Week Two Assignment
Instructions
SEE THE APA, EXAMPLE PAPER PREPARATION ASSIGNMENT, AND GRADING
RUBRIC BELOW BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Pick from the following classification of psychotropic medications and then choose a drug
within that classification.
Antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, Atypical Antidepressants TCAs, MAOIs)
Anxiolytics
Antipsychotics
Psychostimulants
Mood stabilizers
Off-label medications that treat symptomatologies of mental health conditions
The week two assignment is due Sunday of week two. Your week two assignment should be a
minimum of three pages and more than five in length (this does not include the cover and
reference pages). Your assignment must include the following APA requirements:
Cover page
Times New Roman
12 font only
Subheadings
In-text citations
Page numbers
Double spaced
Reference page
Instructions:
I’d like you to please develop a thesis statement that will drive your assignment topic. You
can find examples in the APUS library or the announcements area of the classroom.
Topic: Select one of the psychotropic classifications of interest from the list above and
choose a drug.
1) Introduction
2) Provide the history and brief background of the chosen psychotropic,
3) what it is used for, how it works (i.e., mechanism of action),
4) receptor sites the drug targets, and the drug’s primary effect.
5) Discuss the subclassification (e.g., if you choose fluoxetine, an antidepressant,
its subclassification is an SSRI; therefore, you will discuss the background of
SSRIs) of the psychotropic and provide a critical analysis of why it is used
over other drugs (or if it is not commonly used, explain why).
6) Also, provide if the FDA approves the drug and, if so, the date and the
Agency’s approved use. If the FDA did not approve it, explain why and if it is
used for non-FDA drug use (i.e., off-label).
7) Also, ensure to include side effects, adverse effects, and contraindications or
drug-to-drug interactions of the psychotropic.
8) Further, discuss how the drug impacts children, adolescents, and older adults
and
9) how to minimize complications of the drugs based on the population.
10) Finally, provide a conclusion on the importance of the drug and how it is
essential to the clinical psychological and psychopharmacology fields.
You must include at least four peer-reviewed sources to support and substantiate your work.
If you use additional resources, they must be academically grounded and scholarly. All
sources must be within five years or newer.
Annotated Bibliography: For this portion, students must identify four peer-reviewed
journals or other journals with reliable information (do not use sources from the secular press,
i.e., Psychology Today, Simply Psychology, Very Well Mind, Time, Newsweek, Parent’s
Today, etc.). Ask your instructor if it is an acceptable source when in doubt. In these journals,
the research and information are either reviewed by an editorial team (such as for the Harvard
Business Review) or a group of peers (such as in many journals you find through the APU
online library). Research cannot be older than 5 years. Nonetheless, the annotated
bibliography should include the purpose of the study, method, significant findings, and
significance to the field.
Therefore, your assignment should have the three subheadings:
Topic
Thesis Statement
Annotated Bibliography
= Again, please see the attached template for assistance with how to formulate your paper.
NOTE: Sources such as WebMD, Wikipedia, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Cherry,
Psychology Today, Simply Psychology, Parent’s Day, news articles, op-eds, blogs, and
encyclopedias are not scholarly sources and should not be used. When in doubt, ask your
professor if it is an acceptable source. In these journals, the research and information are
either reviewed by an editorial...