| Course | IBC 793 Applied Project |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 4 |
| Paper type | Population paper |
| Length | About 433 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | Doctor of Behavioral Health |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for IBC 793 Module 4
Who We Are Trying to Reach: The Population for an Adolescent Depression Follow-Up Project
Student Name
Doctor of Behavioral Health, Arizona State University
IBC 793: Applied Project
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Who We Are Trying to Reach: The Population for an Adolescent Depression Follow-Up Project
The Population in the PICOT Question
As written in the PICOT question, the population is every 12- to 17-year-old whose well-visit PHQ-9 reaches 11 or higher in our integrated pediatric clinic. This paper describes who they are and why they need a focused intervention.
The Clinic's Adolescents (Hypothetical Figures)
The clinic serves about 3,200 adolescents a year. About 60% are Latino, 15% are Black, 15% are white and 10% are of other backgrounds. Nearly 80% have Medicaid coverage through Arizona's program. About half of parents prefer Spanish, while most adolescents prefer English, so many families are bilingual in ways that matter for consent and follow-up. In a six-month audit, 74 adolescents screened positive, or about 18% of those screened.
National Context
Nationally, close to one teen in five (18.1%) reported a major depressive episode during 2023, and roughly 60% of that group got any mental health treatment (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2024). The rest represent the gap that screening in primary care is meant to close. National screening guidance applies to all adolescents 12 to 18, which supports routine screening in pediatric clinics like ours (US Preventive Services Task Force, 2022).
Disparities That Shape Engagement
Several factors make follow-up harder for this population. Transportation and parents' work schedules limit return visits. Stigma about mental health care may discourage some families, and adolescents may not want parents involved. Language matters in ways that are not always predictable: a study in integrated care found that English-speaking Latino adults handed off in person attended a first visit less often than those given a regular referral, which the authors linked to the quality of the referral experience and the patient's relationship with the provider (Horevitz et al., 2015). The project must therefore track results by language and ethnicity rather than assume one approach works for all families.
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
| Criterion | Included | Excluded |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 12 to 17 at the screening visit | Younger than 12 or 18 and older |
| Screening result | PHQ-9 of 11 or more | Score below 11, unless item 9 is positive, which triggers the safety protocol separately |
| Visit type | Well visit at the clinic | Urgent visits, which follow a separate pathway |
| Current care | Not already in specialty mental health treatment | Already engaged with an outside therapist or psychiatrist |
Conclusion
The project's population is defined by age, a validated screening threshold and the visit setting, and it is shaped by language, coverage and access barriers. Those features will guide the intervention's design and the way results are reported.
References
Horevitz, E., Organista, K. C., & Areán, P. A. (2015). Depression treatment uptake in integrated primary care: How a "warm handoff" and other factors affect decision making by Latinos. Psychiatric Services, 66(8), 824-830. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201400085
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2024). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality.
US Preventive Services Task Force. (2022). Screening for depression and suicide risk in children and adolescents: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA, 328(15), 1534-1542. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.16946
IBC 793 Module 4 instructions, in plain terms
Module 4 of IBC 793 carries the 10-point PICOT Population Paper, alongside a faculty chair meeting and a stakeholder identification task. Expand the P in your PICOT question. Describe who is in the population, drawing on clinic records first and national figures second, explain the characteristics and disparities that affect how they will experience your intervention and state clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. Keep the description tied to your setting, since the course's proposal is tailored to a specific population. Clinic numbers you estimate should be labeled as such. Describe how you obtained any local numbers, such as a chart audit or a report from your organization's data team, so the chair can judge their reliability.
How the IBC 793 Module 4 example is put together
The paper restates the population as written in the PICOT question, then describes the clinic's adolescents with hypothetical figures on size, ethnicity, coverage and language. A national context section uses survey data to show the treatment gap screening targets. The disparities section names practical, cultural and language barriers and uses a study with an unexpected finding to justify reporting results by group. A criteria table makes the population countable. Margin notes explain how each section supports later design and measurement choices. The criteria table could be handed to a chart reviewer as written. National data appear only where they explain the local need, which keeps the paper focused on the clinic.
Where the marks sit in the IBC 793 Module 4 rubric
For this 10-point paper, faculty look for a population described precisely enough to be counted, local and national data that explain its needs, attention to disparities and clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. Papers lose points when the population is described only in general terms, when national statistics replace any discussion of the local setting, when disparities are mentioned without connection to the project or when criteria are missing or vague. Because the outcome measure depends on counting the population correctly, precise criteria are especially important. Strong papers also explain how the population's characteristics will shape the intervention and the way results are reported. Labeling estimates protects credibility.
IBC 793 Module 4 help: mistakes that cost marks
Start from the exact wording of your PICOT population. Gather what local data you can: counts, ages, coverage and language. Add one or two national figures for context. Think about what would make follow-up harder for this group. Write inclusion and exclusion criteria you could apply to a chart. Label estimates clearly. If you lack local data, describe how you will obtain it. If disparities feel hard to address, the desk can help you find sources. Keep the paper focused on the population, not the intervention. Use your stakeholder identification work from the same module to learn which population details matter to your organization. Your chair meeting is a good place to test your criteria.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More IBC 793 and Doctor of Behavioral Health sample papers
- IBC 793 Module 2: SBAR Assignment: Closing the Loop on Positive Adolescent Depression Screens
- IBC 793 Module 3: PICOT Assignment: Building the Applied Project's Clinical Question
- IBC 793 Module 5: Table Technique: An Evidence Table for the Project's Intervention
- IBC 793 Module 6: Intervention Steps and Timeline: Planning Six Months of Implementation
- IBC 793 Module 7: Evidenced Based Intervention Paper: Warm Handoffs With Registry-Based Follow-Up
- IBC 793 Module 8: PICOT Current Status and Root Cause Analysis Paper: Why Follow-Up Fails
- IBC 793 Module 9: PICOT Identified Outcomes Paper: Outcome, Process and Balancing Measures
- IBC 793 Module 10: Measurement Tool Paper: The PHQ-9 for Adolescents and the Project Registry
- IBC 793 Module 11: Proposed Budget: The Costs of Closing the Loop
- IBC 603 Module 6: Population Health Management Planning Paper: Depression in Adults With Diabetes
IBC 793 Module 4 questions, answered
Where can I find a free IBC 793 Module 4 sample paper?
The full Module 4 population profile and criteria table appear on this page.
What does the IBC 793 population paper describe?
The P element of the PICOT question: who is included, their needs and disparities and the criteria.
What share of depressed adolescents receive treatment?
About 60% of adolescents with a past-year major depressive episode received mental health treatment in 2023.
Why report results by language group?
Because engagement strategies can work differently for families who speak different languages.
Does IBC 793 Module 4 include other tasks?
Yes, a meeting with your faculty chair and a stakeholder identification assignment.