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Assignment Brief: The assignment is a research proposal, written in a report format which will be used in preparation for your dissertation. You are required to choose a topic of your interest The topic chosen must be relevant for health and social care There should be a clear rationale for the choice, with background detail, such as policy. You will show an overview of the literature you have searched, with an initial critical overview of findings; including consideration of further literature to be examined. The proposal should contain the following: Aims of the study / background or context of the study / an outline of choices of methodology and methods / including an overview of different approaches such as qualitative and quantitative / an outline of the literature review process and brief account of the findings / an account of research ethics and importance for health and social care. An appendix should be included which show a table with the literature reviewed, a completed ethics form, any research tools / letters of consent A plan of how you will use the time to complete your dissertation will also be beneficial

Learning Outcomes Assessed: LO1: Demonstrate an awareness of historic and contemporary concepts of mental health. LO2: Develop a critical understanding of common mental health and enduring mental health issues and critically analyse contemporary approaches and interventions in mental health care LO3: Critically analyse and evaluate the national policy and mental health legislation. LO4: Demonstrate a critical understanding of the impact and of the wider social and socio-economic factors which can influence mental health. Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) Applications in this Assessment Category A AI Status Application Notes Category A No GAI tool is permitted. While grammar and/or spell checkers may be used to correct individual words and sentences, the use of GAI is not allowed. This is because the learning outcomes require you to produce original assessment work without any GAI assistance Any GAI generated content which is presented as your own original work and is not acknowledged will be assessed for academic misconduct. Assessment Task: Produce a 3200-word essay in which you discuss the contemporary concepts of mental health and mental health illness. You need to demonstrate an awareness of historic and contemporary concepts of mental health and mental illness and how this has shifted in modern times. (LO1) You are expected to provide a relevant and justified diagnosis of a patient (select ONE case study only). You will need to explore the presenting problem and describe how the symptoms align with the diagnostic criteria from either the DSM-5 or ICD-11. (LO2) You will also need to explore the possible causes for the mental illness (presenting problem) given the evidence supplied. (LO2) Additionally, you are expected to explore the wider social and economic factors that may influence mental health of the patient. (LO4) You will also need to research possible treatments, interventions and support for the patient. (LO2) Following this, you will need to evaluate at least 3 national policies and mental health legislations and provide a critical analysis of how they may support the patient. (LO3) Declaration: At the end of the assessment, you should also include a declaration of any software tools including Generative AI (GAI) applications that you used in developing and completing the assessment. Minimum Secondary Research Source Requirements: Level HE6 – It is expected that the Reference List will contain between fifteen to twenty sources. As a MINIMUM the Reference List should include three refereed academic journals and five academic books. Case studies: Choose ONE from the following Case study 1: Jared Patient profile: Name: Jared Williams Age: 23 Gender: male Ethnicity: African-Caribbean Occupation: university student Marital status: single Living situation: alone (university residence) Patient history: Family history: uncle has schizophrenia, cousin has substance addiction issues. Jared has no significant physical health issues. Occasional use of over-the-counter medications for headaches (which have become more frequent due to stress). No prior diagnosis of mental health conditions. Initial signs of social withdrawal and academic decline began two years ago but were initially attributed to stress. Recent events: He is usually very organised and popular and has many close friends. He enjoyed socialising with them at the local pub. He has a good relationship with his sister, Marie, and both of his parents. He enjoys playing tennis at is local club every Sunday afternoon (he has been doing this since he was 14 years old). He is quite well-known at the club and has started to inspire other younger players, so he had decided to start teaching an introduction to tennis class before he plays his matches each Sunday. In the last two months, Jared has been become quite stressed as his student loan has been delayed and he has had to quit his part-time job due to his studying commitments. So, he has increased financial pressure. Over the last two years, Jared has become quite withdrawn. His friends noted they have not seen him for a few weeks. Jared noted that he has been studying a lot and has not showered for a week and has not been sleeping well. He reported that, on average, he is only able to sleep after midnight and is up again at 4am. He told his sister that the university professors are out to get me and are punishing me (for his poor academic performance) by spiking his beers at the pub with substances that impact his thinking. When he told Marie, his speech was very disorganised and frantic. He noted that he believed that the professors spiked his drinks to encourage him to leave the pub early so that he can study and prepare for class. He also stated that his apartment has been bugged by his physics professor who is watching him study and talks to him while he sleeps, saying that Jared will never be successful and that he needs to work harder and to stay home to study. Jared has been repeatedly searching for the bugs and has been very clumsy. His home is a mess with furniture overturned and pictures pulled off the walls. Jared has recently found no joy in playing tennis and has stopped teaching his youth class on Sundays. He now spends his Sundays at home looking for the bugs in his apartment. He is now very unorganised and at times is unable to speak coherently. Marie is worried as Jareds academic marks have been dropping. Jared justified this by saying that his professors have watched him study and are not pleased with his progress and are punishing him for not studying well. OR Case study 2: Ivy Patient profile: Name: Ivy Roberts Age: 48 Gender: female Ethnicity: white Occupation: teacher Marital status: single Living situation: alone (lives in a rented apartment) Patient history: Family history: twin sister and mother have been diagnosed with MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) No significant past medical conditions or mental health disorders. Occasional use of over-the-counter sleep aids due to insomnia. Recent events: Ivy was married to Robert (her high school boyfriend) but got divorced when she was 35 years old. Since the divorce, she has lived alone with a few on-and-off relationships. She has no children. 9 months ago, her boyfriend, of a year, ended their relationship which marked the beginning of her behavioural changes. Ivy has many close friends (teachers from the school and from her community) and she is very close to her grandmother and twin sister. She has tea with her grandmother every Saturday. When her brother died in a car accident 5 years ago, she kept his cat for a companion. Ivy works really hard and has recently been promoted to head of the English department and manages a few members of staff. She has had to work additional hours and has an increased workload due to staff shortages which has made her feel overwhelmed and underappreciated. She also runs an English and Drama club for enthusiastic students after school on most days. Over the past 7 months, she has reported that she persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness and hopelessness. At times, she finds herself crying in the shower without an identifiable cause. She has also lost interest in her English and Drama club and allows the students to watch movies instead of interacting with them. Additionally, she has stopped socialising with her colleagues and friends. She has lost interest in reading and painting, which she previously enjoyed. Ivy also told her sister that she has had difficulty in concentrating during her lessons and in preparing her lesson materials. Another English teacher has noticed a decline in her work performance as well. Ivy has recurring thoughts of being a failure and that she is unworthy of happiness. She has recently had thoughts of dying (but without a specific plan or intent). Ivy has gotten a lot of attention from her crush as she has recently lost 15pounds of weight over the last year. She noted that she has been lucky as she just does not feel like eating most days. She has started to skip lunch times where she would normally have lunch breaks with her colleagues. Her twin sister has noted that Ivy has been avoiding her calls and has stopped going to family gatherings, even seeing her grandmother on Saturdays. She has also declined many dates and invitations from friends to go out. Sometimes, Ivy suffers from insomnia and has reported that she has difficulty in falling asleep, which has made her feel very tired during the day. She has lower energy levels, leading to a sense of physical heaviness and difficulty completing daily tasks. Ivy has stopped engaging in classroom activities and academic discussions with the students and is now relying on old materials instead of developing new content. She has also started to avoid taking regular showers and wearing the same clothes multiple days in a row. OR Case study 3: Harold Patient profile: Name: Harold Sharma Age: 82 Gender: male Ethnicity: South Asian Occupation: retired accountant Marital status: married Living situation: lives with his wife in their family home Patient history: Family history: unknown Hypertension, type two diabetes and mild hearing loss. Occasional use of over-the-counter headache pills. Recent events: Harold was born in a small town in England and was the eldest of 5 children. He remains very close to siblings (who are all alive). He was always academically inclined and studied to be a charted accountant. At university, he met his wife, Amala. They married shortly after and have been together for over 60 years. Harold has 3 adult children with his wife Amala,12 grandchildren and a great-grand child on the way. The children and their families all live within an hour travel distance from Harold and Amalas family home. Harold and Amala have had a strong, loving relationship. They have weathered the ups and downs of life together, including raising 3 children and supporting each other through various health challenges. Amala has been Harolds primary source of emotional support throughout their marriage. Harold had a very successful career as an accountant working for a large firm in the city. He was known for his meticulous attention to detail and strong work ethic. He eventually became a senior partner in the firm, a position he held until his retirement at age 65. After retirement, Harold and Amala enjoyed traveling together, visiting countries in Europe, Asia, and North America. Harold had a particular passion for history and often spent time reading about different cultures and historical events. They also enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren, who visited frequently. Harold enjoyed gardening and spent many hours tending to the flowers and vegetables in his garden. He also liked playing chess and was a member of a local chess club. He often played with his children and grandchildren, teaching them the strategies of the game. However, he has recently had some difficulty in concentrating and has stopped playing chess altogether. Harold and Amala have a close-knit group of friends, many of whom they have known for decades. They frequently hosted dinner parties and attended social events within their community. However, Harold has become more withdrawn and less willing to engage in social events. Over the past 2 years, Harolds family have noticed a gradual decline in his memory and cognitive abilities. Amala reports that he has become increasingly forgetful, often misplacing items and forgetting recent conversations. He has also struggled with managing their finances, a task he once excelled at as a former accountant. Recently, he has started having difficulty recognising familiar people, including occasionally confusing his children with other relatives. Additionally, his personality has also changed; he has become more irritable and easily frustrated, especially when faced with complex tasks. Harolds grandson, Tim, also noted during a visit that Harold had placed the toaster in the fridge and the butter in the dish washer. Additionally, Harold has also had difficulty with his speech and often gets confused about time and place.