How is environment relevant in causing and/or worsening the symptoms of a psychological disorder?

/in /by

Final Paper Topic

The purpose of this assignment is to show me that you comprehend how environment is relevant in causing and/or worsening the symptoms of a psychological disorder.

I would like you to choose one of the following psychological disorders with a specific subtype (if applicable):

Stress and Stress Related Disorders

Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive disorders

Somatic Symptom and Dissociative Disorders

Personality Disorders

Sexual and Gender Disorders

Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders

Mood Disorders and Suicide

Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders

Neurodevelopemental Disorders and Disruptive Disorders

Eating, Sleep, and Elimination Disorders

Neurocognitve Disorders

*If you have a different disorder that is not mentioned that interests you, please see me.

The subject of your paper can be someone close to you (a family member or close friend, who has been or could be diagnosed with any of these psychological disorders) or, if you have struggled with any of these disorders, you can certainly use yourself as the subject. If you or someone close to you has not experienced one of the disorders studied, you may choose to write about a person from history or the media, or you may write about a made-up person with a specific disorder who meets the criteria of the assignment.

To show your understanding of the disorder and nature and nurture’s influence on it, I would like for you to discuss the following:

  1. A brief history of the subject, including nuclear and extended family and the influence of these relationships; social, academic, medical, and behavioral history. Anything that might be relevant to his/her disorder.
  2. Etiology: when the disorder began in his/her life. What was going on in his/her life at that time?
  3. What are/were the symptoms? Be specific (don’t just say, “he was depressed”). List the symptoms in detail, including their severity and consistency.
  4. How did the symptoms affect the subject’s life? What effects developed daily: in work, relationships, school, daily functioning?
  5. What treatments, if any, did the subject receive? Alternatively, did the subject try to self-medicate with drugs, alcohol, or other attention seeking or distracting behaviors?
  6. How do you believe his/her history suggests a cause for the disorder? How do you link the pieces of the history to the specific symptoms of the disorder? Was there significant stress in this person’s life? Abuse? Neglect? Trauma? Here you will have to think hard and be creative—just like a clinical psychologist!
  7. If you were treating this subject, what form of clinical intervention/theraputic technique would you recommend or suggest? Why? Be specific here too (Don’t just say, “I think counseling would be good because it helps with depression”).

The following are critical:

Your paper must be saved and uploaded in Blackboard as a PDF file

This paper is worth a maximum of 100 points

The paper must be 4-6 pages (no less than 4 full pages; no more than 6 maximum).

It is due on the day of your final exam, by 11AM in blackboard or you may hand it in at the beginning of class. No late papers will be accepted unless turned in by 11:59PM the same day for a penalty of 20%.

I will be using Safe Assign in Blackboard to check for plagiarism. Don’t do it.

Most importantly, I will be docking points for poor spelling, particularly poor grammar, and generally poor writing. I will certainly appreciate papers that are free from all spelling errors. Do yourself a favor and not only use Spell-Check, but read and re-read your paper several times, checking for grammatical and spelling errors. I cannot emphasize this enough. It is also a good idea to have someone else proofread your paper. If you choose to hand in a hard copy of your paper, please know I will not be returning these papers to you unless you wish to provide me with an 8×10, double-stamped, self-addressed envelope. The papers will otherwise be shredded for confidential reasons after I grade them and apply any points earned to your final points.

Any questions you may have can be addressed to me via email: cpaterno@clcillinois.edu

Rubric:

10 points each for items 1-7 completed above (70 points)

30 points for grammar, spelling, organization, and overall writing quality

Papers will be handed in the day of the final exam. Late papers may be turned in through blackboard or via email the same day for at a penalty of 20%. You will lose 20% each additional day it is late as grades are due shortly after class ends.