Assignment Instructions
This exercise will help you develop skills to communicate about psychopharmacology as applied to clinical cases. There are two parts to this assignment. Before you begin, read the following linked Resources: APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Mock Form Letter.
Part 1: Identify the components of the form letter that you consider essential for referral. Justify your response. Identify the elements of the letter that you suspect may not be in compliance with the ethical guidelines. Justify your response. Part 2: You have determined that a client has generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and believe that this person would benefit from one of the benzodiazepine drugs. Complete the following: Choose any of the benzodiazepine drugs listed in the Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists text. Create a profile for a hypothetical client who would benefit from this type of medication, based on its effect on neurotransmission and the hormonal system. The profile should contain enough information about the client’s GAD that you could perform a diagnosis to determine the disorder. You do not need to address any treatment issues; however, do include any significant demographic or background factors that may inform clinical decision making related to the medication choice. Write a brief letter to a primary care physician that explains your rationale for the use of this medication with this client. Assume the physician does not know you and include properly cited references to support your assertion so he or she is convinced to accept your referral.
Additional Requirements Length: 2–3 pages of content plus title, abstract, and reference pages.
References: Include at least one current, scholarly reference from a peer-reviewed academic journal or academic book. References should be no older than 5 years.
Formatting: Use current APA formatting, including correct in-text citations, proper punctuation, double spacing throughout, proper headings and subheadings, no skipped lines before headings and subheadings, proper paragraph and block indentation, no bolding, and no bullets.
You must also use proper APA style to list your references. Refer to APA Style and Format (linked in Resources) for more information. Avoid stigmatizing language.