| Course | PSY 275 Introduction to Abnormal Psychology (PSY/275) |
|---|---|
| Week | 4 |
| Paper type | Psychotic and substance use disorder paper |
| Length | about 1,025 words, 4 double-spaced pages plus title page and references |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | University of Phoenix |
| Program | BS in Psychology |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PSY 275 Week 4
A First Episode and a Habit That Grew: Psychosis and Substance Use in Two Young Adults
[Student Name]
University of Phoenix
PSY/275: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology
Week 4 Assignment
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The two people described are composites written for a model paper; research findings come from the sources listed.
Schizophrenia and substance use disorders are among the most stigmatized conditions in psychology, and both often begin between the late teens and the mid-twenties. Understanding them requires attention to the brain, to life experience and to the social settings people live in. This paper compares two composite cases in Arizona to show how clinicians identify each condition, what drives it and what recovery looks like.
Case One: Eli
Eli is twenty and attends community college in Prescott. Over the past five months his grades have fallen and he has stopped seeing friends. For the last two months he has become convinced that classmates are secretly recording him to post online, and he hears a voice commenting on what he does. He speaks less, shows little emotion and has stopped showering regularly. His parents brought him to a clinic after he covered his dorm window with foil.
Matching Eli's Symptoms
Schizophrenia involves positive symptoms, such as delusions, fixed false beliefs, and hallucinations, perceptions without a real source; disorganized speech or behavior; and negative symptoms, such as reduced motivation, speech and emotional expression. The diagnosis calls for signs of the illness lasting six months or longer without a break, including active symptoms for at least a month. Eli has delusions, auditory hallucinations and negative symptoms, with signs of decline starting five months ago. Because his total duration is under six months, schizophreniform disorder would fit now, with a diagnosis of schizophrenia considered if symptoms persist. A clinician would also rule out substance-induced psychosis and medical causes.
Schizophrenia is not a split or multiple personality, a common confusion; it involves a break from reality, not separate identities.
Understanding Causes
Insel (2010) described schizophrenia as a neurodevelopmental disorder in which brain changes begin long before the first psychotic episode, with subtle cognitive and social difficulties often appearing earlier, and argued for earlier detection and intervention. Genetic risk is substantial, but environmental factors also contribute, including complications around birth, urban upbringing, migration, adversity and heavy cannabis use in adolescence. Eli's decline in school and withdrawal before his psychotic symptoms fit the description of an early warning phase.
Early, Team-Based Treatment
Kane et al. (2016) evaluated a team-based early treatment program in community clinics in many states. Compared with usual care, people in the team-based program, which combined carefully managed medication, individual therapy, family education and help returning to school or work, stayed in treatment longer and showed greater improvement in quality of life and symptoms, with the largest benefits for those who began treatment soon after symptoms started. For Eli, a referral to such a program would offer the best chance of recovery.
Case Two: Tasha
Tasha is twenty-four and works at a distribution warehouse in Phoenix. After a back injury two years ago, she was prescribed opioid pain medication. When the prescription ended, she began buying pills from a coworker and now takes more than she intends, has tried and failed to cut down, feels sick when she goes without and has missed shifts. She recently borrowed money from her sister without explaining why.
Matching Tasha's Symptoms
Substance use disorders are diagnosed by a pattern of problematic use leading to impairment, with criteria such as taking larger amounts than planned, failed attempts to cut back, strong urges, failing obligations, continued use despite problems, tolerance and withdrawal. Tasha meets several of these, suggesting a moderate to severe opioid use disorder.
Tasha did not decide to become dependent; she took what was prescribed, and her brain adapted faster than her plans did.
How Addiction Changes the Brain
Volkow et al. (2016) summarized research showing that repeated drug use changes brain circuits involved in reward, stress and self-control: everyday rewards lose their pull, stress systems become more reactive during withdrawal and control circuits weaken, making it harder to resist cravings even when a person wants to stop. They also emphasized that social and environmental factors shape who develops addiction and who recovers. This research explains Tasha's loss of control without reducing it to weak character.
Treatment for Tasha
Medications approved for treating opioid addiction, including buprenorphine and methadone, reduce cravings and withdrawal and lower the risk of overdose; they are most effective combined with counseling and support. Cognitive behavioral approaches help her recognize triggers, and motivational interviewing can strengthen her own reasons for change. Naloxone, which reverses overdoses, should be available to her and her family. Addressing her back pain with nonopioid treatments matters too, since untreated pain can drive relapse.
Where the Two Conditions Meet
The two cases are not entirely separate topics. Substance use is common among people with psychotic disorders, and some substances, such as stimulants and high-potency cannabis, can trigger psychotic symptoms. A clinician assessing Eli would ask about drug use, and one treating Tasha would watch for mood or psychotic symptoms. Integrated treatment, in which one team addresses both mental health and substance use, generally works better than sending people to separate programs.
The Role of Families
Families often notice changes first. Eli's parents saw his withdrawal and the foil on his window; Tasha's sister noticed borrowed money and missed family dinners. Family education helps relatives understand the condition, respond calmly and support treatment without blame. For Eli, family sessions are part of coordinated specialty care; for Tasha, family training approaches can help her sister encourage treatment.
Stigma and Recovery
Both Eli and Tasha face stigma that can delay treatment. People with schizophrenia are often wrongly assumed to be violent, and people with substance use disorders are often blamed. Research supports recovery for both: many people with first-episode psychosis return to school or work with early care, and many people with opioid use disorder achieve long-term recovery with medication and support.
Conclusion
Eli's delusions, hallucinations and negative symptoms fit a schizophrenia spectrum condition that research frames as developmental and responsive to early, coordinated care. Tasha's escalating use, withdrawal and loss of control fit an opioid use disorder explained by brain changes in reward and control, treatable with medication and counseling. For both, early treatment, family involvement and respectful language support recovery.
References
Insel, T. R. (2010). Rethinking schizophrenia. Nature, 468(7321), 187-193. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09552
Kane, J. M., Robinson, D. G., Schooler, N. R., Mueser, K. T., Penn, D. L., Rosenheck, R. A., Addington, J., Brunette, M. F., Correll, C. U., Estroff, S. E., Marcy, P., Robinson, J., Meyer-Kalos, P. S., Gottlieb, J. D., Glynn, S. M., Lynde, D. W., Pipes, R., Kurian, B. T., Miller, A. L., . . . Heinssen, R. K. (2016). Comprehensive versus usual community care for first-episode psychosis: 2-year outcomes from the NIMH RAISE Early Treatment Program. American Journal of Psychiatry, 173(4), 362-372. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.15050632
Volkow, N. D., Koob, G. F., & McLellan, A. T. (2016). Neurobiologic advances from the brain disease model of addiction. New England Journal of Medicine, 374(4), 363-371. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1511480
What the PSY 275 Week 4 instructions ask
Week 4 assignments in PSY 275 commonly ask students to explain schizophrenia spectrum disorders and substance use disorders, including symptoms, causes and treatment. Students often describe positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, negative symptoms such as reduced motivation, the course of illness and the role of early intervention, then explain how substances affect the brain, what defines a substance use disorder and which treatments have evidence. Some versions ask about stigma, about co-occurring conditions or about how families can help. Use precise symptom language, explain causes as interactions rather than single factors and describe treatments with outcome evidence. Cite course readings and peer-reviewed research in APA style, using person-first language such as "a person with schizophrenia."
How this PSY 275 Week 4 example is built
The worked paper follows Eli, a college student who has become convinced classmates are recording him and hears a voice commenting on his actions, and Tasha, who began taking prescribed opioids after a back injury and now buys pills illegally and has missed work. Eli's symptoms are compared with schizophreniform disorder and schizophrenia, and research framing schizophrenia as a developmental brain disorder with early warning signs explains the case. A large trial of coordinated specialty care for first-episode psychosis shows the value of early, team-based treatment. Research on addiction as changes in brain reward and control circuits explains Tasha's loss of control, and medication with counseling anchors her plan. A section on where the two conditions overlap and how families help closes the comparison.
PSY 275 Week 4 grading rubric: where the points go
Instructors grading this week look for accurate symptom terms, correct use of duration criteria and explanations of cause that combine biological, psychological and social factors. Strong papers describe early intervention and evidence-based treatment, address stigma and recognize that recovery is possible for both conditions. Credit goes to distinguishing similar diagnoses, to recent research and to respectful language. APA format and organized sections complete the paper. Graders also notice whether the writer considers co-occurring problems, such as depression or substance use alongside psychosis, and whether treatment plans include families and practical supports like housing, school and work, which strongly affect recovery.
PSY 275 Week 4 help: mistakes to avoid
A common mistake is confusing schizophrenia with dissociative identity disorder or describing it as a split personality. Another is presenting addiction as a simple failure of willpower, ignoring research on brain changes and on effective medications. Students also skip duration criteria, labeling a brief episode as schizophrenia too early, or omit co-occurring conditions such as depression. Some papers use stigmatizing language like "addict" or "schizophrenic." Use precise terms, check timelines, explain causes as interactions and describe recovery-oriented care. Describe what recovery would look like for each person. A tutor can help you organize two cases into one clear comparison.
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PSY 275 Week 4 questions, answered
What does PSY 275 Week 4 usually cover?
It usually covers schizophrenia spectrum disorders and substance use disorders, including symptoms, causes, treatment and recovery.
Where can I find a free PSY 275 Week 4 sample paper?
The PSY 275 Week 4 paper comparing a first psychotic episode and an opioid use disorder is above, free.
What are positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
Positive symptoms add experiences, such as hallucinations and delusions; negative symptoms reduce functions, such as motivation and emotional expression.
What is coordinated specialty care?
Team-based early treatment for first-episode psychosis combining medication, therapy, family education and support for work or school.
Is addiction a brain disease?
Research shows substance use changes brain circuits for reward and self-control, though social and psychological factors also matter.
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