Psychological Disorders PSA

Assignment: For your summative project, you will research a selected psychological disorder in order
create a Public Service Announcement that will be displayed in the hallways of West Aurora High School.
For this project, you may work individually or with ONE partner. Your project will include the following
elements:

STEP ONE: RESEARCH

Each student/pair must conduct research on a psychological disorder that can be found in the DSM-5 (a
list of approved disorders will be provided). Summarize and analyze your research in a 2-3 page Google
Doc that you will submit on Schoology.
● Be sure to include the following information in your summary/analysis:
○ A technical description of the psychological disorder (gathered from the DSM-5)
including:
■ characteristics, symptoms, comorbidity and treatments.
○ An analysis of demographic data :
■ Who is affected by the disorder? Research the prevalence of the disorder based
on race/ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.
■ Who receives treatment?
■ Why do some groups receive more treatment than others? What cultural stigmas
could impact treatment rates?
○ Current Research on the disorder:
■ What are 3-5 current new findings on your disorder in the last 5 years?
○ Detailed plan for further community action:
■ If students had the resources available to them, how would they continue to raise
awareness for their disorder in their community?
■ What would be the challenges to raising awareness within the community? What
would be the benefits of raising awareness in the community?
■ This should be written in the first person.
○ Work Cited Page
■ Completed with proper MLA, APA, or Chicago formatting.

STEP TWO: PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

After conducting their research, students will create a rolling slideshow raising awareness for
psychological disorders in their community. This slideshow will be displayed on the TV’s around the high
school, and so they must be clean, appropriate, and visually appealing. The Class will make one
presentation that all students will contribute to. Completed Slide should contain:
● Demographic information
○ Who does your disorder affect? Who is at risk of developing this disorder in the future?
● Getting Help
○ If someone is struggling with this disorder, where can they go for help? What national,
local, and school resources can they use to find support and treatment?
● How to be an ally
○ How can students work to diminish existing stigmas and let those with mental illness
know that they are welcome and accepted?
● Appropriate and tasteful visual that draws attention to the people behind the disorders.

In addition to your textbook, you should use the many resources available online, the West Aurora Library
Databases, and the Project Resources folder on Schoology! Be careful that you are only utilizing reliable
sources. If you have a question about the reliability of any website, feel free to ask about it. Also,
remember to cite your sources! Any resource you use must be cited. Cutting and pasting is also
unacceptable. Any plagiarism will result in a grade of zero. Use the grading rubric provided in class
as a guide for expectations in completing this assignment.
 Psychological Disorders PSA

*Below is a list of psychological disorders that are prevalent among high school
students.

Disorders Prevalent in High School Ages Students:

● Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

● Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

● Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

● Bipolar Disorder

● Social Anxiety Disorder

● Bulimia Nervosa

● Anorexia Nervosa

● Binge-Eating Disorder

● Panic Disorder

● Borderline Personality Disorder

● Narcissistic Personality Disorder

● Alcohol Use Disorder

● Marijuana Use Disorder

● Gender Dysphoria

● Attention Deficit Disorder

● Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

*You are more than welcome to research a disorder that is not included on the list if you
choose. Once you have selected your disorder, there will be a sign up list. No
student/pair may have the same exact disorder.