ENGLISH
SBA
Candidate Name:
Emmanuel Chichester
Candidate Number:
Centre Name: Saint Joseph High
Centre Number:
Year of Examination: 2021
Teacher: Miss Bentick
Subject: English
Topic: Mental Health
Territory: Guyana
Content Page
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Pieces used for SBA ………………………………….. Pages 6-8
Reflection #1-3 ……………………………………Pages 9-12
Written Report ……………………………………Page 13
Oral presentation………………………………………. Page 14-20
PLAN OF INVESTIGATION
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The topic chosen for my English SBA is ‘Mental Health’. I have seen
and researched about how it affects society and I would like to express
my thoughts and feelings to help people to understand it more. I want to
bring awareness of the struggles with depression, anxiety and stress that
people with mental health have to go through. I will be working on
“Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD)” which is a sub
topic under ‘Mental Health’. For “ADHD” I will be focusing on the
negative effects, myths, history and some solutions to this problem/issue
because it is A very often seen disorder amongst children and the more
knowledge you have of it the quicker it can be eliminated. The research
will be most beneficial to me as an English student because it will open
my mind to new words, phrases and writing techniques which can help
increase my overall performance. Information for this SBA will be
obtained using various sources that are considered reliable example
links, websites, books from the library and videos from YouTube.
Pictures will also be obtained to bring forth a clearer understanding of
the effects of “ADHD.”
Introduction
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Every year world mental health day is observed on October 10. It was started
as an annual activity by the world federation for mental health by deputy
secretary-general of UNO at that time. Mental health resources differ
significantly from one country to another. While the developed countries in
the western world provide mental health programs for all age groups. Also,
there are third world countries they struggle to find the basic needs of the
families. Thus, it becomes prudent that we are asked to focus on mental
health importance for one day
Acknowledgement
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I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my teacher (Miss Bentick) who gave me the
golden opportunity to do this wonderful group project on the topic(Mental health-chosen by the group
members), which also helped me in doing a lot of Research and i came to know about so many new
things I am really thankful to them.
Secondly i would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing this project
within the limited time frame.
I am are over helmed in all humbleness and gratefulness to acknowledge my depth to all those who
have helped me to put these ideas, well above the level of simplicity and into something concrete.
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my teacher who gave me the golden
opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic "Mental Health" , which also helped me in doing
a lot of Research and i came to know about so many new things. I am really thankful to them.
Any attempt at any level can 't be satifactorily completed without the support and guidance of MY
parents and friends.
I would like to thank my parents who helped me a lot in gathering different information, collecting
data and guiding me from time to time in making this project , despite of their busy schedules ,they
gave me different ideas in making this project unique.
Thanking you,
Emmanuel Chichester.
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https://www.additudemag.com/what-is-adhd-symptoms-causes-
treatments/
ADHD & Symptom Tests
ADHD Essentials
What Is ADHD? Meaning, Symptoms & Tests
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurological
disorder that impacts the parts of the brain that help us plan, focus on,
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and execute tasks. ADHD symptoms vary by sub-type — inattentive,
hyperactive, or combined — and are often more difficult to diagnose in
girls and adults. Here, we review the symptoms, causes, types, and tests
associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
By ADHD Editorial Board
Medically reviewed by William Dodson, M.D., LF-APA on September
26, 2019
Reflection 1
NEWSPAPER 1
For this reflection, I used an article from the Chronicle Newspaper that
was written by Miss. Caitlin Viera. Here I learnt the meaning,
symptoms, diagnosis, causes, how it affects the person mentally and
physically, how to identify it and some solutions to eliminate it. After I
read the pieces, I felt like I can and want to do something about it. By
firstly, spreading the awareness of this situation. I learnt that it can
mostly affect children and very rarely adults and that there is a solution
but it may take time.
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WEBSITE
On the website named ATTITUDE.
Link: https://www.additudemag.com/what-is-adhd-symptoms-causes-
treatments/.
The website provided information about what ADHD means, types, how
it affects your brain (mentally, to focus, plan and execute tasks), that it
affects boys more than girls, People with ADHD have trouble with
impulse-control, focusing, and organization. ADHD is not a specific
learning disability. ADHD is, instead, a developmental impairment of
the brain’s self-management system. Both adults and children can be
diagnosed with ADHD. It doesn’t really affect my feelings. I understand
it is a problem that can be solved.
Website/Newspaper 2
For this reflection, I used an article from the Kwêvoël, a newspaper in
Thabazimbi. Here I learnt the meaning, symptoms, diagnosis, causes,
how it affects the person mentally and physically, how to identify it and
some solutions to eliminate it. After I read the pieces, I felt like I can
and want to do something about it. By firstly, spreading the awareness of
this situation. I learnt that it can mostly affect children and very rarely
adults and that there is a solution but it may take time.
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Reflection 2
The techniques identified in the three pieces were mostly
emotive and descriptive language techniques.
In the article about ADHD the language was formal as descriptive and
emotive language techniques are present. The information was at a level
that easily gave me an idea of what ADHD would be like if I were to
step into that person’s shoe. The journalist use repetition really
highlighted the main message they were trying to get across to persons,
which was to give us knowledge of what ADHD is. Figurative language
was also present which made the article more impactful.
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On the website, All about ADHD the use of Language was
formal because descriptive language was also present and there was no
sort of informal language such as colloquialism present. It me a very
deep understanding of what how persons are affected by ADHD
especially children who are very young. The knowledge one can gain
from reading information off the website is so helpful its unforgettable.
Reflection 3
As this was a group project, the process of completing this SBA has
allowed me to better communicate with my colleagues or fellow group
members. This is especially surprising because I am not a big fan of
group activities. My research skills have improved because I had to
search across a variety of platforms including the internet, books,
magazines, newspapers and so on. I haven’t improved my ability to
speak in public. No, I am not better at time management because I was
never a procrastinator. Considering the research, I have done I believe
that I have become better at critiquing work.
Psychologically
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I have grown psychologically speaking because I had to work with a
group of likeminded people, towards a common goal which is to
research the topic” Mental Health”.
Intellectually
I can say that I have grown intellectually because the amount of
knowledge I have regarding Mental Health is way larger than before I
completed this SBA. This is a direct result of working in a group with a
common task while sharing the information among ourselves. As a child
I would always think that persons that are emotionally unstable are
weak, having depression wasn’t a thing that existed and I never
understood why persons committed suicide. As the years go by, I’ve
matured and my mindset about those persons was that they were always
going through something that they’re afraid to open up about because of
society. And I started to understand how serious “ADHD” and other
mental illnesses can because. For example, just reading about it can
trigger it and that’s why most websites don’t give too much information
on it, they only clarify about the solutions.
Written Report
This SBA began with our teacher telling us about the different segments of
the English SBA, the mark scheme and what we need to do to gain full
marks. Then she placed us into groups containing four persons each. We
were given the choice to choose our own topic and divide it into sub-topics.
The theme our group choose was “Mental Health”. Once each person in the
group was assigned with a task or subtopic, we began our individual research
on the subtopics: ADHD, Bi polar disorder, Anxiety disorder and P.T.S.D.
We choose this theme because most people choose to avoid talking about it
and since it is a vast growing issue in society, the public needs more
knowledge about this problem to avoid its increase. The research included the
use of articles (which was compulsory), videos, pictures, websites/internet,
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songs, dramatic pieces, movies, poems, short stories etc. The pieces found
were very informative because it helped to improve our grammar and
vocabulary skills because of the amount of reading that was done in order to
get this information. Analyzing of the information proved to be a bit difficult.
This was because of how serious mental health is in our society, some rumors
say that people who have mental health issues can go insane just by reading
about it on the internet or even in the newspaper, so there is not much in-
depth information. This was put in place as to avoid multiple
causalities/suicides. Outcomes of the research were never the less positive as
report writing, data collection, critical thinking /analysis and comprehension
skills were stressed and improved with the help of teachers, the internet and
classmates (group members). Our knowledge on the topic “Mental Health”
was also extended and ameliorated which lead to me being more aware of my
environment. The group met every week since the SBA was given to discuss
the information we gathered and our objective. Our result/outcome was to
examine the negative impact of Mental health on people in the
environment/society. Our objective was met and we were able to complete
the SBA in the time that was granted to us. We selected information based on
how recent it is, the connection to our theme and sub topic.
Oral Presentation
Tammy’s Story
Tammy, an 8-year-old third grader, was halfway through the second
grading period when her parents asked for another conference with her
teacher. Her grades were very low with failure to complete class
assignments and inconsistent performance on homework.
This wasn't the first time the school had raised concerns. Tammy was
struggling with reading at the end of first grade in spite of testing by the
school guidance counselor which showed very good ability. At the time
Tammy complained that all the noises in the classroom were distracting.
Further evaluation at that time through her pediatrician had suggested a
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possible diagnosis of ADHD, primarily inattentive type. Since there
were no problems with hyperactivity her parents, especially her father,
were reluctant to consider any medications. They got some self-help
books to learn skills to help Tammy with her school assignments and
address her "smart mouth" responses to adults. There was progress but
her father complained that Tammy's mother was not consistent with
discipline. Her mother argued that it didn't seem right that Tammy was
always grounded and prohibited from all of her favorite activities.
To help identify Tammy’s difficulties and to address the disagreement
between the parents regarding the correct approach, Tammy was
referred to a child psychiatrist. That evaluation confirmed the diagnosis
of ADHD. The parents’ efforts at providing Tammy with structure for
her schoolwork were helpful, but they all agreed this was not enough.
Her father's position had softened after he talked with his sister whose
son also has ADHD and had a good response to treatment with
medication. She also reminded him of the struggles he had in elementary
school and all the times he was sent to the office.
In a session that included her parents Tammy talked about how tired she
was of being in trouble all of the time and about how discouraged she
was about her school efforts. She cried herself to sleep many nights.
A decision was made for treatment with stimulant medication. Tammy
had an expected response. She was especially pleased when she was
moved to a higher reading group and she was picked for her school
basketball team. Her medication was tailored for school time since her
evening and weekend behaviors were not a problem.
About This Story
While this story is based on a real individual’s experience, identifying
information has been changed.
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This patient story is provided by Scott Benson, M.D. (December 2015).
Josh’s Story
Josh, a 19-year-old college student, came to a school clinic for help with
academic problems. Since starting college six months earlier, he had
done poorly on tests and could not manage his study schedule. His
worries about flunking out of college were causing him poor sleep, poor
focus and lost hope. After a week of low grades, he returned home and
told his family he should drop out of college. His mother brought him to
the clinic where he and his older brother had been treated for ADHD
when they were younger. She wondered if his ADHD might be causing
his problems, or whether he had outgrown it.
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Josh had been to the clinic when he was 9 years old and had been
diagnosed with ADHD. Notes from that evaluation showed Josh had
been in trouble at school for getting out of his seat, losing things, not
following instructions, not completing homework and not listening.
A psychologist also confirmed reading problems during the evaluation.
Because Josh’s problems did not meet the standard for a learning
disability diagnosis, he could not receive special education services.
Josh’s primary care doctor had proposed medication, but his mother
refused. Instead, she hired a tutor to help her son “with concentration
and reading.”
Since starting college, Josh said he often had trouble staying focused
while reading and listening to lectures. Because of his stress at school,
he had trouble falling asleep, had poor energy and didn’t “have fun” like
his peers.
Josh’s older brother had ADHD. His father, who died when Josh was
seven, had dyslexia (a reading disorder). His father had dropped out of
community college after one semester.
Josh was referred to a psychologist for more testing, and the doctor
diagnosed him with ADHD. The report stated that Josh had certain
problems with reading fluency and comprehension (reading quickly and
know the correct meaning), as well as spelling and writing. When he
was first assessed at age 9, the standards for ADHD required six of nine
symptoms. He had been diagnosed with the combined type of ADHD,
because the specialty clinic had found at least six symptoms in
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inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. With DSM-5, only five
symptoms are needed for people age 17 and older. At age 19, Josh met
the standards for ADHD and for a specific learning disorder. With the
correct diagnosis, he was able to receive services for academic support
for his college studies.
About This Story
This patient story is excerpted from Understanding Mental Disorders:
Your Guide to DSM-5.
Understanding Mental Disorders is a consumer guide designed to
promote education and understanding among anyone who has been
touched by mental illness.
So Dark & Deep: A Story Of Mental Illness
It hits you all of a sudden. It’s the middle of the day, you’re surrounded
by friends and the sun is out. But something isn’t right. There is this
feeling, a very uncomfortable feeling in your mind, in the pit of your
stomach. You want to leave and go somewhere that is quiet and dark.
You are being consumed. Consumed by your own thoughts. So dark and
so horrid, you are afraid. It’s wrecking you from the inside out.
But what can you do? Suffer? That’s what many of us do and did. But
sometimes the suffering gets too much. You can’t handle the darkness
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that’s pulling you into an eternal abyss and you decide that only way to
stop the darkness is to join it. You take your own life. Suicide. Simple as
that.
I lost a very close friend of mine to suicide. It sent us, their friends and
family, all into a cage. We felt trapped, we felt deep inside us this
horrible, disgusting feeling and all you wanted to do is cry. That’s how
suffering feels. This constant feeling of being trapped and not being able
to do anything to stop it. That’s how people with mental illnesses feel
constantly. It devours us. Fear eats our insides away until we are nothing
but bones. Fear controls us. Fear puts us on autopilot and does whatever
it wants.
That feeling you have in the pit of your stomach when you are about to
do something that makes you nervous? That’s how anxiety feels. It’s
how living with a mental illness feels. It runs our lives and we can’t stop
it. Admitting to someone that you have a problem is probably the
hardest thing to do. Admitting to my best friend that I have anxiety,
depression and OCD took me months.
Every night I would run it around in my head, what and how will I tell
my friend that I am crazy and I can’t control it? Will she be OK with it?
Will she laugh? Is she going to stay being my friend? And that’s the
problem I am trying to write about. Admitting you have a mental illness.
It’s not easy to do and that’s why more than two million people are
struggling. They can’t tell anyone.
Lucky for me, I have an amazing group of friends that understood, while
some aren’t so lucky. A lot of friends and family reject their siblings or
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children or friends because they don’t know how to deal with a mental
illness. Dealing with a mental illness, whether you have it or someone
else does, is like a tripwire. You have to be so careful with your words
or one bad move and it can devastate someone.
Do you remember the part where I mentioned a friend I lost to suicide?
Well, her name was Abigail, but her friends and family called her Abby.
Abby was obsessed-scratch that-dedicated to One Direction. They kept
not only her happy, but everyone happy. Their music helps people,
physically, mentally and spiritually. Abby also told me, before she
passed, that One Direction was the only thing keeping her going.
Now, you might ask, where am I going with this? Well, what I am trying
to do here is get One Direction to notice Abby’s story, get them to talk
about mental health and let people, especially young adults, to realize
that they are not alone in this battle with mental illnesses. No matter
what the illness, no one is ever alone, no matter how lonely it seems.
“And here you are living, despite it all.” - Rupi Kaur
A quote that that always inspired me, even through those dark days
when I decided I couldn’t do it anymore, couldn’t carry on living.
To all those suffering deep inside, pushing those feelings to the back of
your brain, the bottom of your heart, please keep on living. Please
remember that no matter how distant your future may seem, no matter
how distant love may seem, it will always be there. Never lose hope; I
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know it’s easy to. We are rocks in a sea of chaos; we cannot let every
storm knock us around. We simply mustn’t.
The reason I choose short stories was because sometimes I think you can
learn more from short stories than novels, simply because the author gets to
his/her point much quicker and is more concise with descriptions. Authors don't
write just to write. Authors have a purpose. Authors have a point they want to
convey, whether it be a moral lesson or an insight into life that gives a new
perspective. Short story authors want you to gain from their experiences and
enhance your life. They want you to learn lessons through their mistakes, their
successes and their relationships. I've always thought that if an author knew
that he/she made the reader examine life more closely which led to an
improvement in that life, then he/she would consider the short story a success.
That, in my opinion, is the purpose of reading short stories.
The languages technique I came across was the emotive technique such as
concern, worry, sadness, a little fear (because it could have been a
personal experience) and so on.4
Conclusion
Mental health is something that affects every member of the population,
young and old alike, yet mental illness is often misunderstood. Mental illness
is thought of as diseases that are 'just in the head'. If this is true then surely
the Government would not have made mental health an important part of
their policy to raise awareness and attempt to change attitudes towards
mental health. Although research has shown that healthy living, which is a
combination of many things, including good nutrition, regular exercise and a
positive attitude, taking care of your body and feeling pride in your
accomplishments can improve both your physical and mental health.
Research also suggests that an individual's biological, psychological and
social elements can play an important part in their mental health. These are
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important approaches that need to be taken into consideration when a person
displays symptoms of a mental illness, for example an adolescent who is
experiencing mental health difficulties maybe struggling with a social
situation perhaps within their family or at school. Growing old is a natural
process that produces a range of reactions in different people. The most
common mental health problems in older people are depression and
dementia. But there is a widespread belief that these problems are a natural
part of the ageing process, this is not the case as only 20% of people over 85,
and 5% over 65, have dementia and 10-15% of people over 65 have
depression. It is important to remember that the majority of older people
remain in good mental health.
Appendix
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Pie chart showing the
statistics of mental health around the world
References/Bibliography
Author: Caitlin Viera
“Data & Statistics.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ed. Center
for Disease Control. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Feb.
2017. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.
2 Association, American Psychiatric, ed. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders: DSM-5. Washington: American Psychiatric, 2014.
3 Association, American Psychiatric, ed. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders: DSM-5. Washington: American Psychiatric, 2014.
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4 Thapar, Anita, and Evangelia Stergiakouli. “An Overview on the Genetics
of ADHD.” Xin li xue bao. Acta psychologica Sinica (Aug. 2008)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2854824/
5 Philip J. Landrigan, Jordan Slutsky. Are Learning Disabilities Linked to
Environmental Toxins? Learning Disabilities Worldwide.
https://www.ldworldwide.org/environmental-toxins
6 Dovey, Dana. “Doctors May Soon Be Able To Diagnose ADHD With An
MRI Scan.” Medical Daily. IBT Media Inc., 30 Apr. 2014. Web. 14 Mar.
2017.
7 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/adhd.htm
8 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/adhd.htm
9 Kessler, R. C., Adler, L., Barkley, R., Biederman, J., Conners, C. K.,
Demler, O., Zaslavsky, A. M. (2006). The Prevalence and Correlates of Adult
ADHD in the United States: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey
Replication. American Journal of Psychiatry. 163, 716-723.
10 Donzelli, G., et al.”The Association between Lead and Attention-
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review.” International Journal
of Environmental Research and Public Health. January 2019, 16:3. doi:
10.3390/ijerph16030382
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