This week, please focus on the pharmacological (drug) treatment of your selected disorder. Other modes of treatment are not the focus of our class. For instance, papers that discuss psychotherapy, other than in passing, will not be given credit. In your paper, please be sure that the following aspects of your topic are discussed:
- Describe the critical classes of drugs used to treat your selected disorder. A “class” of drug usually indicates the drug’s mechanism of action (how the drug exerts is pharmacological effects on the body). Be sure to explain why this class of drugs or classes of drugs would be helpful in treating your selected disorder by describing the action of these drugs on the neurotransmitter system(s) involved in the disease process. Within each class of drug, there will be one or more drugs available on the market for use in clinical management, and examples of these should be included in your discussion.
- Analyze and describe the agonist-antagonist activity of the drugs, and the receptor types and subtypes on which the drugs will exert their pharmacological action. Indicate if these drugs will reverse or slow the disease process, or if they will only help ameliorate symptoms.
- Close your paper with an analysis of the risk-benefit of drug use for your selected disorder. Include a discussion of how the drug class(es) would be typically used, what expected benefits would be obtained from drug use, and what common drug side effects might occur.
Please research a minimum of three peer-reviewed or scholarly articles published within the last 5 to 10 years. and should focus on the pharmacological (drug) treatment of your selected disorder. These sources should provide evidence-based information to help support your analysis, focusing on the aspects described above. Be sure to cite your sources in your paper and include them on your References page. You may utilize required or recommended course materials in your work, but these will not count towards the reference requirements; however, you may cite and reference the American Psychiatric Association’s (2013) DSM-5 as one of your sources used for the grading credit.
The paper:
- Must be four double-spaced pages in length, excluding title page and references page, and it must be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Writing Center.Links to an external site.
- Must include a title page with the following:
- Title of paper
- Your name
- Course name and number
- Your instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
- Must use at least three peer-reviewed or scholarly sources published within the last 5 to 10 years. You may utilize required or recommended course materials in your work, but these will not count towards the reference requirements; however, you may cite and reference the American Psychiatric Association’s (2013) DSM-5 as one of your sources used for the grading credit.
- Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Writing Center.
- Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Writing Center.
Textbook: Advokat, C. D., Comaty, J. E., & Julien, R. M. (2018). Julien’s primer of drug action: A comprehensive guide to the actions, uses, and side effects of psychoactive drugs (14th ed.). Worth Publishers.
- Chapter 4: Epidemiology and Neurobiology of Addiction.
- Chapter 5: Ethyl Alcohol and the Inhalants of Abuse
- Chapter 6: Caffeine and Nicotine
