Simon Fraser University Mental Health Paper

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For this assignment, you are required to write an argumentative essay related to a topic discussed in one of the course units. Your topic must be relevant to current Canadian health and contain some element of controversy. Papers that are outdated, not directly relevant to current issues in Canada or do not contain an element of controversy will not be accepted. If you have any concerns regarding the relevance of your topic to contemporary health in Canada, please consult your TA for approval. TURNITIN will be used to determine authenticity of all submitted papers. 

Some ideas for topics are below:

Addictive behaviour/novel treatments

Antibiotic resistance/drug resistant diseases

Chronic disease trends/treatments

E-cigarettes/vaping

Healthy weight/weight management/fad diets

Health from Indigenous perspectives 

  • Infectious disease/emerging diseases/COVID-19
  • Mental health/therapies
  • Obesity trends/type II diabetes
  • Opioid crisis/fentanyl
  • Physical activity/sedentary lifestyles
  • Sexual health/STIs trends
  • Within your topic, there must be some aspect of controversy. The controversy might be related to the use of a product (e.g. e-cigarettes), using a particular type of treatment (e.g. cancer drugs), or a hypothesis (e.g. a certain fad diet causes weight loss). The library and student learning commons have numerous writing resources available; additional resources can be found at the end of this document. 
  • Instructions
  • Your paper must follow the Arguing Academically format outline in this video (How to Argue Academically ) from the Student Learning Commons. 
  • Your paper must contain the following sections:
  • Introduction: Present the background for your topic from general to specific, state your focus and why this topic is important to current Canadian health. Provide the structure of your paper and a thesis statement. Draw your reader’s attention. Explain any key information related to your topic and lay the foundation for your arguments.  ~150 words
  • Paragraph 1 (Literature review): Research your topic and present what is known. Both sides of the controversy should be noted. ~250 words

Paragraph 2 (I say).  State your own position in a “claim”.  Introduce and discuss the supporting evidence (2-3 pieces of evidence). ~400 words

Paragraph 3 (My critics say). State the counter argument, then introduce and discuss the supporting evidence. ~300 words

Paragraph 4 (I respond).  Your rebuttal to the counterargument. Support your thesis. Demonstrate you have thought critically about the topic and explain why you have sided with one of the above arguments. ~250 words

Conclusion: Reiterate why this topic is important in the context of Canadian health and why your reader should care about it. Reiterate key points and summarize take away information. Go from specific to general. ~150 words