews with meta-analysis combine and synthesize results from multiple primary studies related to each other to identify, define or assess research on a particular topic. This discussion presents an appraisal of a systematic review with a meta-analysis related to the mental illness practice problem, an evidence-based intervention, and how the selected article can support the practice problem.
Pandemics and pre-existing mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis by Neelam et al. (2021) is the selected source. The systematic review was appraised using the John Hopkins research appraisal tool. Pandemics are known to impact the mental health of different health populations negatively (Huremović, 2019). However, the selected source investigates whether people with pre-existing mental illnesses experience increased mental illness symptoms and experience more hospitalization during a pandemic.
The research design adequately answers the research questions. The two research questions are; Do people with pre-existing mental illness experience an increase in mental health symptoms during a pandemic? And, Do people with pre-existing mental illness experience more hospitalizations during a pandemic? The researchers reviewed primary studies that met the inclusion criteria and were published during the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, the search was comprehensible and reproducible since the key terms were stated, and different databases were identified and searched. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were also stated.
The evidence-based intervention I might consider for translation into practice in a practice change project is family therapy to support families and restore family functioning in families with mentally ill patients. According to Colapinto (2019), family therapy focuses on understanding and treating behavior within the family context. Therefore, family therapy can be translated into practice to enhance holistic mental illness care by supporting mentally ill patients and their families.
Based on the evidence presented in the selected study, I would use it to support the mental illness practice problem. Pandemics significantly impact the mental health of different health populations by increasing symptoms and hospitalization, which is supported by the review. Therefore, mental health services and translating evidence-based interventions are needed more during and after the pandemic to restore the mental health state of populations. The practice change project entails mental illness services; thus, the selected review supports it by providing its rationale.
The permalink to the selected study is;
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354620301423
References
Colapinto, J. (2019). Structural family therapy. Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy, 2820-2828. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_334
Huremović, D. (Ed.). (2019). Psychiatry of pandemics: a mental health response to infection outbreak. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15346-5
Neelam, K., Duddu, V., Anyim, N., Neelam, J., & Lewis, S. (2021). Pandemics and pre-existing mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain, behavior, & immunity-health, 10, 100177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100177
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Week 7 Appraising Systematic Reviews
Discussion
Purpose  
The purpose of this discussion is to demonstrate your understanding of the review and appraisal of a systematic review that includes systematic review with meta-analysis, or meta-synthesis, and to use skills in the appraisal of research studies in your future role as a DNP-prepared nurse. Importantly, you will review the background and intention of the systematic review research study. As you work to find solutions to practice problems, critical review and appraisal of systematic reviews are required.
Instructions  
Using the practice problem, you selected in NR715, continue your search and appraisal of evidence by analyzing one systematic review research study. This research study should not be one that was used in NR715. Address the following in the discussion:
Appraise the systematic review research study using the Johns Hopkins Research Appraisal Tool. Transfer your findings to the Johns Hopkins Individual Evidence Summary Tool.
Analyze the evidence summary tool of the research study to address the following in the discussion:
Determine whether the research design—systematic review, systematic review with meta-analysis, or meta-synthesis —answers the research question. Explain your rationale.
Based on information in the published study, explain if the search was comprehensible and reproducible.
Based on the Johns Hopkins Individual Evidence Summary Tool, determine if there is an evidence-based intervention you might consider for translation to practice in a practice change project. Explain your rationale.
Based on the Johns Hopkins Individual Evidence Summary Tool Column Observable Measures, consider if you would use this systematic review research study as support for your selected practice problem. Explain your rationale.
Include your completed Johns Hopkins Individual Evidence Summary Tool and permalink to the selected research study. 
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Practice Question: Among families with adolescents suffering from mental illnesses, does structural strategic family therapy, compared to routine mental health care, impact family functioning within 12 weeks?
Article Number |
Author and Date |
Evidence Type |
Sample, Sample Size, Setting |
Findings That Help Answer the EBP Question |
Observable Measures |
Limitations |
Evidence Level, Quality |
10 100177 | Neelam (2021) | Randomized Controlled Trial | The sample contained 15 studies involving study populations of people with pre-existing mental illnesses exhibiting anxiety symptoms, psychiatric symptoms, and depressive symptoms.
|
The findings that help answer the EBP question are; pandemics negatively affect the mental health f adolescents and young adults with pre-existing mental illnesses
Mental health services demanded increase during a pandemic, and
|
A narrative synthesis from all the included articles described the key findings in relation to the research questions.
The review described the study design, type of mental disorders, pandemic type and critically evaluated the included original studies |
Selected studies did not detail the nature and severity of the pre-existing mental illness.
Most of the studies were online, and therefore psychiatric diagnosis could not be easily ascertained |
Neelam et al. (2021) were appraised at level I Grade A quality. The study results can be applied to other populations, and the search was comprehensible and reproducible |
Attach a reference list with full citations of articles reviewed for this Practice question.
Reference List
Neelam, K., Duddu, V., Anyim, N., Neelam, J., & Lewis, S. (2021). Pandemics and pre-existing mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain, behavior, & immunity-health, 10, 100177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100177