Create a poster debunking a myth about a mental health disorder. Communicate persuasively and succinctly to a general audience.
Backstory/Context:
Biology is intertwined with our mental health. Heredity and environment interact to produce psychological disorders. Treatment options also reflect both environmental and biological interventions—a therapy might address environmental triggers and maladaptive cognitions while a medication might affect your brain’s chemistry. Consider how one’s brain might help or hinder them in a moment of mental crisis.
Combating low quality information with scientific evidence is a challenge faced by most human services professionals. Posters can be used to provide easy-to-digest facts in a visually appealing way, as an aid to challenging flawed information.
For this assessment, you’ll create a poster based on the following false fact:
- Depression is caused by personal weakness. Focus on major depressive disorder or bipolar disorders.
Find one flawed source of information on the Internet. To find a flawed source, look for one with a substantial number of errors.
- Read what the textbook says about the myth.
- Use the myth you chose and use it as your search word/phrase.
- Look for sources that are not accurate based on the information in your textbook.
- If you don’t see a flawed source on the first page of results, skip to the third page of results or further.
- Tips for finding flawed sources,
- Scroll through your social media feeds.
- Scroll through your results and look for sources that are NOT:
- .gov websites.
- News or press websites.
- Find one peer-reviewed journal article about the mental health disorder.
Create a poster in MS Word where you:
- Identify the chosen myth about mental health or a specific disorder.
- Identify the flawed source of information related to the myth.
- Describe the psychological disorder, including the key symptoms.
- Relate the actions of the mind and body to psychological health.
- Describe the mechanism and/or actions in the brain that lead to the symptoms of the disorder.
- Explain the research you found regarding the disorder.
- Include a brief mention of the findings and the population the results can be generalized to.
- Explain the actions of a medication used to treat the psychological disorder.
- Describe the biological details of how it works.
- Provide an alternative explanation based on perceived flaws in behavioral claims in the overall message.
- Use visual elements that support the main points.
- Written communication: Written communication is in professional style with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.
- Resources: Use a minimum of three sources: your flawed source, your textbook, and one peer-reviewed journal article.
- APA formatting: References and citations are formatted according to APA style and formatting.
- Length: One single-spaced, typed page.
- Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
GRADING RUBRIC:
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
- Competency 1: Relate the actions of the mind and body to psychological and physical health.
- Describe a psychological disorder.
- Relate the actions of the mind and body to psychological health.
- Explain the actions of a medication used to treat the psychological disorder.
- Competency 2: Construct alternative explanations based on perceived flaws in behavioral claims.
- Provide an alternative explanation based on perceived flaws in behavioral claims in the overall message.
- Competency 4: Expose flawed sources of information.
- Identify a flawed source of information related to a myth.
- Explain peer-reviewed evidence.
- Competency 5: Write for purpose in a well organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
- Incorporate visuals that support the overall message.
- Use citations and references.
- Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
