A mix of fiction and nonfiction, these books show what its. If youre interested in reading more books that incorporate this important subject, ive rounded up a few of my favorites below. Insane americas criminal treatment of mental illness by alisa roth 320 pp. Mental health fiction score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
The following mental traps are based on scientific research, my degree in psychology, andmost of allmy experience observing and coaching authors who are struggling with them. Over the last decade, the growth in ya books about mental illness is hard to overlook. Murders, 1936 detective fiction novel by agatha christie. National institute of mental health, one is six adults in the united states live with a mental illness. There is a motif of recovery and relapse in the book that is significant beyond the fiction. Religion and spirituality finally, much research indicates a strong and consistent relationship between religiosity and mental health. Pages in category mental illness in fiction the following 6 pages are in this category, out of 6 total. Books have a singular ability to educate, entertain, and elicit empathy, making them the perfect medium through which to understand oftmisunderstood illness like depression, bipolar disorder, and ptsd. Oct 02, 2018 over the last decade, the growth in ya books about mental illness is hard to overlook. Reading books about mental illness can help you feel less alone. Its always been there, in part because writing about adolescents in any capacity means exploring a social group that is a cocktail of hormones that causes them tremendous physical, emotional, intellectual, and mental changes in a short time frame. These books include both fiction and nonfiction, and can be used as a starting point to talk about mental health. Why its important to write about mental health in fiction. Of course, ive struggled with, and continue to struggle with, some of these traps as well.
Built on the principle of individual differences, this book explores new dimensions of recovering from mental health illness and views the sufferer separately from his illness. If you want to better understand different mental health issues and how psychiatric treatment has evolved, the 16 nonfiction books about mental illness listed below are a. Heres a look at the books mental health professionals recommend, with some background on the work and how it might help with depression. Check out last years videos for mental illness awareness week check out my new channel dedicated to psychology and mental health h. The perks of being a wallflower by stephen chbosky, one flew over the cuckoos nest by ken kesey, eleanor oliphan. Apr 01, 2017 books mentioned under rose tainted skies by louise gornall a list of cages by robin. Heres a list of my favorite nonfiction books on mental illness. Its a mix of memoirs and psychology books, but i kept the list to books that i think would be accessible and interesting to nonpsychology majors. Sep 17, 2018 10 new books about mental illness to read in 2018. Turtles all the way down by john green, challenger deep by neal shusterman, the bell jar by sylvia plath, its k. The book deals with important themes like t reatment, improvements and relapses, daily struggles and overcoming the past. Despite the fact it is so common, individuals who dont suffer from a condition, and even those who do. Needless to say, mental illness was even less understood in.
Its about so much more than mental illness which is why i love it so much. In honor of mental health month, i rounded up five young childrens books that center around mental health and emotional growthbecause its never too early to begin teaching your kids how to balance their feelings. May 09, 2019 books have a singular ability to educate, entertain, and elicit empathy, making them the perfect medium through which to understand oftmisunderstood illness like depression, bipolar disorder, and ptsd. They offer an empathetic look at the challenges of living with mental illness. Illness in ya fiction do authors go too far, or not far enough. On sunday, in honor of may being national mental health month, i posted my ten favorite fiction books about mental illness. The author discusses books on mental illness, explaining the conditions that keep us sane and the effects of removing them. Ive seen the gamut of mental illness, all the way from mild anxiety to fullblown psychosis in a bipolar disorder or schizophrenic or depressed patient. Later, books would introduce readers to evil nurses, forced lobotomies, and botched attempts at electroshock therapy. Children are less likely than adults to pick up a nonfiction book about anxiety and mental health issues fiction can be used as a back door into those topics. There are many compelling, wellwritten narratives that focus on mental illness or otherwise feature teen characters struggling with and coming to terms with them.
May is mental health awareness month and a great time to explore the many writers who write on diverse topics related to mental health and mental illness. Writers and mental illness 9 mental traps to watch out for. May 01, 2020 there are many compelling, wellwritten narratives that focus on mental illness or otherwise feature teen characters struggling with and coming to terms with them. By ilana masad 9 months ago according to the national alliance on mental health, 43. Fiction has long had a history of using mental illness as a plot device or symbolism, but some recent novels are depicting mental illness in refreshingly nuanced ways. May is mental health awareness month and we find that books can not only help us understand or sympathize, but can often help us talk about difficult topics. May 24, 2017 on sunday, in honor of may being national mental health month, i posted my ten favorite fiction books about mental illness. The best books on mental illness recommended by samantha harvey. Jan 31, 2020 here are the best new books to read this month, from colum mccanns apeirogon to douglas stuarts shuggie bain.
The books listed below were selected as part of spaces to thrive, a partnership between the mayors office of thrivenyc and the new york public library. Peoples is the protagonist of the silver linings playbook, a touching and entertaining novel by matthew quick that captures the experience of someone living with a mental illness. Even if you have never dealt with a mental illness, chances are you know people who have them. Jan 24, 2018 10 new books about mental illness to read in 2018. Like, you can tell when an author is including something as a oneoff plot point instead of giving it the love and care it needs. Depictions of mental illness, and of neurodiversity, need to be wellresearched and nuanced. Ya books about mental illness and mental health book riot. These books can aid family and friends to deal with the helplessness they.
Below are some of my favorite books which offer a refreshing perspective on mental health conditions, breaking through the cultural, social, and political barriers that can keep people from speaking openly. The best books on teenage mental health five books expert. Get it right, please a np evaluates patients, diagnoses, orders medication if needed and does education around mental health issues. May 04, 2016 if you want to better understand different mental health issues and how psychiatric treatment has evolved, the 16 nonfiction books about mental illness listed below are a great jumping off point. Apr 20, 2020 may is mental health awareness month and a great time to explore the many writers who write on diverse topics related to mental health and mental illness.
Pachinko was named one of the 10 best books of 2017 by the new york times and. Details a young womans recovery in a mental hospital. May, 2016 in honor of mental health month, i rounded up five young childrens books that center around mental health and emotional growthbecause its never too early to begin teaching your kids how to balance their feelings. May 23, 2016 may is mental health awareness month and a great time to explore the many writers who write on diverse topics related to mental health and mental illness. Oct 04, 2016 will i ever be good enough healing the daughters of narcissistic mothers the first book for daughters who have suffered the abuse of selfish, selfinvolved mothers, will i ever be good enough. Take, for example, the most common representation of autism seen in movies and some books. There are a lot of depictions of mental illness out there that feel super disingenuous. This is a fantasy novel that just happens to star characters who struggle with mental health issues, particularly ptsd. I recommend such books to people with mental illness regularly.
Will i ever be good enough healing the daughters of narcissistic mothers the first book for daughters who have suffered the abuse of selfish, selfinvolved mothers, will i ever be good enough. These new novels face the complicated reality of mental illness. Nonfiction books can be really educational when it comes to learning about mental health conditions, but fiction books can help you connect with people and see what its actually like for people have mental illnesses. For most people who suffer from mental health issues it is a condition that is going to have to be coped with long term whether it be with medication, behavioural change, therapy, or a combination of all. Pachinko was named one of the 10 best books of 2017 by the new york times and was a finalist for. The following list of books about mental illness contains fiction, graphic novels, nonfiction, memoirs, biographies, and more, all books that broaden our understanding of mental illness from first. The following 10 mental health books all tackle heavy subjects with warmth and unbridled honesty. Can picture books meet the crisis in childrens mental health. Oct 14, 2015 peoples is the protagonist of the silver linings playbook, a touching and entertaining novel by matthew quick that captures the experience of someone living with a mental illness. Tells the story of the staff and patients at a mental hospital in which a caring female psychiatrist and her colleague face discrimination by a conservative new supervisor. The insane way our prison system handles the mentally ill. The following list of books about mental illness contains fiction, graphic novels, nonfiction, memoirs, biographies, and more, all books that broaden our understanding of mental illness from.
A mix of fiction and non fiction, these books show what its like when your brain seems to be working against you. Recommendations include sartre, coetzee, and john bayley on iris murdoch. There have been countless books written about anxiety, but few have talked about the illness as a source for power in the way sarah wilsons. Sep 18, 2019 even if you have never dealt with a mental illness, chances are you know people who have them. Randy struggled with alcoholism and mental illness, while keaton rose to. Books, especially ya novels, possess the ability to provide comfort to those who find representation of themselves in a character with a mental illness, as well as to educate readers who find the. The best books on mental illness five books expert. Followed by case studies and interview samples, the book justifies its name and paves the way for therapists across the world to flourish in their field. Its so easy to misunderstand a mental illness, especially if you havent experienced the unique set of problems and worries that accompany it. Despite the fact it is so common, individuals who dont suffer from a condition, and even those who do, still struggle to understand mental illness in 2018. Oct 01, 2017 check out last years videos for mental illness awareness week check out my new channel dedicated to psychology and mental health h. Mental health experts recommend their favorite depression. Illness in ya fiction do authors go too far, or not far. What are some good books about mental illness, fiction and.