Essays - Cohort 15
You will need to submit two essays during the course.
For details of how to submit these pieces of work, please see more information here.
CBT for Depression PYCM038
Submission date: Monday 7th March 2022 by 1pm
Word limit: 3,750
NB marking will stop at this word limit and work exceeding this limit will therefore not receive credit
Essay title:
“To what extent does the efficacy of CBT for depression depend upon individual patient characteristics?”
Your answer should demonstrate an understanding of cognitive behavioural theory of depression, include reference to empirical studies and comment upon the implications for clinical practice and IAPT services.
CBT for Anxiety Disorders PYCM039
Submission date: Monday 20th June 2022 by 1pm
Word limit: 3,750
NB marking will stop at this word limit and work exceeding this limit will therefore not receive credit
Essay Title:
“Safety behaviours maintain anxiety disorders and should be the primary target for change in CBT.”
Critically evaluate this statement with reference to theory, empirical literature, and the implications for both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and clinical practice in IAPT services. Please illustrate your argument with reference to one or two specific anxiety disorders. Having read the literature you may decide that you agree with this statement, disagree with the statement or remain in two minds - whatever your conclusion, we expect you to support your argument with evidence from empirical studies. You may also wish to draw on clinical examples.
Essay Guidelines
You will be assessed on the following dimensions:
| *Interpretation of title |
|---|
| Marks will be awarded for your ability to answer the essay question posed. Therefore ensure you read the essay question clearly and that you understand it; if not ask. In order to pass this section you will need to clearly address all elements of the essay question. |
| *Understanding of theory |
| Marks will be awarded where you demonstrate a clear understanding of relevant theory and the ability to apply this understanding to answer the essay question. |
| *Critical analysis |
| Marks will be awarded where you demonstrate an ability to not only pull together relevant information but also to analyse this critically, for example weighing it against evidence that does not fit with the point you are making and demonstrating a thoughtful reflective approach or commenting on the rigor of the evidence cited. You should clearly differentiate your own opinions from those critiques reported from the work of other authors. |
| *Summary of arguments & implications |
| Marks will be awarded where you demonstrate an ability to summarise your arguments and comment on the implications they may have for clinical practice and or future research. The essay should not be a purely theoretical exercise and it is important that you demonstrate your ability to apply your conclusions to the broader context within which you are working. |
| Use of sources |
| You need to ensure that the points you make are backed up by relevant literature. We would expect you to use a wide source of references e.g. journals, books and websites. An absolute minimum of 10 references would be the norm. |
| Structure & style |
| Marks will be awarded for a well-structured essay. The essay should flow well with a clear introduction (including essay plan), middle and end. Make use of summaries to help the reader through your arguments. Think about what point you are making and why, make your point and where available support it with evidence, and then reflect and summarise the point. Be mindful of your use of language both the use of colloquialisms and jargon. Where appropriate you may use diagrams, tables and bullet points. These should be used to aid clarity. If used, subheadings should relate to subsequent material presented and help to structure your essay. If used, appendices and footnotes should be used appropriately and not to help with word count. Key information needs to be in the main body of the text. Appendices should be clearly referred to and labelled and come after the reference section. |
| References |
| References should conform to APA (7th Edition) both in text and at the end of your essay (see University guidance). Please check references in terms of accuracy and consistency and ensure that all citations in the text are referred to in the reference section. Minor errors with referencing will not impact on the overall mark, however disregard for APA referencing, or severe departures from APA, may impact the overall mark. |
| Spelling, grammar, typographical errors and presentation |
| Work should be double spaced and page-numbered. Work should be comprehensible and so please check for typographical, grammatical and spelling errors. Where possible ask someone else to proof read your essay before submitting. If you need support in this area please use the study skills department. |
| Word count |
| Word count excludes: essay title, tables, figures, headings for tables/figures, the reference list, and appendices. All other words are counted. Work exceeding this limit will not be marked and will not receive credit. |
* Indicates a key area; failure on more than one of these areas is likely to result in an overall fail.
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