Introduction to Biological Psychology - Assessment Task

Task(s)

Students should choose ONE of the following disorders;

• Depression.
• Schizophrenia.
• An anxiety disorder (e.g. GAD or OCD)

For your chosen disorder you should create a Treatment Plan Guide that could be distributed to new mental health practitioners which outlines the following areas;

1. Diagnosis. Students should outline the symptoms associated with the disorder and the criteria needed for clinical diagnosis of the disorder. This should also reference any issues which may arise with the process i.e. overlaps with other disorders, difficulty in recording or measuring the symptoms or cultural/societal factors.
2. Causes. Students should provide an overview of the biological basis of the disorder which reference to empirically supported theories of the underlying causes of the disorder. You should provide links to research which both supports and contradicts the biological theory of the disorder. Students should also provide an alternative theory of the development of the disorder.
3. Treatment. Students should provide an overview of the different treatment methods associated with the biological theory of the condition. This should include studies which support the effectiveness of the treatments and those which raise weaknesses with the methods. Students may also wish to provide a contrasting treatment plan based on another approach to the disorder.
4. Issues. In conclusion students should provide the reader with an overall evaluation of the evidence behind the biological basis for the development and treatment of their chosen disorder.
   Throughout the guide the student should contextualise the research they have gathered into a real world environment and consider the impact of the biological approach to mental health on both the practitioner and the individual.