722.675 Nursing with a Mental Health Focus Assessment 1 Essay Brief 2026 | MIT

722.675 Assessment 1 Brief

Assessment Instructions

This assessment  is a 2000 word written essay.  You must include an introduction, conclusion and body paragraphs.

Choose one mental disorder from the list below that is commonly encountered in New Zealand and respond to the following topics:

• Discuss contextual factors (e.g., socioeconomic status, cultural identity, systemic inequities) that might impact the mental health of service users, whānau, and communities in relation to the your chosen disorder.
• Describe the pathophysiology of your chosen disorder, integrating current evidence-informed knowledge.
• Apply evidence-informed knowledge to describe and discuss commonly used psychopharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments used to manage the disorder, including mechanisms of action, side effects, and considerations for Māori and Pacific populations.
• Discuss relevant New Zealand legislation that governs mental health care. Include the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992, and how it  applies to your chosen disorder.

Support your discussion with peer-reviewed literature, government reports, and local health data. Consider implications for nursing practice, especially in culturally safe, strengths based, holistic and recovery-oriented care.

Suggested Mental Health Disorders:

• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar Disorder
• Major Depressive Disorder
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Substance Use Disorders
• Eating Disorders

*Other disorders can be negotiated with the mental health team

Structuring Your Essay

Begin with an introduction that clearly states your chosen disorder and outlines the scope of your discussion.

Organise your essay into logical sections that follow the assessment tasks:

o Pathophysiology
o Care and Treatment
o Contextual Factors
o Legislation

Use clear topic sentences for each paragraph and link ideas with transition phrases.

End with a conclusion that summarizes key points and briefly notes implications for culturally safe nursing practice.

Integrating Cultural Considerations

When discussing treatments, include specific considerations for Māori and Pacific populations, such as:  o How cultural beliefs may influence treatment choices.

o The importance of whānau involvement and holistic care models. When addressing contextual factors, consider systemic inequities and cultural identity as part of your analysis.

Use evidence from local health data, , and culturally responsive frameworks to support your discussion.

Linking Legislation And Context

Explain how legislation protects service user rights and supports culturally safe care.

Provide examples of how these laws apply in practice (e.g., compulsory treatment processes, Te Tiriti obligations in care planning).

Formatting:   

Your written essay should be set out as follows:

1. Size 12 Arial font
2. Line spacing 1.5
3. ID number in HEADER left alignment
4. Add your actual word count in FOOTER right alignment

References:   

You need to include academic references (APA 7^th ed.) Around 7-10 references is expected. A reference list must be included (this is not included in your word count).

AI Use:

The use of GenAI in this assessment is not permitted. Any suspected use of these tools may result in an investigation for Academic Misconduct in accordance with the MIT Ākonga Policy. Editing tools such as Grammarly and Microsoft Word Editor are permitted for checking grammatical errors and clarity only. It is good practice to save your drafts as you go so you can demonstrate your work is your own.

Plagiarism:  

Assessments are submitted through Turnitin which checks for plagiarism or use of AI generated work. Ākonga are recommended to review their similarity score prior to final submission. Scores of <50 are generally acceptable. Use Turnitin to check your work for similarity (plagiarism). You can resubmit twice before your final submission.  See Student Regulations about Misconduct in Assessment if unsure.

Extensions:

Extensions can be granted for up to one week and must be requested prior to the assessment submission date using the correct form on the assessments tab on canvas. Contact the lecturer for this course if there are any questions or concerns. Note: essays are not accepted by email.

722.675 Assessment Criteria

Total Marks (60)