Suppose you work as a counselor in a crisis center. The agency for which you work tries to offer informational sessions presented by staff members on a regular basis. You have been asked to present at the next session, and your topic is the causes of depression. You must decide if you believe the causes of depression stem from biological factors or from cognitive-behavioral factors, present your perspective (either biological or cognitive-behavioral), your position, and provide evidence-based arguments to support your position.
To prepare for this, research the causes of depression that have been presented by experts. Links to several Web sites dedicated to the study of depression have been provided in the Suggested Resources for this assessment, along with a list of journal articles (Causes of Depression Resource List). Based on this research, decide which perspective you believe makes the most compelling argument.
In the Capella library, locate at least four peer-reviewed articles that support your position. You may use two of the articles from the resource list provided, but at least two additional resources must come from your own research.
In the real world, this type of presentation would likely use PowerPoint or a similar type of technology; however, for this assessment, format your presentation following APA guidelines. This gives you more practice and experience with the professional writing style of the field of psychology.
To help you organize your work, you may consider using the “Causes of Depression Analysis Worksheet” provided in the resources. Do not submit the worksheet as your assessment or with your assessment; this is provided solely to assist you in organizing and writing your assessment.
Requirements
Prepare a 3–5 page presentation on the causes of depression in which you first identify the perspective you have chosen, and then:
Analyze the research that caused you to choose the perspective you did.
Explain the main arguments presented in the research.
Describe the evidence used in the research to support the main arguments. In other words, what evidence did the researchers use to support their perspective?
Identify any assumptions made by the researchers.
Describe the conclusions or findings of the research.
Explain how the research findings might influence the way psychology professionals view depression. Be sure you consider both accepting and rejecting the findings.
Support your position with credible, scholarly information.