As a clinical psychologist, you will often be asked to provide educational talks and
presentations in the community. Therefore, it is paramount that you are able to communicate
important health information in a way that is digestible to the average person. Throughout this
course, many of you have asked, “why isn’t more being done to educate older adults and their
families on ways to optimize their aging experience?” The answer is that many clinical
psychologists do provide this education; however, this information is often presented using
psychology jargon that goes in one ear and out the other for people who are not familiar with
common vocabulary used in our field. Your final assignment aligns with your final learning
objective of this course in that you are to demonstrate that you have learned enough about a
topic that you are able to explain it to the general community in a comprehensible manner.
Summary
The goal of this assignment is for students to create a brochure designed to explain an agingrelated topic to a lay audience. The students may choose any topic on the syllabus. The
brochure will be two-sided, with three sections on each side, just like a brochure that could be
printed and distributed in real life. When creating their brochure, students should imagine that
they want to make a large audience aware or better informed about a topic, but that audience
has little to no previous knowledge of the topic.
Instructions
- Choose your software. You may choose to use Microsoft Word or PowerPoint (or
equivalent). You can create your brochure from scratch or use available templates from the
software program of your choosing. For more information on how to find and use
templates, see the Tips section at the end of this document. - Choose a topic. It is important that you choose a topic that has enough information to fill a
brochure, but not so much information that it feels crowded or overwhelming to the
reader. Examples of topics include: Modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease,
PSYC 3338 Fall 2023
Depression in Older Adults, Health Literacy in Older Adults, among many others. I am happy
to discuss your topic with you only in Check-in hours or by appointment. - Choose a catchy or interesting title. Remember, your title should make a reader want to
check out your brochure. Once you have chosen your topic, try to make it engaging. For
example, if your topic is Depression, your title could be “Am I Tired, Sad, or Something Else?
Signs of Depression to Watch Out For.” I happily accept funny or catchy titles as long as they
are appropriate. Think, “could I display this in a doctor’s office?” - Organize your brochure. Regardless of what topic you choose, there are some basic
elements that you might consider including to make a brochure more effective. You DO NOT
have to include every single one of these; however, I ask that you include at least 3 of the
following elements:
a. Basic explanations of key concepts that the reader needs to understand (“What is
depression?”)
b. Statistics (“Did you know that 7 million American adults over the age of 65
experience depression each year?”)
c. Helpful facts, such as specific symptoms to keep in mind (“Sign #1. You are less
interested in hobbies that you once found enjoyable.”)
d. Motivation (“If you have ever felt this way, know that you are not alone!”)
e. Tips or other actionable items (“Tip #1: Get moving! Exercise can help boost your
mood and physical health!”)
f. Alternate tips or actionable items (“If it’s hard or painful to do intense exercise,
consider other options, like playing with a pet.”)