Mental Health Awareness Project
Purpose – The purpose of this project is for students to work together as a team to research a specific mental
health disorder, gather reliable health information and resources, and share that information with the class
and possibly the community.
1. Write out all team members first and last names.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Write out your assigned topic.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Use the Research Team Role Sheets to assign the roles to each team member. Write the assigned roles next
to the team members’ names above.
4. Research online resources to complete the research questions.
5. Use the following resources for your research:
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Mental Health and Behavior on the MedlinePlus® by the National Library of Medicine
National Institute of Mental Health, Mental Health Topics
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Mental Health Services Locator
TeensHealth from Nemours Foundation
6. Regroup to share and compare all team members’ research findings.
7. Create an outline using the information you found. Include a Works Cited.
8. Using the research information, create a PSA about your mental disorder. Complete the organizer to help
you determine what you are going to do.
Research Questions for the Patient
Name______________________________
Can the mental disorder be inherited and passed down from parents?
Resource:
Can someone’s lifestyle have an effect on the mental disorder?
Resource:
What is the primary cause of the disorder?
Resource:
Are there any negative stereotypes affected by this mental illness? Please describe.
Resource:
Research Questions for the Medical Expert
Name______________________________
What is the history of this disorder?
Resource:
How many people are living with this mental disorder?
Resource:
Are there any other types or forms of the mental disorder?
Resource:
When is the mental disorder often first diagnosed?
Resource:
What tests do the doctors run to determine whether a person has the mental disorder?
Resource:
Research Questions for the Friend
Name______________________________
How many people does this mental disorder affect?
Resource:
Does it affect a certain age group?
Resource:
Does it affect a certain ethnic group?
Resource:
What are the signs, symptoms, and behaviors of people living with this mental disorder?
Resource:
Research Questions for the Family Member
What are the treatment options?
Resource:
Is there a cure?
Resource:
Are there ways to prevent the disorder?
Resource:
Name______________________________
Mental Disorder Outline
1. Mental Disorder
a. Full names of members
b. Each group members responsibilities within the group
2. Description and Overview of the disorder
a. History
b. How many people are living with this mental disorder?
c. Are there other forms or types of the mental disorder?
3. Incidence
a. How many people does this mental disorder affect?
b. Does it affect a certain age group?
c. Does it affect a certain ethnic group?
4. Diagnosis
a. When is the mental disorder first diagnosed?
b. What tests do the doctors run to determine whether a person has the mental
disorder?
5. Causes
a. Can the mental disorder be inherited and passed down from parents?
b. Can lifestyle have an effect on the mental disorder?
c. What is the primary cause?
6. Signs, Symptoms, Behaviors
7. Treatment
a. What are the treatment options?
b. Is there a cure?
8. Prevention
a. Are there any ways to prevent the disorder?
The Works Cited should be completed in MLA format.
Research Outline Rubric
CATEGORY
Amount of
Information
5
All topics are
addressed and all
questions
answered,
4
All topics are
addressed and
most questions
answered.
Quality of
Information
All information
clearly relates to
the main topic.
Most information Some information Information has
clearly relates to clearly relates to little or nothing to
the main topic.
the main topic.
do with the main
topic.
Graphic
Organizer
Outline has been
completed and
shows clear,
logical
relationships
between all topics
and subtopics.
Sources
Mechanics
Outline has been
completed and
shows clear,
logical
relationships
between most
topics and
subtopics.
All sources are
All sources are
accurately
accurately
documented in
documented, but
the desired
a few are not in
format.
the desired
format.
No grammatical, Almost no
spelling or
grammatical,
punctuation
spelling or
errors.
punctuation
errors
3
All topics are
addressed, and
some questions
answered.
1
One or more
topics/questions
were not
addressed.
Outline has been Outline has not
started and
been attempted.
includes some
topics and
subtopics.
All sources are
accurately
documented, but
many are not in
the desired
format.
A few
grammatical
spelling, or
punctuation
errors.
_____/25 X 2 = _____/50
Some sources are
not accurately
documented.
Many
grammatical,
spelling, or
punctuation
errors.
Name ___________________________________________ Day/Period _______________ Score: _______/10
Directions: Use the below sheet to organize your information for your multimedia project.
This organizer will help you create your PSA campaign if it is completely filled in.
Topic: What will you focus your multimedia project around? What is its purpose?
Target Audience: After choosing the topic – who are you focusing this topic to? Consider your target
audience's needs, preferences, as well as the things that might turn them off because they are the ones you
want to rally to action. The audience can be spelled out or implied in your PSA - just make sure that message
is clear who it is to.
Presentation: How are you going to present this PSA campaign? How are you going to present and promote
your focus area in a PSA campaign? Pamphlet, YouTube video, poster, song?
Research Information & Sources: Now that you have a topic, target audience, and a way you want to present
the PSA campaign, below please write down information and statistics around your topic. Please cite each
source (website and agency/ organization) you used. The teacher should see this information on your PSA or
presentation.
Multimedia Presentation
Category
5
4
3
2
1
Organization
Content is well
organized using
headings and bulleted
lists to group related
material.
Uses headings and/or
bulleted lists to
organize, but the
overall organization
of topics appears
inconsistent.
Uses headings OR
bulleted lists to
organize, but the
overall organization
of topics appears
inconsistent.
Content is
somewhat logically
organized.
There was no clear
or logical
organizational
structure, just many
facts.
Quality of
information
Information is accurate,
relevant and clearly
relates to the main
topic. It includes
several supporting
details and/or
examples.
Information is
accurate, relevant
and clearly relates to
the main topic. It
includes 3 supporting
details and/or
examples.
Information relates
to the main topic but
has 1 – 2
inaccuracies. It
includes 1 – 2
supporting details
and/or examples.
Appearance
Makes excellent use of
font, color, effects, etc.
to enhance the
presentation.
Makes good use of
font, color, etc. to
enhance the
presentation.
Makes use of font,
color, effects, etc. but
occasionally these
detract from the
presentation.
Use of font, color,
effects, etc. but
these often detract
from the
presentation
content.
No use of color,
effects, etc. in the
presentation.
Mechanics
No grammatical,
spelling or punctuation
errors.
Two or fewer
grammatical, spelling
or punctuation errors.
Three grammatical,
spelling or
punctuation errors.
Four grammatical,
spelling or
punctuation errors.
Five or more
grammatical,
spelling or
punctuation errors.
Graphics
At least 3 graphics are
used and are attractive
(size and colors) and
support the
theme/content of the
presentation.
At least 3 graphics are
used but at least 1
graphic does not
support the
theme/content of the
presentation.
Less than three
graphics are used or
at least 2 do not
support the
theme/content of the
presentation.
All graphics are not
related to topic
AND detract from
the content of the
presentation.
No graphics are
used.
Information relates
to the main topic
but has more than 2
inaccuracies and no
details and/or
examples are given.
_____/25 X 2 = _____/50
Information has
little or nothing to
do with the main
topic.