ENGLISH A

SCHOOL BASED
ASSESSMENT
S.B.A

TOPIC: The impact of Mental Health on students as a result of the Pandemic (COVID-19)

Name: Simone Harrow

Institution: Portmore Community College
Candidate #:
Center Number#:
Territory: Jamaica
Teacher’s Name: Shaneal Newman
Date of Submission: March 2022
Mental Health: Its consequences on Students as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Table of Contents

Page

Plan of Investigation……………………………………………………………………………..

Piece #1…………………………………………………………………………………..............

Piece #2…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Piece#3……………………………………………………………………………………………

Reflection One………………………………………………………………………....................

Reflection Two……………………………………………………………………………………

Reflection Three………………………………………………………………..............................

Written Report…………………………………………………………....................................

Plan of Oral Presentation………………………………………………………...........................

Reference………………………………………………………………………………………...
Appendices…………………………………………………………………………………...

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Mental Health: Its consequences on Students as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PLAN OF INVESTIGATION

The theme for this school-based assessment is Mental Health, which was derived from

the topic “The impact of Mental Health on students as a result of the Pandemic”. I chose this

topic because I want to be educated on the different consequences which may cause a student to

perform poorly in his or academics, as a result of mental health. I have close experience with

friends who have suffered from scenarios of mental health.

Another reason for choosing this topic is, I have come to the realization that Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic, student mental health has suffered as young people had to make a radical

shift away from the classroom and into remote learning. The consequences of this “lost year”

could persist for years, if not decades.

As a student of English, I hope that this research will help me to obtain further

knowledge on this topic, so that I can explain my topic thoroughly. I also hope that my analytical

skills will be developed, improve my vocabulary and problem-solving skills.

I intend to use newspaper articles, online sources and a poem to obtain information for

my research. From these sources, my knowledge will be further increased because I will

compose three pieces of reflections, an oral presentation and a written report. I will also meet

with my group to discuss materials and share information, plan an oral presentation and ensure

that I receive adequate feedback from my teacher.

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Mental Health: Its consequences on Students as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Piece #1: Online Source

Mental health effects of school closures during COVID-19

For children and adolescents with mental health needs, such closures of school as a result

of COVID-19, mean a lack of access to the resources they usually have through schools. School

routines are important coping mechanisms for young people with mental health issues. When

schools are closed, they lose an anchor in life and their symptoms could relapse.

Children with special education needs, such as those with autism spectrum disorder, are

also at risk. They can become frustrated and short-tempered when their daily routines are

disrupted. Meanwhile, college and university students are stressed about dormitory evacuation

and cancellation of anticipated events such as exchange studies and graduation ceremonies.

Some lost their part-time jobs as local businesses closed. Students in their final years are anxious

about the job market they are going to enter soon. “College students are more vulnerable than we

think, especially with the current academic and financial burden.

Social distancing measures can result in social isolation in an abusive home, with abuse

likely exacerbated during this time of economic uncertainty and stress. As the pandemic

continues, it is important to support children and adolescents facing bereavement and issues

related to parental unemployment or loss of household income. There is also a need to monitor

young people's mental health status over the long term, and to study how prolonged school

closures, strict social distancing measures, and the pandemic itself affect the wellbeing of

children and adolescents.

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Mental Health: Its consequences on Students as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Joyce Lee
Published:April 14, 2020
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30109-7

Piece #2: Newspaper Article

UNICEF: Battered by pandemic, kids need mental health help
Published: Wednesday | October 6, 2021

The coronavirus crisis, forcing school closures that upended the lives of children and

adolescents, has thrust the issue of their mental well-being to the fore.

Psychiatrists quickly saw signs of distress, with children and adolescents seeking help for

suicidal thoughts, anxiety, eating disorders and other difficulties as lockdowns and switching to

remote learning severed them from friends and routines and as COVID-19 killed parents and

grandparents.

“With nationwide lockdowns and pandemic-related movement restrictions, children have

spent indelible years of their lives away from family, friends, classrooms, play key elements of

childhood itself,” said UNICEF's executive director, Henrietta Fore.

“The impact is significant, and it is just the tip of the iceberg,” Fore said.

UNICEF said multiple worries affect the mental health of children and adolescents,

including anxieties over possible illness, lockdowns, school closures and other upheavals in their

lives. Lockdowns also fuelled behaviour problems, and were particularly hard-felt by kids with

autism and attention and hyperactivity disorders, UNICEF said.

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Mental Health: Its consequences on Students as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Governments must pour more money and resources into preserving the mental well-being

of children and adolescents, the United Nation's child protection agency urged in a report

Tuesday that sounded alarms about blows to mental health from the COVID-19 pandemic that

hit poor and vulnerable children particularly hard.

UNICEF: Battered by pandemic, kids need mental health help | World News | Jamaica
Gleaner (jamaica-gleaner.com)

Piece #3: Video

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Mental Health: Its consequences on Students as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

https://youtu.be/yhTHjwaUmRM
(1449) Central High Sixth former pushes mental health initiative in school - YouTube

Reflection #1:
It’s long been known that mental health can affect a student’s academic performance and

ability to reach graduation, whether in high school or college. I can relate to close friends and

family members who has drastically declined in their academics since the pandemic. There stress

level have sky rocketed as a result of dropping out of school, anxiety disorders, crises requiring

immediate response, psychiatric medication issues, and clinical depression. I have now come to

realize that impact of mental health problems on academic performance is significant among

young people in my community.

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Mental Health: Its consequences on Students as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

After reading the article gleaner article, I was able to realize that the impact that COVID

has had on youth mental health is devastating. Mental health problems can affect a student's

energy level, concentration, dependability, mental ability, and optimism, hindering performance.

The community is negatively affected when students are unable to finish their degrees and

contribute valuable skills in a competitive job market.

According to data generated from the video, Central High School deputy head boy 19-

year-old Nowell Lewin launched an initiative at his school and he hopes every school in Jamaica

and also overseas will adopt it in dealing with the issue of mental health. In my estimate, the

initiative, is good and has the goal to help reduce mental health among young people.

I have learnt that peers, family members, school administration may be personally affected

out of concern for these students. Even before the pandemic, far too many children were

burdened under the weight of unaddressed mental health issues. Too little investment is being

made by governments to address these critical needs.

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Mental Health: Its consequences on Students as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Reflection #2:

The language and vocabulary in the articles were formal and written with clarity. The use

of words was simple and as such the understanding of the topic was easily grasped. The tone of

author of the articles can be viewed as being neutral towards the mental health impact and

consequences on school children. However, quotation marks and exclamation signs were used to

indicate the character’s expression of thoughts.

In the video, the presenters used the Jamaican English rather than standard English to

express himself, but I was still able to understand what was said since this is a native language.

The tone of the presenters in the video was engaging and captivating as different pace,

emotions and feeling were displayed in their presentation, to show emphasis of the information

presented. There were no bulleting points or thumbnails injected in the video to grabs and engage

the viewers.

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Mental Health: Its consequences on Students as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Reflection #3:

This assignment has improved my ability to plan and investigate information. As such,

my research skills have been improved. This exercise has allowed me to demonstrate

independent and collaborative work skills and have allowed me to understand that people will

always have difference in opinions, while others will have a common or similar objective.

The procedure of this SBA has helped me to improve on how I manage my time in

completing the pieces. I was given time intervals to complete each section of my SBA.

Therefore, I had to meet the deadlines given by my teacher and my other group members. I was

also able to correct my SBA and resubmit within the time frame that was given to me.

I was able to extract different information from multiple sources to increase my

understanding of the topic and to express my thoughts in a collective process of oral and written

communication. Finally, this English SBA has encouraged my analytical skills in writing, extents

my vocabulary and assisted me in interpreting secondary information in my own words.

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Mental Health: Its consequences on Students as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Written Report
Our group of three met in class and chose the theme, “Mental Illness”. We then met via

the zoom platform to create our subtopics and find artifacts. In total we choose nine artifacts. Our

sub topics were: “The Negative Effect of Mental Illness in Adolescents”, “Post Traumatic Stress

Disorder”, and “The Impact of Mental Health...”. Finding artifacts was moderately easy due to

its current prevalence in the media.

Two months later, we decided on the three artifacts that would be used via WhatsApp.

We chose the article - Mental Health Problems in a School... (Schulte, 2016) and two poems -

Explaining my Depression... (Benaim, 2014) and PTSD Advice (Alexander, 2019). We chose

these artifacts because they best expressed the challenges of mental illness. We then met and

discussed the main ideas of these artifacts. Each group member wrote parts of the written report

as seen below.

In the article, Mental Health Problems in a School..., the writer speaks about how

adolescents with mental health issues manifested behaviors that affected their school and social

lives. We learnt that mental illnesses affect one’s academic progression, moods and others’

perception of them

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Mental Health: Its consequences on Students as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In the poem, “Explaining my Depression..., the poet spoke about how insomnia,

depression and anxiety caused her to be unable to hang with friends. This allowed us to see how

mental illness affected one’s social life.

In the poem PTSD Advice, the poet expresses that even though PTSD may not be

completely ‘cured’ you are able to get better and live a healthy live. We learnt that mental illness

is an everyday fight, however one can overcome it.

The leadership role was shared and the revisal and editing of the document was done by all

members, who gave approval for the submitted final report.

Plan of Oral Presentation

Topic: Why do men cheat?

Genre: Descriptive

Sources: (The Gleaner, 2021, video and online article)

Language Used: First person voice, artistic language to evoke listener’s emotions and attention

Poem
It seems like Covid mash up mi medz!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POEM:

I’m always amazing

Friendly and caring
But since 2019
It seems like Covid mash up mi medz...

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Mental Health: Its consequences on Students as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Since the lockdown, my mental health got worse

I’m feel depressed, anxious, burden and suicidal
I’m lost in the middle of the ocean
Can’t see the shores…

School doors are closed, I started online classes,

With mental health issues, I never learn nothing
I seek mental help but my challenges are inevitable
It seems like Covid mash up mi medz...
Mental health issues causes my grades to be so low
I don’t even get over 50 percent.
I feel like now is the time to give up
It seems like Covid mash up mi medz...

Now the lock down is over

I can see my friends and teacher
But nothing is normal again,
I can say without any doubt,
It seems like Covid mash up mi medz...

Reference

Eisenberg, D., Gollust, S. E., Golberstein, E., & Hefner, J. L. (2007). Prevalence and correlates
of depression, anxiety, and suicidality among university students. American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry, 77(4), 534–542.

UNICEF: Battered by pandemic, kids need mental health help | World News | Jamaica Gleaner
(jamaica-gleaner.com)

The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30109-7

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