Capstone Project Proposal Draft

Name of student: Jordana Waugh Date: November 2022

Teacher: Ms. Nijar
Block: B

The Capstone strand I have chosen is Project Capstone.

Proposed title for my Project Proposal: How do evidence-based approaches improve mental health in
adolescents?

My inquiry question is: What are the most evidence-based approaches for improving adolescent
mental health? What can I learn from these approaches to improve my mental health? How do I
measure it?

Rationale/context: Detail your reasons for choosing this inquiry question. Explain WHY you are
choosing to investigate this topic as a major area of focus. How does this area of inquiry connect to
your passion(s), and purpose? Why is it of personal interest to you?
I want to become a child and youth psychologist after post-secondary. This topic will give me
a more robust insight into adolescents’ mental health and expand my knowledge in the area. In
addition, I am interested in improving my own mental health through this process and creating a
concrete routine to maintain my mood. I’m interested in children’s mental health/brains specifically
because they are highly impressionable. A negative thinking pattern as a child can translate into your
adult life and become generational. Improving mental health in adolescents can have an impact far
beyond their childhood.

Background: What background knowledge/connections/prior learning do you have in this area of

inquiry?
I have struggled with my mental health since grade six. I have been to doctors, psychologists,
and psychiatrists and continue to struggle with my mental health. I have learned the impact mental
health struggles can have over time and different methods and tools to improve my mood. I hope to
utilize evidence tools to create more consistency in my self-care.

Career connections: What is your intended career area at this point in time? What connections does
this inquiry question have to your life, academic and/ or career goals?
I want to be a child and youth psychologist. Implementing evidence-based approaches to
improving mental health in my life will hopefully improve my mood and create a stable routine.
Being able to regulate my anxiety and depression could help me in post-secondary and my career
when things become more challenging and stressful. I can rely on an effective routine I’ve created to
help me when I face inevitable adversities.

Interdisciplinary and core competencies connections: What subject areas and core competencies will
be connected with your project? Outline and explain the connections.

Personal and Social responsibility: In this project, I will focus on my personal well-being and
implement strategies to improve it. I can acknowledge my own challenges and advocate for help to
improve them.

Personal and Cultural identity: I value the quality of my mental health and prioritize it in my
day-to-day routine. Though my mental illness isn’t who I am, it is a big part of why I have specific
values, how I make decisions and other aspects of my life.

Capstone Presentation medium: select one or more project mediums you wish to use to present your
project. Outline and give details about how you will present your project once completed. You may
use a combination of mediums.
I will document my project with a combination of video and written diary entries. I will edit
the video clips into an imovie presentation and put together a journal in chronological order. In the
videos, I will document myself implementing strategies, and in the written journal, I will record my
feelings while using them.

Description of my Capstone project. Specific Project Details of the Capstone Project: what will you
research, create, study, produce, solve, investigate? What product will be produced at the end of this
project for evaluation. Write a one-page description outlining your proposal.

I will be researching evidence-based approaches proven to improve adolescents’ mental

health. In addition, I will also research tools without empirical support to compare and contrast.
I will research behavioural activation, cognitive restructuring, cognitive defusion,
problem-solving and journaling. With the help of my mentor, I will narrow down what to study and
gain better insight into the most used and effective tools. Once I have a list of tools, I will begin to
implement them.
I will narrow it down to six of the most effective approaches, and from those six, I will pick
two evidenced-based and two unsupported methods to implement personally every two weeks. Each
method will layer on top of the other to create a concrete routine by the end of eight weeks. I will
compare and contrast tools with evidence and those without to see if I find a difference in
effectiveness, Throughout the week, I record myself doing the methods and write journal entries on
the outcome and how I am feeling. I will track my overall energy, motivation, mood, anxiety and how
I manage current challenges. I will also document situational events that might temporally improve or
decrease my mood, such as my period, holidays or an unexpected tragedy.
By the end of my capstone, I will have created a toolbox with strategies to help myself and
others. I will be able to use these tools beyond my project and share them with friends. I will also be
able to see my personal growth through video and written documentation. Hopefully, I will see an
improvement in my mental health and be confident in the tools at my disposal to help me in the future.

Resources/ Technology/Skills: Make an assessment of the resources, technology and skills you will
need to be able to complete this project. What is your plan to be able to access/learn all of the
resources necessary to achieve completion of this project? Detail your plans.

I will research case studies and articles on the database available to us. I will use my mentors
to guide my research and recommend reliable sources.
I will need access to a laptop to conduct research and a camera/phone to record progress and
keep a journal (I have all).
It is essential that I am vulnerable in sharing my honest feeling and options in order to keep
accurate documentation of the effectiveness of different tools and stay consistent in practicing them.
I have a meeting with my mentor on Tuesday, November 8th, to discuss where to begin in my
research to I can implement the tools as soon as possible. The longer I am able to practice them, the
more improvement I will see.

Mentors/Community Connections: What types of mentor(s)/community connections will you need to

help you complete your capstone project? How will your mentor(s) help you? What is your plan to
access the mentorship/community connections necessary for this project?

My mentors include Dr. Paola Ardiles Gamboa, a senior lecturer and special projects advisor
to the Vice president, people, equity and inclusion at SFU in the faculty of health science. And Dr.
Carla Oberth. A registered psychologist who provides evidence-based treatment for children,
adolescents, and young adults experiencing various mental health concerns and other challenges.
I will regularly meet with them to guide my research and gain insight into my project.
It is vital for me to be comfortable, open and honest with them because my project does focus
on my own mental health.

Project limitations: What are some project limitations and potential obstacles that you foresee that
might affect progress with your Capstone Project?
 I need to stay extremely consistent in my implementation in order to see a change in my
mental health. Without a constant effort to use the tools, my project will not work. It also might be
uncomfortable sharing my mental health struggles to others, so it is important to work on my
vulnerability.

References: Provide a literature review of 5-10 PEER REVIEWED ACADEMIC references: research,
videos, etc. that offer some preliminary research you have done for your project that shows you are
able to access the key information that you will need to be able to complete this project/work. Your
list should be written using correct APA formatting.