K.

E CARMEL CENTRAL SCHOOL,

CHERTHALA

BIOLOGY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

2023-2024

Topic:
MENTAL DISORDERS- SPLINTERED MINDS

Name: ANGELINA BENNY

Reg no:

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TOPIC:

MENTAL DISORDERS–
SPLINTERED MINDS

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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the original and genuine investigation project
entitled Mental disorders – Splintered minds has been carried out to
investigate about subject and the related data collected and
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investigation has been completed solely, sincerely and satisfactorily by
ANGELINA BENNY Of class XII C of K.E. Carmel Central School,
Cherthala during his/her course of study at the same time.

Principal

Fr. Dr. SAMJY VADAKKEDOM, CMI

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CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the original and genuine investigation project entitled
MENTAL DISORDERS- SPLINTERED MINDS has been carried out to
investigate about subject and the related data collected and investigation has
been completed solely, sincerely and satisfactorily by ANGELINA BENNY Of
class XII C of K.E. Carmel Central School, Cherthala during his/her course of
study at the same time. I certify that the project work done by him/her is an
independent work under my supervision and guidance.

Ms. Sabitha. S Ms. Sonet.B

Biology lecturer Biology lecturer

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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the original and genuine
investigation project entitled MENTAL DISORDERS-
SPLINTERED MINDS has been carried out to
investigate about the subject and the related data
collected and investigation has been completed solely,
sincerely and satisfactorily by ANGELINA BENNY of
class XII:C of K.E Carmel Central School, Cherthala
during her cause of study at the same time.

External examiner

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The project entitled MENTAL DISORDERS- SPLINTERED MINDS is done as
per CBSE syllabus which is a part of the curriculum.

I thank the Almighty for showering his blessings upon me to complete the
project successfully on time. I am also thankful to our honourable principal
Fr. Dr.Samjy Vadakkedom CMI for allowing me to use the facilities at the
school extensively for the completion of project. I am also thankful to my
biology teachers, Ms. Sabitha S. and Ms. Sonet.B , whose valuable guidance
has served as a major contribution towards the completion of the project. I
also express my sincere thanks to my parents and all my friends who have
helped me in making this project successful.

ANGELINA BENNY

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INDEX

Contents Page number

Certificate 3
Acknowledgement 6
Introduction 8
Depression 10
Anxiety 16
Bipolar Disorder 21
Survey Report 26
Conclusion 27
Bibliography 28

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Introduction
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a
behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of
personal functioning. A mental disorder is also characterized by a clinically
significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or
behavior. It is usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of
functioning. There are many different types of mental disorders. Mental disorders
may also be referred to as mental health conditions. Such features may be persistent,
relapsing and remitting, or occur as single episodes. Many disorders have been
described, with signs and symptoms that vary widely between specific disorders. Such
disorders may be diagnosed by a mental health professional, usually a clinical
psychologist or psychiatrist.

The causes of mental disorders are often unclear. Theories may incorporate findings
from a range of fields. Mental disorders are usually defined by a combination of how
a person behaves, feels, perceives, or thinks. This may be associated with particular
regions or functions of the brain, often in a social context. A mental disorder is one
aspect of mental health. Cultural and religious beliefs, as well as social norms, should
be taken into account when making a diagnosis.

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In 2019 one in every 8 people or 970 million people around the world were living with
a mental disorder, with anxiety or depression and bipolar disorder as the most
common ones. There are different types of mental disorders. Some common ones
include:

 Anxiety disorders including panic disorder obsessive compulsive disorder and

phobias
 Depression, bipolar disorders and other mood disorders
 Eating disorders
 Personality disorders
 Post traumatic stress disorders
 Psychotic disorders

Three of the most common scene mental disorders among them are depression ,
anxiety and bipolar disorder.

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♦Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of
interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how
you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical
problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes
you may feel as if life isn’t worth living.

More than just a bout of the blues, depression isn’t a weakness and you can’t simply
“snap out” of it. Depression may require long-term treatment. But don’t get
discouraged. Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychotherapy
or both.

Symptoms

Although depression may occur only once during your life, people typically have
multiple episodes. During these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly
every day and may include:

 Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness

 Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters

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  Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies
or sports
 Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
 Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort
 Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight
gain
 Anxiety, agitation or restlessness
 Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
 Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
 Thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
 Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or
Suicide
 Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches

For many people with depression, symptoms usually are severe enough to cause
noticeable problems in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social activities or
relationships with others. Some people may feel generally miserable or unhappy
without really knowing why.

Depression symptoms in children and teens

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Common signs and symptoms of depression in children and teenagers are similar to
those of adults, but there can be some differences.

In younger children, symptoms of depression may include sadness, irritability,

clinginess, worry, aches and pains, refusing to go to school, or being underweight.

In teens, symptoms may include sadness, irritability, feeling negative and worthless,
anger, poor performance or poor attendance at school, feeling misunderstood and
extremely sensitive, using recreational drugs or alcohol, eating or sleeping too much,
self-harm, loss of interest in normal activities, and avoidance of social interaction.

Depression symptoms in older adults

Depression is not a normal part of growing older, and it should never be taken
lightly. Unfortunately, depression often goes undiagnosed and untreated in older
adults, and they may feel reluctant to seek help. Symptoms of depression may be
different or less obvious in older adults, such as:

 Memory difficulties or personality changes

 Physical aches or pain
 Fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep problems or loss of interest in sex — not caused
by a medical condition or medication

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  Often wanting to stay at home, rather than going out to socialize or doing new
things
 Suicidal thinking or feelings, especially in older men.

People with depression appear to have physical changes in their brains. The
significance of these changes is still uncertain, but may eventually help pinpoint
causes.
Causes

 Brain chemistry. Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring brain chemicals

that likely play a role in depression. Recent research indicates that changes in
the function and effect of these neurotransmitters and how they interact with
neurocircuits involved in maintaining mood stability may play a significant
role in depression and its treatment.
 Hormones. Changes in the body’s balance of hormones may be involved in
causing or triggering depression. Hormone changes can result with pregnancy
and during the weeks or months after delivery (postpartum) and from thyroid
problems, menopause or a number of other conditions.
 Inherited traits. Depression is more common in people whose blood relatives
also have this condition. Researchers are trying to find genes that may be
involved in causing depression.
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Treatment

Medications and psychotherapy are effective for most people with depression. Your
primary care doctor or psychiatrist can prescribe medications to relieve symptoms.
However, many people with depression also benefit from seeing a psychiatrist,
psychologist or other mental health professional.

If you have severe depression, you may need a hospital stay, or you may need to
participate in an outpatient treatment program until your symptoms improve.
Medications

Many types of antidepressants are available, however they can creare side effects.
Medications like: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), Serotonin-
norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), Atypical antidepressants, Atypical
antidepressants and Tricyclic antidepressants are available.

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Gender distribution depression index by age group in India

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♦Anxiety

Experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. However, people with anxiety
disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about
everyday situations. Often, anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden
feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic
attacks).

These feelings of anxiety and panic interfere with daily activities, are difficult to
control, are out of proportion to the actual danger and can last a long time. You may
avoid places or situations to prevent these feelings. Symptoms may start during
childhood or the teen years and continue into adulthood.

Examples of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety

disorder (social phobia), specific phobias and separation anxiety disorder. You can
have more than one anxiety disorder. Sometimes anxiety results from a medical
condition that needs treatment.

Symptoms
Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:

 Feeling nervous, restless or tense

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  Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom

 Having an increased heart rate

 Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)

 Sweating

 Trembling

 Feeling weak or tired

 Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present

worry

 Having trouble sleeping

Several types of anxiety disorders exist:

 Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and often

avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you
feel anxious.

 Anxiety disorder due to a medical condition includes symptoms of

intense anxiety or panic that are directly caused by a physical health
problem.

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  Generalized anxiety disorder includes persistent and excessive anxiety
and worry about activities or events — even ordinary, routine issues.

 Panic disorder involves repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense

anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic
attacks). You may have feelings of impending doom, shortness of breath,
chest pain, or a rapid, fluttering or pounding heart (heart palpitations).
These panic attacks may lead to worrying about them happening again or
avoiding situations in which they've occurred.

 Selective mutism is a consistent failure of children to speak in certain

situations, such as school, even when they can speak in other situations,
such as at home with close family members. This can interfere with
school, work and social functioning.

 Separation anxiety disorder is a childhood disorder characterized by

anxiety that's excessive for the child's developmental level and related to
separation from parents or others who have parental roles.

 Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) involves high levels of anxiety, fear
and avoidance of social situations due to feelings of embarrassment, self-
consciousness and concern about being judged or viewed negatively by
others.

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Treatment
The two main treatments for anxiety disorders are psychotherapy and medications.
You may benefit most from a combination of the two. It may take some trial and
error to discover which treatments work best for you.

Psychotherapy

Also known as talk therapy or psychological counseling, psychotherapy involves

working with a therapist to reduce your anxiety symptoms. It can be an effective
treatment for anxiety.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective form of psychotherapy for
anxiety disorders. Generally, a short-term treatment, CBT focuses on teaching you
specific skills to improve your symptoms and gradually return to the activities you've
avoided because of anxiety.

Medications

Several types of medications are used to help relieve symptoms, depending on the
type of anxiety disorder you have and whether you also have other mental or physical
health issues. For example:

 Certain antidepressants are also used to treat anxiety disorders.

 An anti-anxiety medication called buspirone may be prescribed.

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  In limited circumstances, your doctor may prescribe other types of
medications, such as sedatives, also called benzodiazepines, or beta
blockers. These medications are for short-term relief of anxiety symptoms
and are not intended to be used long term.

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♦Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is also called manic depression. It is disorder associated with

episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs. The exact
cause of bipolar is not know, but a combination of genetics, environment and altered
brain structure and chemistry may play a role.

People with bipolar experience both episodes of severe depression and episodes of
mania overwhelming joy, excitement or happiness, huge energy, a reduced need for
sleep, and reduced inhibitions. The experience of bipolar is uniquely personal. No two
people have exactly the same experience.

This disorder is caused by Genes. Bipolar disorder often runs in families, and
research suggests this is mostly explained by heredity people with certain genes are
more likely to develop bipolar disorder than others.
SYMPTOMS OF BIPOLAR DISORDERS

There are several types of bipolar and related disorders. They may include related
disorders. They may include mania or hypomania and depressions. Symptoms can
cause unpredictable changes in mood and behavior, resulting in significant distress
and difficulty in life.

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 • Bipolar I disorder. You’ve had at least one manic episode that may be
preceded or followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes. In
some cases, mania may trigger a break from reality (psychosis).
• Bipolar II disorder. You’ve had at least one major depressive episode and
at least one hypomanic episode, but you’ve never had a manic episode.
• Cyclothymic disorder. You’ve had at least two years or one year in
children and teenagers of many periods of hypomania symptoms and
periods of depressive symptoms .
• Other types. These include, for example, bipolar and related disorders
induced by certain drugs or alcohol or due to a medical condition, such
as Cushing’s disease, multiple sclerosis or stroke.

Bipolar II disorder is not a milder form of bipolar I disorder, but a separate diagnosis.
While the manic episodes of bipolar I disorder can be severe and dangerous,
individuals with bipolar II disorder can be depressed for longer periods, which can
cause significant impairment.

Although bipolar disorder can occur at any age, typically it’s diagnosed in the teenage
years or early 20s. Symptoms can vary from person to person, and symptoms may
vary over time.

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Mania and hypomania

Mania and hypomania are two distinct types of episodes, but they have the same
symptoms. Mania is more severe than hypomania and causes more noticeable
problems at work, school and social activities, as well as relationship difficulties.
Mania may also trigger a break from reality (psychosis) and require hospitalization.

Major depressive episode

A major depressive episode includes symptoms that are severe enough to cause
noticeable difficulty in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social activities or
relationships. An episode includes five or more of these symptoms:

• Depressed mood, such as feeling sad, empty, hopeless or tearful (in

children and teens, depressed mood can appear as irritability)
• Marked loss of interest or feeling no pleasure in all — or almost all —
activities
• Significant weight loss when not dieting, weight gain, or decrease or
increase in appetite (in children, failure to gain weight as expected can
be a sign of depression)
• Either insomnia or sleeping too much
• Either restlessness or slowed behavior

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Treatment
Treatment is best guided by a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and
treating mental health conditions (psychiatrist) who is skilled in treating bipolar and
related disorders. You may have a treatment team that also includes a psychologist,
social worker and psychiatric nurse.

Bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition. Treatment is directed at managing symptoms.

Depending on your needs, treatment may include:

• Medications.
• Continued treatment.
• Day treatment programs.
• Substance abuse treatment.
• Hospitalization.
Medications
Medications may include:

• Mood stabilizers.
• Antipsychotics.
• Antidepressants.
• Antidepressant-antipsychotic.

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 • Anti-anxiety medications.

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Survey Report

Some of the major mental health disorders are depression, anxiety and bipolar
disorder. Females are most likely to suffer from these disorders than men from data
analysis. Depression is common among adolescents from 12 to 17 age group . Anxiety
is the most common mental disorder found among teenagers. The given below data is
analysis of the same.

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Conclusion
Mental disorder is a behavioural or mental pattern that causes significant distress or
impairment of personal functioning. The daily functioning of the individual is highly
affected when a person’s mental health condition is not sane; a person suffers from
diminishing capacity to cope with the basic needs and demands in life. These are very
common amongst both in an old age generation one in every 8 person is affected by
mental health disorders.

Some of them are depression , anxiety and bipolar disorder.The symptoms of mental
disorders are often left unnoticed for a long period of time. Main method of
treatment for most of the mental disorders are medication and therapy.

Bibliography
 https://www.mayoclinic.org/
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  NCERT textbook biology class XII
 https://www.wikipedia.org/
 A beautiful mind- Slyvia Nazar

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