Development Log 

12 April 2019 (after school) 

Perhaps I should change my topic to improving mental health. At least, improving 
awareness and acceptance of people with mental illness. Many people feel like they are 
the only person that feels the way they do. We need to stop that! They are not alone. 
Also, let’s stop romanticising suicide. Very much not okay. EXAMPLE: ​13 Reasons Why 
does a pretty good job. 
There are so many issues in the world, that I don’t know which one to pick. 
Somehow, I need to find a topic that hasn’t been done before AND appeals to all aspects 
of my passions. Mental health is affected by everything. Nature versus nurture. Some 
mental health issues can be inherited, others learned. Depression and anxiety run in my 
family, so that could be something I can address. The fear that I have of ending up like 
my family members who have fallen due to suicide. Perhaps this is the right topic for me. 
Yet it does seem a little heavy. . . and highly personal.  
LGBTQ is definitely a topic I should address with my mental health solution. 
Perhaps I should just give the “It’s their life not yours” speech to make people 
understand. I just don’t know how to make other people accept them. Maybe they just 
need to accept themselves.  
I tend to change my mind a lot so let’s hope I find a topic soon. Mental health 
seems like a good topic I can work with. I have a lot of experience.  
What should my solution be? The #metoo act didn’t really strike well with some 
boys at my school, so maybe something not so vocal. Although I wish people we able to 
speak their emotions without having negative connotations associated with them. We will 
get there some day.  
Therapy is awesome! Let’s not have therapy be associated with “nut-jobs” who 
belong in a mental hospital. And let’s not assume people at mental hospitals are crazy! 
Mental health has such a bad reputation in distinct areas, and it is only making things 
worse.  
 
National Alliance of Mental Illness website 
https://www.nami.org/mentalhealthmonth 
 
Statistics for people with mental health issues 
https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Awareness-Messaging 
 
I should do interviews! Articles are cool, but interviews are way better. Bruce?  
 
 
 
13 April 2019 
https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/LGBTQ 
 
SOLUTION IDEAS: 
Let’s make it not so taboo to have a mental illness. A lot of people struggle with 
anxiety and depression. Awareness! Let’s take the fear out of telling people you’re 
bipolar and actually support you to make you feel more stable. Let’s be accepting! We 
shouldn’t have to hide who we are because we are scared of being judged, bullied, 
attacked, killed. That isn’t right!  
Anonymous chats are already a thing and I’m sure there's a forum for mental 
health, but why do we have to hide who we are so we can talk about what's going on in 
our heads? Why do people make gay jokes, and why does everyone claim to have 
anxiety? ​Mental note: read article about millenials and claiming to be anxious. H ​ ow do 
we allow people to feel safe to say how they’re feeling in a safe environment? Schools 
are making efforts: elementary schools with “Make-a-Friend Benches” and high schools 
support group clubs.  
Movies and ads lead to brainwashed children feeling like they need to starve and 
contort themselves to be wanted as a person. This is no bueno. No mas.  
Teach next generation it is okay to not be okay.  
 
15 April 2019 
Stigma on mental illness analyzed 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1489832/​ (precis 1) 
How to help others with mental health issues and concerns 
https://www.mentalhealth.gov/talk/friends-family-members​ (precis)  
 
19 April 2019 
Finally started writing my precis(s) 
Perhaps my solution could be an education program put into schools and communities. 
Although those speeches never do very well. They usually feel more like a scare tactic 
than an attempt to change our views for the better.  
 
Finished first precis  
Maybe writing a book for children about mental health awareness? I could use 
storyboard!  
May is mental health awareness month 
Green ribbons  
1 in 4 teens have anxiety  
Anxiety is often partnered with depression  
 Short list of statistics and facts: 
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/state-mental-health-america 
How to handle periods of depression:  
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322495.php 
Short article on what causes anxiety: 
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323456.php 
Article: advertisements and its effect on mental health (precis)  
https://www.theravive.com/today/post/modern-ads-and-impact-on-mental-health-000335
8.aspx 
 
21 April 2019 
Happy Easter! Solution ideas have been very scarce lately. I am having trouble thinking 
of an effective way to help mental health without having youth think it’s stupid. I think 
society as a whole needs to make reforms. Maybe in media? Not have anxiety and 
depression be seen as something that has to be feared, but something that can be 
managed. Not make therapy have connotations for being used for people that are 
clinically insane.  
 
IDEA!!! Could my presentation be my solution? My research project could be the solution. 
I could include a detailed research essay about how mental health works and how it’s not 
just someone being dramatic. A section on how to help someone in need, a section on 
mental health and genetics! A section on what goes on in the brain during an anxiety 
attack or a depressive episode or ADHD or schizophrenia! (disclaimer: it will not be a 
one-and-done solution. It will take time and effort and a lot of spreading information for a 
solution to actually happen) I am not a miracle worker or a saint. I am just someone trying 
to help mental health. I could talk about the breathing exercises my therapist has me do 
to combat anxiety!   
 
Video games that have combating mental health storylines 
https://www.thegamer.com/mental-illness-health-video-games/ 
Genetics and what to look for in terms of identifying mental health trends 
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/looking-at-my-genes/index.shtml 
Short article on how to help people understand mental illnesses and how to deal with 
people who don’t understand your condition 
https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/October-2018/5-Strategies-to-Use-When-People-
Do-Not-Understand 
Article about science behind schizophrenia (can’t print because I am not subscribed to 
Scientific American)  
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-happens-to-the-body/ 
  
24 April 2019 
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/looking-at-my-genes/index.shtml 
many mental disorders are caused by a combination of biological, environmental, 
psychological, and genetic factors.  
● Family health history  
● Talk to blood relatives 
● Keep a record 
● Talk to a professional 
● Your genes 
● What About Genetic Testing or Genome Scans? Can They Help Predict My 
Risk of Developing a Mental Disorder? 
● Genetic Testing Versus Genome Scans 
○ Traditional Genetic Testing 
○ Genome Scans 
● NIMH Research on Genetics 
● What is clinical research? 
● Why participate in trials? 
● Trials 
● How to find a clinic near you.  
● Finding help 
 
Pill shaming and why people stop taking meds 
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-do-people-mental-health-disorders-stop-taking-their
-medications#What-is-pill-shaming? 
 
25 April 2019 
Completed precis 2 
 
26 April 2019  
Effect of mental health on physical health  
https://onlinedegrees.bradley.edu/blog/how-mental-health-affects-physical-health/ 
How to write the business letter  
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/basic
_business_letters/index.html  
A humanistic view of mental illness: Theo Bennett at TEDxBozeman 
https://youtu.be/VohNDqzWP9E 
How to diagnose a mental illness  
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-recovery-coach/201804/how-do-you-diag
nose-mental-illness 
Mental Disorders as Brain Disorders: Thomas Insel at TEDxCaltech 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4m65sbqbhY 
There is a suicide in the United States every 15 minutes: 38,000 annually (more than 
homicide (twice as common) and traffic accidents) 
90% of suicides are caused because of a mental illness 
3rd most common cause of death for people ages 15-25 
⅕ people will have a mental illness 
1/20 are crippling  
50% of mental illnesses are diagnosed by the age of 14 
75% by age 24 
 
Types of mental disorders 
https://www.verywellmind.com/a-list-of-psychological-disorders-2794776 
Neurodevelopmental disorders 
Diagnosed and apparent before the age of 18 
Stuttering is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder 
Autism 
ADD/ADHD 
Bipolar and Related Disorders 
Mania/hypomania: over excitement and confidence, has correlations to gambling 
and shopping addictions 
Depressive episodes 
Can be treated with medications to balance mood swings 
 
Anxiety Disorders 
The anticipation of a possible threat: ​a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, 
typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. (google bb)  
Generalized Anxiety: fear of everyday events that causes a disturbance to your 
daily life 
Agoraphobia: fear of public spaces and not having an escape. Can lead to panic 
attacks and not wanting to leave your home 
Social anxiety: fear of being watched or judged. Makes it hard to function in social 
settings like school, work, and everyday activities 
Phobias: extreme fear of an object or situation: major types are natural events, 
animals, medical, and situational 
Panic disorders: panic attacks happen without apparent reason. Leads to fear of 
returning to certain places in fear of another attack 
27 April 2019 
Precis 3 
Quote: “we need to adjust our own minds to understand what is going through theirs’” 
just an idea for something to include in my proposal or advertisement, since my project is 
about changing views and perspectives.  
Talk about Joshua and UCSF and CF and anxiety and fear and the hospital not caring  
 
Article about social anxiety (3rd largest mental illness) 
https://socialanxietyinstitute.org/what-is-social-anxiety  
 
29 April 2019 
Started proposal! I’m excited to get my ideas and proposal going. Soon I can start my 
slide presentation!  
Getting the DSM-5! It seems like a really cool book. My mom wants to get one so yay!  
Turns out the DSM-5 was a reference book, so my mom is buying a cheaper one that's 
just a condensed version.  
 
30 April 2019 
Continuing work on proposal  

The only resource I’ve been able to find that gives me a clear list of mental disorders and 
how to diagnose them. Why is it so expensive? Teens, who do not have a job or really 
any money to spend over $50 on a book like this, have no way to access this easily. 
Even though they are the ones who need it most.  
 
I found a copy at the Sebastopol Library website. I’ll ask Mom to take me there tomorrow 
to get one to look at. That seems like a good resource. I am allowed to photocopy up to 
10% of the book if I want. I might just take notes or just photocopy important pages if 
there are graphs and charts included. Nevermind, library closed on Sundays. Monday it 
is!  
 
29 April 2019 
Started more work on my proposal  
Actually wrote some junk and goals.  
 
1 May 2019 
I’m still not quite sure how to change people’s minds. So I’m going to read an article 
about it!  
How to change people’s minds:  
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/thoughts-thinking/201804/how-change-peopl
e-s-minds 
 
Ran a survey on the class about mental health  
● 57.7% of the people who answered said they felt ashamed talking about their 
mental health 
● 53.8% of people have seen a therapist 
● 50% have been diagnosed with a mental illness 
● 15.8% are on medication 
● 100% know someone with a mental illness 
○ 38.9% 1-3 people, 61.1% 4+  
The class wasn’t really happy about taking the survey. They also didn’t want to hear the 
results. So I guess they’re going to need more teaching about accepting mental illness. 
I’m sure there were people who wanted to hear the results, but were too afraid to say 
anything.  
 
Bullying and relationship to adult mental health: little correlation, but still apparent 
https://www.livescience.com/53034-childhood-bullying-lasting-mental-health-effects.html 
 
 
 
 
3 May 2019 
Due dates:  
Finish all precis by Sunday 5/5 
Finish persuasive Advocacy letter by wednesday ⅝  
Finish proposal by sunday 5/12 
Start slideshow by saturday 5/11 
Finish slideshow by monday 5/13 
Finish product/solution by thursday 5/16 
Finish rhetorical analysis by sunday 5/19 
Finish website by Monday 5/20 
Practice presentation on Tuesday 5/21! 
Put together binder and have project finished! 5/21 
Dear Alicia, 
Please try to get ahead this weekend and actually do some productive work. 
Sincerely,  
Alicia  
 
3 precises done!  
4 precises done! 
What does depression do to your brain? 
https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/effects-brain#1 
One in 8 teens will be diagnosed with clinical depression  
One in 33 children will be diagnosed  
 
History of mental health  
https://nobaproject.com/modules/history-of-mental-illness 
 
5 May 2019 
All precises are finished 
Time to start the next step! (advocacy letter) 
 
Should I do brochure or pamphlet like doctors and counselors give out? Doesn’t seem 
like that bad of an idea actually. I should wear green on my presentation day also.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
8 May 2019 
Started website on Weebly.com  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Advocacy letter completed! 
10 May 2019  
I need to work on my proposal now! I’ve done the introduction, but there is still a lot more 
to do.  
I could work on the slideshow. . .  
 
13 May 2019 
Yesterday I did as much as I could. I started my brochure and got a lot of work on my 
website.  
 
Buser, Steven, and Leonard Cruz. ​DSM-5 Insanely Simplified: Unlocking the Spectrums 
within 
DSM-5 & ICD 10​. Chiron Publications, 2015. 
I’ve basically finished my website! All I really need to do is some finishing touches and 
put in all the other parts of the project onto it, and I should be done. Above is the citation 
for the DSM-5 simplified version I got on Amazon. I am so proud of my website abilities.  
 
14 May 2019 
More work on my proposal 
 
15 May 2019 
A lot done for proposal, hoping to finish brochure today 
Brochure finished 
 
 
16 May 2019 
Printed precis, title pages, and advocacy letter 
Unable to print brochure since school printer is not double sided.  
Will print at home! 
 
Put together the skeleton of my binder! Title pages are cut and glued, dividers are ready 
to divide, and page protectors are ready to protect.  
 
17 May 2019 
Proposal finish time!  
 
19 May 2019 
Phew it has been a busy few days! I finally have time to do some quality work! My 
brochure is finished and in my binder.  
Puting the brochure on the website was one of the hardest parts of this project. It was 
very difficult. I managed to get the document on there, but of course, the spacing is off. I 
am going to leave it.  
Today is the day that I get most of this project done. I can feel it. I present in three days! 
This is nerve wracking.  
Proposal and slide presentation printed and proofread.  
Just have to finish my rhetorical analysis!  
 
20 May 2019 
Working on rhetorical analysis 
Notes for rhetorical analysis really help for the writing process.  
 
21 May 2019 
Last day of work time! Finished rhetorical analysis and ready to practice my presentation.