This assignment gives your first experience of reading and reacting to journal literature in Allied Health Research.  Many students never realize there's a world beyond the textbooks and so it's all new to them.  You learn that in your specialty there are things printed every day that are new.  You will have to keep up to maintain your professional competency.  Journals are a resource that you can use, both here in school and when you get out in a professional situation.  The assignment is carefully sequenced with clear due dates and instructions. 

I believe that all of you, as future health care professionals, should be aware of how you can keep up on new developments in allied health and the issues that surround them.  Therefore, the objectives of this assignment are to familiarize you with the available literature in medicine and allied health.  

To meet the objectives of the assignment, you will:

·         Read and study, in detail, one current article on a topic covered in class from any of the three journals mentioned above. 

·         You will submit two assigned journal articles as Discussion Forums, and you may submit 2 or more of your own for credit in ALHE4060.  Ask the instructor if you wish to submit more than 2.

Details of What You Need To Do: 

1.       Go to the library and check out the issues of the journal.  You can also use the Internet for a resource.

2.       TIP: Most Journals publish a subject index in their December issue.  This is extremely useful and convenient when performing searches on subjects. 

3.       Look through the selected article ass well as the rest of that issue of the journal and several other recent issues to get a clear understanding of:

4.       what kinds of information is published,

5.       what audience it is intended to serve

6.       Whether references for further information are given. 

7.       Complete the Journal Article Review Form and submit by the due date. 

To receive full credit for this assignment, you must answer all questions on the review form and submit it by the due date.  Here is the information you should submit to your Research website:

Title of Journal

Article    Depression in Children and Adolescents

Title of Journal   American Family Physician

Volume_____62/no 10___________________ Date __11/__15/__2000   Page Number(s) __2297-2311

·         What organization is responsible for publishing the journal you chose?

        Published by the American Academy of Family Physicians

·         What is your overall evaluation of this article?

_____Poor          ______Fair            ______Good        __X__ Very Good       _____Excellent

·         Why did you choose to review this particular article?   

        It is a requirement for Research in Allied Health class.

·         How would you rate this article as a tool for teaching a student about cardiopulmonary physiology, radiography, or another allied health specialty? 

Students:               ____Poor       ____Fair       _X___Good     _____Very Good      _____Excellent

Teachers:               ____Poor       ____Fair       _____Good     _X___Very Good      _____Excellent

Patients:                 ____Poor       _X___Fair       ____Good     _____Very Good      _____Excellent

·         Comment on the readability of this article.  The article was in good format.  It included charts and statistical information to make the information understandable.  However, some terminology was used that might be hard for some to understand unless they have medical background. 

·         Course Topics covered:  The article clearly stated there is a problem with depression in adolescents.  It discussed the diagnosis (or lack thereof) of depression in children and adolescents.  It also covered treatment and the varying degrees of depression.

·         Brief Summary: The authors of the article defined depression in adolescents and children as a growing problem.  The article provided information regarding types of depression, diagnosis, available treatment options (counseling, medication), and gave indicators of depression. 

• Identify and attempt to explain three (3) terms, procedures or concepts that were unfamiliar to you when reviewing this article.   I was unaware that children with depression may try to compensate for low self-esteem with exceptional school academics and good behavior.  I learned the definition of comorbidity is the presence of coexisting or additional diseases with reference to an initial diagnosis.  Also the number of medical tests needed to rule out any underlying medical problems such as blood cell count, liver and thyroid functions, and ECG.

·         Detail the strengths/weaknesses of this article.

                        Strengths- This article was interesting and discussed a topic which we have all heard about.  It pointed out the exact magnitude of the problem (such as undiagnosed depression)  and gave specific risk factors and signs of depression in children. 

                        Weaknesses-  It is obvious the authors spend a great deal of time researching the subject.  However, I did feel the article was a bit long.  Also, as mentioned before, I believe the article would be hard for someone without medical background to comprehend.  Luckily, there are charts and statistics to break down what the body of the article suggests.

·         How might this article be useful to you in your further studies and career?  I think it is a great example of how you can put good use of your research and allow others to benefit from your findings.  It identifies a problem, the diagnosis, and treatments including the findings of different trials of medications.  All of this information is important to include when trying to relay to others what you have found through your research.

·         Does the article include a list of references/citations that can be used to find more information on the topics they cover?    Yes and that is helpful for those who would like to learn more about the topic and can give them a starting point in case they wish to conduct some of their own research.

Your Name: ________Amy Phillips________________________________ Date: _09_/_25/_05__