Personal Account Paper: Each student will deepen their understanding of the experience of
mental health challenges by reading a personal account of someone who has adapted to/coped
with a mental health disorder and/or life experience that impacted their emotional well-being.
Appendix A in the syllabus outlines/describes many books. These are the suggested books for
the course. If a student would like to choose a different first-person account other than those
listed, they should speak with the instructor to gain approval. The student should plan to present
a clear rationale for wishing to use an alternative book. The paper should be approximately 5
pages in length and in APA format. It should include the following four sections/headings:
1. Mental Health/Well-Being: Discuss the mental health challenges described in the
personal account. In some cases, a mental health diagnosis is not identified, and the focus
of the book is on the individual’s identity or life experience that may impact their well-
being. If a mental health diagnosis is identified, provide a brief discussion of how you
now understand the diagnosis. This does not include a list of symptoms from the DSM 5,
but rather a discussion about the general experiences of people diagnosed with the
specific mental illness. Symptoms of the disorder and how they manifest/impact daily
functioning must be explored.
2. Life Impact: A discussion of how the author experienced the challenge/life
experience/mental illness. What was the impact of living with the challenge/life
experience/mental health disorder. Discuss the impact on relationships, education,
employment, well-being, hopes/dreams, and sense of self?
3. Environmental Response: A discussion of how the world (environment – family,
friends, school, employers, community-based services, medical professionals, etc.)
responded to the person with the life experience/challenge/identity/mental illness.
Explore how mental health stigma and inaccurate assumptions impact the life experiences
of someone with a specific life experience/identity/mental health disorder. Identify
limitations in our mental health system of care and where there are inadequate services,
support systems, and policies.
4. Personal and Professional Impact: A discussion of the impact the book had on you
professionally and/or personally. How did this narrative inform your social work practice.
Did it change the way you might understand and engage an individual/family/group
living with this life experience/identity/challenge/diagnosis?