Mental Illness Assignment

Purpose of Assignment: The purpose of this assignment is to assist you in applying the various models pertaining to the psychology of stress, as identified in Chapter 4 of the textbook, to understanding the role of stress in a mental illness.

Read Chapter 4 in the textbook, which discusses the psychology of stress. As you can see from reading the both chapter 3 and 4 in the text, stress has been shown to play a significant role in many diseases, including mental illness.

For this assignment, select one mental illness of interest. For the illness you have selected, use your textbook and search the web until you can find the answers to the following questions:

What is the primary cause of the disease?
What is the prevalence of the disease? How many people in the US have this disease? Is the disease more prevalent in specific population groups? more common among males than females?
What are the most common signs and symptoms associated with the disease?
How is the disease commonly treated?
What is the role of stress either in the initiation of the disease or in its progression?
What are the 2 most helpful websites for individuals to access if they are interested in this disease?
What psychological model of stress has an impact on the occurrence and/or progression of the disease? Be sure to relate your answer to the information in Chapter 4 of your textbook.

Write up your results in a 4-5 page paper (double-spaced, 1 1/2 inch margins all around) using these headings in your paper

Be sure to use reliable and valid sources for your information. Some sources that would be appropriate are JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), National Institutes of Health, Medline, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and WebMD. There may be other online sites that are focus on providing information relative to your specific disease (e.g., comprehensive information about depression or phobias).

Again, I would encourage you to select a disease that is of interest to you, possibly because you know someone that has the disease, the disease is common in your family history, or you are curious about this specific disease.

This page is maintained by Dr. Deborah A. Wuest and was last updated on May 28, 2001.