Mental illness

A mental illness is a disorder of the brain that results in a disruption in a person's thinking, feeling, moods, and ability to relate to others. Mental illness is distinct from the legal concepts of sanity and insanity.

In art and literature

Books

• One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
• The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

Motion Pictures

Many motion pictures portray mental illness in inaccurate ways leading to misunderstanding and heightened stigma. Some movies, however, are lauded for dispelling stereotypes and providing insight into mental illness. In a study by George Gerbner, it was determined that 5 percent of 'normal' television characters are murderers while 20 % of 'mentally ill' characters are murderers. 40% of normal characters are violent while 70% of mentally ill characters are violent. Contrary to what is portrayed in films and television, Henry Steadman and his collegues found that, overall, former mental patients did not have a higher rate of violence than their control group of people who were not formal mental health patients. In both groups, however, substance abuse was linked to a higher rate of violence in both groups. (Hockenbury and Hockenbury 2004)

Related Topics:
Stigma - 2004

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See List of films featuring mental illness.

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