FGCU Psychology Paper

Summarize a chosen case study, describe the featured drug, explain if the situation in the case study qualifies as a substance abuse disorder, and describe the treatment that could be implemented (5-6 double-spaced pages). Introduction First, you will explore one category of addictive drugs: opiates and analgesia. These both have medical applications, despite their addictive potential. After exploring opiates, you will look at the biological mechanisms behind addiction. Over the years, we’ve learned a great deal about the changes in the brain that coincide with substance abuse. Then, once you know about how the brain acts with addiction, you will explore the most common recreational drugs and legal recreational drugs and their effects on the brain. Overview For this assessment, you will either listen to the case studies in the Case Studies: Hector, Rose, and Tyler media piece, or read the case studies below. Then, you will choose one of the case studies to write about in your assessment. Next, you will describe the case study, the drug in the case study, how the case study meets or does not meet criteria for a substance abuse disorder, and treatment that might treat the substance abuse disorder. Case Studies Listen to the media piece Case Studies: Hector, Rose, and Tyler. You can read the same case studies below as reference for your assessment. • • Hector: Hector is a 42-year-old man who has a long history of sports injuries. His doctor prescribed codeine after he shattered his knee in a climbing accident last year. Even though his knee has healed, Hector continues to crave codeine. When he could no longer find a doctor to prescribe it, he started looking for other ways to get it and found a dealer who would sell it to him. As a result of his codeine use, his work suffered until he lost his job a month ago. Rose: Rose is a 32-year-old woman who does LSD on weekends to party. She’s noticed that even in the middle of the week (when she hasn’t done LSD recently), she’ll have flashbacks to previous drug-induced hallucinations. When this occurs at work, she does her best to hide it but it’s been getting more difficult. She’s sure her co-workers notice but she shrugs it off with jokes about being distracted. • Tyler: Tyler is a 26-year-old male. Four years ago, the woman he was dating talked him into trying meth. At first, he’d just use meth with his girlfriend on weekends. Over the past few weeks, he’s found himself using meth as soon as he gets home from his construction job and he craves it while he is at work. His boss has commented on the changes he’s noticed at work, but Tyler is sure the meth use makes him a better employee as he has more energy. Instructions Choose one of the three case studies, and in your assessment: Describe the case study briefly. • Describe the drug featured in the case study, including: • The biological actions and effects of the drug. • The behavioral and psychological effects of the drug. • At least two scholarly sources. In addition, you can use information from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Psychopharmacology text. • Explain how the case study meets or does not meet the criteria for a substance abuse disorder. • Describe any medical or pharmacological treatment that might treat the substance abuse disorder. • Use at least two scholarly sources. In addition, you can use information from the Psychopharmacology text. You can use the following source to find more information about your chosen medication: • National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). http://www.drugabuse.gov/ • You can access information and reports on addictive drugs using the search feature. Government websites are a great source for credible information and often a primary source for demographic information and other statistics. Once you’ve gathered information from the above website, find four scholarly sources to use. • Additional Requirements Your assessment should also meet the following requirements: • Writing style: Text is well-organized, incorporates evidence, and uses appropriate tone in grammatically sound sentences. • • • • APA format: References and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting guidelines. Learn more in the Evidence and APA section of the Writing Center. Resources: Four scholarly resources-two sources with evidence on the biological, behavioral, and psychological effects of the medication and two sources with evidence on the strengths and weaknesses of the medication. The Psychopharmacology textbook may be used as one of the resources. Length: 5-6 typed, double-spaced pages of content, in addition to a title page and a reference page. Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point. Competencies Measured By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria: • • • • • Competency 1: Explain the biological effects of psychoactive substances. • Explain the biological actions and effects of the drug. Competency 2: Explain the behavioral and psychological effects of psychoactive substances. • Explain the behavioral and psychological effects of the drug. Competency 3: Analyze the use of medication to treat specific mental health disorders. • Explain how the case study meets the criteria for a substance abuse disorder. • Analyze how a medication treats the specific substance abuse disorder. Competency 4: Apply scholarly research findings to topics in psychopharmacology. • Use four scholarly sources to support main points. Competency 5: Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences. • Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences. • Apply APA style guidelines for formatting citations and references with few errors. Summarize a chosen case study, describe a medication you would use to treat the client, describe the disorder you identified in the case study, and analyze how the medication treats the disorder (3-4 double-spaced pages). Introduction You have learned about mental health disorders featuring emotions as their dominant symptom. In this assessment, you will look at psychotic disorders that feature hallucinations and/or delusions as their most characteristic symptom. Then, you will continue to explore mental health disorders and the medications that treat them with a look at disorders typically diagnosed in childhood. Overview For this assessment, you will either listen to the case studies in the Case Studies: Kenisha, Jose, and Pam media piece, or read the case studies below. Then, you will choose one of the case studies to write about in your assessment. Next, you will describe the case study, the disorder you identified in the case study, the medication you chose to treat the disorder, and how the medication treats the disorder. Case Studies Listen to the media piece Case Studies: Kenisha, Jose, and Pam. You can read the same case studies below as reference for your assessment. • • • Kenisha: Kenisha is a 22-year-old woman who recently broke up with her girlfriend. She’s been having trouble sleeping at night, frequently bursts into tears, and has lost interest in spending time with her friends and family. She has been coping by eating brownies and ice cream whenever she feels too down. She went to her family doctor, who started her on medication. The medication has left her feeling drowsy and she sleeps throughout the day. She also feels hungry most of the time and has been gaining weight. José: José is a 31-year-old male who has spent the past 2 years in his house. He’s terrified of leaving and any attempt to walk out the door leaves him paralyzed. He has sought help via teletherapy and his doctor has put him on medication. He can leave the house but is often too tired to do so. Pam: Pam is a 56-year-old woman who was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was 25 years old. She’s remained on the same medicine for the past 20 years. In the past 2 months, she’s become increasingly paranoid. She is sure the government has bugged her house and that the police are watching her every move. She’s begun to take apart her electronics to search for monitoring devices like hidden cameras and microphones. Instructions Choose one of the three case studies, and in your assessment: Describe the case study briefly. • Describe the medication you chose to treat disorder in the case study, including: • The biological actions and effects of the medication. • The behavioral and psychological effects of the medication. • At least two scholarly sources. In addition, you can use information from the PDR or FDA websites and the Psychopharmacology text. • Describe the disorder you identified from the case study. • Common symptoms of the disorder. • Analyze how the medication treats the disorder. • Include strengths and weaknesses of this medication to treat the disorder. • Support with evidence from at least two scholarly sources. In addition, you can use information from the PDR or FDA websites and the Psychopharmacology text. You can use the following sources to find more information about your chosen medication: • Prescribers’ Digital Reference (PDR). (n.d.). https://www.pdr.net • You can access basic information about medications without a login, just type the name of the medication in the search area. The PDR has been the standard go-to for information on medications for a number of years and is considered one of the more credible sources. • U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (n.d.). Information for consumers and patients | Drugs. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-youdrugs/information-consumers-and-patients-drugs • You can access the FDA’s information on a number of medications using the search feature. Government websites are a great source for credible information and often a primary source for demographic information and other statistics. Once you have gathered information from one or both of the above websites, find four scholarly sources to use. • Additional Requirements Your assessment should also meet the following requirements: • • • • • Writing style:Text is well-organized, incorporates evidence, and uses appropriate tone in grammatically sound sentences. APA format: References and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting guidelines. Learn more in the Evidence and APA section of the Writing Center. Resources: Four scholarly resources-two sources with evidence on the biological, behavioral, and psychological effects of the medication and two sources with evidence on the strengths and weaknesses of the medication. The Psychopharmacology textbook may be used as one of the resources. Length: 3-4 typed, double-spaced pages of content, in addition to a title page and a reference page. Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point. Competencies Measured By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria: • • • • • Competency 1: Explain the biological effects of psychoactive substances. • Explain the biological actions and effects of the medication. Competency 2: Explain the behavioral and psychological effects of psychoactive substances. • Explain the behavioral and psychological effects of the medication. Competency 3: Analyze the use of medication to treat specific mental health disorders. • Describe the disorder. • Analyze how the medication treats the disorder. Competency 4: Apply scholarly research findings to topics in psychopharmacology. • Use four scholarly sources to support main points. Competency 5: Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences. • Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences. • Apply APA style guidelines for formatting citations and references with few errors. Describe a medication used to treat an anxiety or stress-related disorder, describe the disorder, and analyze how the medication treats the disorder (3-4 double-spaced pages). Introduction In this assessment, you will explore the emotions of fear, anxiety, and stress. The medications that are used to treat these anxiety and stress-related disorders can differ from the ones used to treat mood disorders. Overview For this assessment, you will choose a medication used to treat anxiety, OCD, or PTSD. Then, you will write about the medication you chose, the anxiety or stressrelated disorder the medication treats, and how the medication treats the disorder. Instructions In 3-4 double-spaced pages, utilizing at least three resources, complete the following: Describe the medication you chose, including: • The biological actions and effects of the medication. ▪ The neurotransmitters affected and what effects each neurotransmitter has. ▪ Whether it is a drug agonist or drug antagonist. ▪ How the medication affects the brain. o The behavioral and psychological effects of the medication. ▪ The therapeutic effects of the medication that affect mood and behavior. ▪ The side effects of the medication that affect mood and behavior. • Describe the anxiety or stress disorder (anxiety, OCD, or PTSD) that the medication treats. o Common symptoms of the disorder. • Analyze how the medication treats the disorder. o Include strengths and weaknesses of using this medication to treat the disorder. You can use the following sources to find more information about your chosen medication: • Prescribers’ Digital Reference (PDR). (n.d.). https://www.pdr.net • You can access basic information about medications without a login, just type the name of the medication in the search area. The PDR has been the standard go-to for information on medications for a number of years and is considered one of the more credible sources. • U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (n.d.). Information for consumers and patients | Drugs. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-youdrugs/information-consumers-and-patients-drugs • You can access the FDA’s information on a number of medications using the search feature. Government websites are a great source for credible information and often a primary source for demographic information and other statistics. Once you’ve gathered information from one or both of the above websites, find two scholarly sources to use. • Additional Requirements Your assessment should also meet the following requirements: • • • • • Writing style: Text is well-organized, incorporates evidence, and uses appropriate tone in grammatically sound sentences. APA format: References and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting guidelines. Learn more in the Evidence and APA section of the Writing Center. Resources: A minimum of three resources (at least two scholarly resources and one professional, credible resource, such as the PDR). Length: 3-4 typed, double-spaced pages of content, in addition to a title page and a reference page. Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point. Competencies Measured By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria: • • Competency 1: Explain the biological effects of psychoactive substances. • Explain the biological actions and effects of the medication. Competency 2: Explain the behavioral and psychological effects of psychoactive substances. • Explain the behavioral and psychological effects of the medication. • • • Competency 3: Analyze the use of medication to treat specific mental health disorders. • Describe the anxiety or stress disorder. • Analyze how the medication treats the disorder. Competency 4: Apply scholarly research findings to topics in psychopharmacology. • Use scholarly sources to support main points. Competency 5: Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences. • Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences. • Apply APA style guidelines for formatting citations and references with few errors,

Grid View

	Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor
Main Posting	45 (45%) – 50 (50%) Answers all parts of the discussion question(s) expectations with reflective critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources. Supported by at least three current, credible sources. Written clearly and concisely with no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.	40 (40%) – 44 (44%) Responds to the discussion question(s) and is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. At least 75% of post has exceptional depth and breadth. Supported by at least three credible sources. Written clearly and concisely with one or no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.	35 (35%) – 39 (39%) Responds to some of the discussion question(s). One or two criteria are not addressed or are superficially addressed. Is somewhat lacking reflection and critical analysis and synthesis. Somewhat represents knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. Post is cited with two credible sources. Written somewhat concisely; may contain more than two spelling or grammatical errors. Contains some APA formatting errors.	0 (0%) – 34 (34%) Does not respond to the discussion question(s) adequately. Lacks depth or superficially addresses criteria. Lacks reflection and critical analysis and synthesis. Does not represent knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. Contains only one or no credible sources. Not written clearly or concisely. Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors. Does not adhere to current APA manual writing rules and style.
Main Post: Timeliness	10 (10%) – 10 (10%) Posts main post by day 3.	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%) Does not post by day 3.
First Response	17 (17%) – 18 (18%) Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings. Responds fully to questions posed by faculty. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources. Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	15 (15%) – 16 (16%) Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	13 (13%) – 14 (14%) Response is on topic and may have some depth. Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed. Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.	0 (0%) – 12 (12%) Response may not be on topic and lacks depth. Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are missing. No credible sources are cited.
Second Response	16 (16%) – 17 (17%) Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings. Responds fully to questions posed by faculty. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources. Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	14 (14%) – 15 (15%) Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	12 (12%) – 13 (13%) Response is on topic and may have some depth. Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed. Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.	0 (0%) – 11 (11%) Response may not be on topic and lacks depth. Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are missing. No credible sources are cited.
Participation	5 (5%) – 5 (5%) Meets requirements for participation by posting on three different days.	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%) Does not meet requirements for participation by posting on 3 different days.
Total Points: 100

As we begin this session, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify my expectations for this course:

Please note that GCU Online weeks run from Thursday (Day 1) through Wednesday (Day 7).

Course Room Etiquette:

It is my expectation that all learners will respect the thoughts and ideas presented in the discussions.
All postings should be presented in a respectful, professional manner. Remember – different points of view add richness and depth to the course!

Office Hours:

My office hours vary so feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected] or my office phone is 602.639.6517 and I will get back to you within one business day or as soon as possible.
Phone appointments can be scheduled as well. Send me an email and the best time to call you, along with your phone number to make an appointment.
I welcome all inquiries and questions as we spend this term together. My preference is that everyone utilizes the Questions to Instructor forum. In the event your question is of a personal nature, please feel free to post in the Individual Questions for Instructor forumI will respond to all posts or emails within 24 or sooner.

Late Policy and Grading Policy

Discussion questions:

I do not mark off for late DQ’s.
I would rather you take the time to read the materials and respond to the DQ’s in a scholarly way, demonstrating your understanding of the materials.
I will not accept any DQ submissions after day 7, 11:59 PM (AZ Time) of the week.
Individual written assignments – due by 11:59 PM AZ Time Zone on the due dates indicated for each class deliverable.

Assignments:

Assignments turned in after their specified due dates are subject to a late penalty of -10%, each day late, of the available credit. Please refer to the student academic handbook and GCU policy.
Any activity or assignment submitted after the due date will be subject to GCU’s late policy
Extenuating circumstances may justify exceptions, which are at my sole discretion. If an extenuating circumstance should arise, please contact me privately as soon as possible.
No assignments can be accepted for grading after midnight on the final day of class.
All assignments will be graded in accordance with the Assignment Grading Rubrics

Participation

Participation in each week’s Discussion Board forum accounts for a large percentage of your final grade in this course.
Please review the Course Syllabus for a comprehensive overview of course deliverables and the value associated with each.
It is my expectation that each of you will substantially contribute to the course discussion forums and respond to the posts of at least three other learners.
A substantive post should be at least 200 words. Responses such as “great posts” or “I agree” do notmeet the active engagement expectation.
Please feel free to draw on personal examples as you develop your responses to the Discussion Questions but you do need to demonstrate your understanding of the materials.
I do expect outside sources as well as class materials to formulate your post.
APA format is not necessary for DQ responses, but I do expect a proper citation for references.
Please use peer-related journals found through the GCU library and/or class materials to formulate your answers. Do not try to “Google” DQ’s as I am looking for class materials and examples from the weekly materials.
I will not accept responses that are from Wikipedia, Business com, or other popular business websites. You will not receive credit for generic web searches – this does not demonstrate graduate-level research.
Stay away from the use of personal pronouns when writing.As a graduate student, you are expected to write based on research and gathering of facts. Demonstrating your understanding of the materials is what you will be graded on. You will be marked down for lack of evidence to support your ideas.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of claiming credit for another’s work, accomplishments, or ideas without appropriate acknowledgment of the source of the information by including in-text citations and references.
This course requires the utilization of APA format for all course deliverables as noted in the course syllabus.
Whether this happens deliberately or inadvertently, whenever plagiarism has occurred, you have committed a Code of Conduct violation.
Please review your LopesWrite report prior to final submission.
Every act of plagiarism, no matter the severity, must be reported to the GCU administration (this includes your DQ’s, posts to your peers, and your papers).

Plagiarism includes:

Representing the ideas, expressions, or materials of another without due credit.
Paraphrasing or condensing ideas from another person’s work without proper citation and referencing.
Failing to document direct quotations without proper citation and referencing.
Depending upon the amount, severity, and frequency of the plagiarism that is committed, students may receive in-class penalties that range from coaching (for a minor omission), -20% grade penalties for resubmission, or zero credit for a specific assignment. University-level penalties may also occur, including suspension or even expulsion from the University.
If you are at all uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, you should review the resources available in the Student Success Center. Also, please review the University’s policies about plagiarism which are covered in more detail in the GCU Catalog and the Student Handbook.
We will be utilizing the GCU APA Style Guide 7th edition located in the Student Success Center > The Writing Center for all course deliverables.

LopesWrite

All course assignments must be uploaded to the specific Module Assignment Drop Box, and also submitted to LopesWrite every week.
Please ensure that your assignment is uploaded to both locations under the Assignments DropBox. Detailed instructions for using LopesWrite are located in the Student Success Center.

Assignment Submissions

Please note that Microsoft Office is the software requirement at GCU.
I can open Word files or any file that is saved with a .rtf (Rich Text Format) extension. I am unable to open .wps files.
If you are using a “.wps” word processor, please save your files using the .rtf extension that is available from the drop-down box before uploading your files to the Assignment Drop Box.

Grade of Incomplete

The final grade of Incomplete is granted at the discretion of the instructor; however, students must meet certain specific criteria before this grade accommodation is even possible to consider.
The grade of Incomplete is reserved for times when students experience a serious extenuating circumstance or a crisis during the last week of class which prevents the completion of course requirements before the close of the grading period. Students also must pass the course at the time the request is made.
Please contact me personally if you are having difficulties in meeting course requirements or class deadlines during our time together. In addition, if you are experiencing personal challenges or difficulties, it is best to contact the Academic Counselor so that you can discuss the options that might be available to you, as well as each option’s academic and financial repercussions.

Grade Disputes

If you have any questions about a grade you have earned on an individual assignment or activity, please get in touch with mepersonally for further clarification.
While I have made every attempt to grade you fairly, on occasion a misunderstanding may occur, so please allow me the opportunity to learn your perspective if you believe this has occurred. Together, we should be able to resolve grading issues on individual assignments.
However, after we have discussed individual assignments’ point scores, if you still believe that the final grade you have earned at the end of the course is not commensurate with the quality of work you produced for this class, there is a formal Grade Grievance procedurewhich is outlined in the GCU Catalog and Student Handbook.