PSYCO6053 Psychology of Mental Health and Mental Illness Continuous Assessment 1, 2026 | TUS
PSYCO6053 Continuous Assessment 1
Case Study: Recovery-Oriented Approach in Mental Health Service Delivery Background
Maria, a 35-year-old woman, has been living with schizophrenia for over a decade. She has experienced repeated hospitalisations, periods of homelessness, unemployment, and social isolation. Maria has felt disempowered within the mental health system, describing herself as “just another case.” Side effects from antipsychotic medications have often left her tired and disengaged.
Maria enjoys art, using it as a form of self-expression and coping, but engagement fluctuates during relapses. Her family relationships are strained, and she lacks stable housing. She has recently been referred to a community mental health service using a recoveryoriented approach, which prioritises her strengths, preferences, and active involvement in treatment decisions. The multidisciplinary team includes mental health nurses, social workers, peer support workers, and a psychiatrist.
Assessment Task
Instructions
Select either of these recovery principles :
- Centrality of Lived Experience, or
- Co-Production of Recovery-Promoting Services
For your chosen principle, address all four sections below. Explicitly link the principle to recovery values (e.g., trust, compassion, empowerment) and critically reflect on professional and ethical considerations.
Note: You only need to focus on one principle for this assignment. Depth of critical analysis is more important than breadth.
For the chosen principle, answer the following:
| Element | Response |
| Definition and
Theoretical Basis |
Centrality of Lived Experience: Explain what it means to place Maria’s lived experience at the centre of care. Cite at least 4/5 scholarly sources, recovery literature, and Irish policy.
Co-Production of Recovery-Promoting Services: Explain what coproduction means: working as equal partners with service users, family, carers, and professionals. Cite at least 4/5 scholarly sources, recovery literature, and Irish policy.
|
| Relevance and Importance for Maria’s Recovery | Explain why this principle is critical for her journey, linking to her strengths, experiences, and recovery values.
Centrality of lived experience: Analyse how attending to Maria’s values, preferences, goals, and strengths (e.g., art, family, social needs) supports her recovery journey. Include evidence of effectiveness where possible. Co-Production of Recovery-Promoting Service: Analyse how actively involving Maria (and others if relevant) in planning, delivering, and evaluating her care supports recovery. Highlight empowerment, engagement, and outcomes. Note: Ensure discussion is distinct from practical demonstration to avoid repetition. |
| Principles in Action |
Centrality of lived experience: Describe specific ways staff can respond to Maria’s lived experience (listening, adapting care, strengths-based approaches).
Co-Production of Recovery-Promoting Service: Describe practical strategies for co-production: shared decision-making, joint care planning, collaborative interventions, feedback mechanisms. Include ethical and professional considerations. |
| Challenges and
Tensions |
Centrality of lived experience: Identify potential challenges in centering lived experience (e.g., disengagement, communication difficulties, systemic constraints). Discuss strategies to address them with evidence/policy support.
Co-Production of Recovery-Promoting Service: Identify potential challenges in co-production (e.g., balancing professional expertise with Maria’s choices, risk management, tokenistic involvement). Suggest evidence-informed strategies and policy-informed solutions. |
Guidelines
Word Allocation (2000 words max, +/-10%)
| Section | Approx. Words | Notes |
| Introduction | 150–200 | Context, purpose, overview of principle and recovery values |
| Chosen
Principle |
1600 | Covers definition/theory, relevance, practical strategies, challenges/tensions. Ensure approx. 400–500 words per subsection to balance depth. |
| Conclusion | 150–200 | Summary of insights, implications, reflections |
| References /
Appendices |
N/A | Screenshots of reading evidence; not counted in word limit |
Reference and Submission Requirements
- Support your essay with relevant recovery-oriented literature.
- Cite sources discussing recovery principles, person-centered care, strengths-based approaches, and empowerment.
- Use Harvard referencing style.
- Include screenshots of sources in an appendix AFTER the reference list to demonstrate reading (not AI-generated).
- Submissions without supporting literature will not be considered complete and cannot be graded until the evidence is provided.
- Proof-read for typographical errors.
- Complete the Student Plagiarism Declaration Form A1 and the disclosure regarding the use of AI.
- Submit via Moodle using the provided front page (Appendix 1).
- If you have any queries, please contact naughton@tus.ie
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PSYCO6053 CA 1 Marking Rubric
| Criterion | Excellent (70–100%) | Good (60–69%) | Satisfactory (50–59%) | Needs Improvement (40–49%) | Fail (0–39%) | Weight (%) | Score
|
| Definition and
Theoretical Basis |
Clearly explains the chosen principle, theoretical basis, and policy relevance. Integrates at least 4–5 scholarly sources. Shows deep understanding of recovery literature and Irish policy. | Explains principle and theory clearly, but some links to policy or research may be partial. Uses 3–4 sources. | Provides basic description of principle, limited theoretical explanation.
Few references. |
Weak explanation, unclear theory, limited or inappropriate references. | No coherent explanation
or theoretical understanding. |
25% | |
| Relevance and
Importance for Maria’s Recovery |
Insightful analysis of how principle supports Maria’s recovery. Explicitly links to values (trust, compassion, empowerment) and her strengths/needs. Evidencebased discussion. Integrates at least 4–5 scholarly sources. | Analysis is clear but depth or evidence may be limited. Some connection to Maria’s experience and recovery values. | Mostly descriptive; limited analysis; weak connection to Maria’s situation or values. | Superficial or inaccurate discussion; minimal link to recovery values or Maria’s experience. | No meaningful discussion of application to Maria. | 25% | |
| Principle in Action | Provides specific, realistic, and actionable examples of applying the principle in practice. Includes ethical/professional considerations. | Gives practical examples; some may be generic or less developed.
Ethical/professional reflection present but limited. |
Basic examples; mostly descriptive; minimal professional or ethical consideration. | Weak, unclear, or unrealistic examples; lacks
professional/ethical reflection. |
No practical application or professional insight evident. | 20% | |
| Challenges and Tensions | Critically evaluates challenges, risks, or tensions in applying the principle. Provides evidence-based strategies and policy-informed solutions. | Evaluates challenges and strategies, but depth or critical reflection may be limited. | Identifies challenges but limited critical evaluation or evidence to support strategies. | Mentions challenges superficially; weak or inaccurate evaluation. | No evaluation of challenges or strategies. | 20% | |
| Structure,
Clarity, and Referencing |
Well-structured, clear, and concise.
All sources are correctly referenced and supported with screenshots or copies of literature used. Demonstrates clear engagement with module readings. |
Clear structure; minor errors in referencing or formatting.
|
Basic structure; some referencing errors or inconsistencies.
|
Poor structure; frequent referencing errors; screenshots missing or incomplete.
|
Unclear, disorganised, or incomplete; referencing missing.
|
10% | |
| Total Score /100 | 100% |
Assignment Cover Sheet
| Department of Social Sciences Faculty of Science & Health | |
| Programme Title and Year
|
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care Practice |
| Module name
|
Psychology of Mental Health and Mental Illness
PSYC06053 |
| Lecturer name | Dr Bernadette Naughton |
| Student name
|
|
| Student number | |
| Assessment component
|
Continuous Assessment o
Project o Practical o |
| Weighting (%) | 20 |
| Assignment name | |
| Plagiarism declaration | By uploading this document, I confirm that the attached assignment is original and represents all my own work. o
|
| Date of submission | |
| Signature | |