Mental Illness

Mental illnesses are common, yet the stigma of discussions around mental health remains. We hope this compilation inspires conversations about mental health, whether you are a professor looking to round out a syllabus or someone hoping to better understand your own experiences. Read on to discover study guides for fiction and nonfiction titles spanning a variety of important topics, such as suicide, schizophrenia, depression and anxiety, trauma, and bipolar disorder.

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Asian Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Chinese Literature, Mental Illness, Fantasy


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Mental Illness


Publication year 1981

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Crime / Legal, Psychology, Mental Illness, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Psychology, Biography

The Minds of Billy Milligan (1981) is a nonfiction work by Daniel Keyes, documenting the life and experiences of William Stanley “Billy” Milligan, the first defendant found not guilty by reason of insanity because of dissociative identity disorder (DID). The book follows Milligan’s early life experiences that led to his illness, arrest, and trial after the rapes of three women on the Ohio State University campus, as well as the years he spent in different... Read The Minds of Billy Milligan Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: New Age, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Animals, Science / Nature, Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Agriculture, Education, Health / Medicine, Grief / Death, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Economics

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Illness


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags LGBTQ, Romance, Arts / Culture, Grief / Death, Health / Medicine, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Realistic Fiction, Poverty, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Barbara Haworth-Attard’s young adult novel Theories of Relativity follows the story of Dylan Wallace, a 16-year-old boy living on the streets of a large city in Canada. Through first-person, present-tense narration, Dylan navigates the dangers and risks of street life and deals with the hardships that accompany the lifestyle. This novel was originally published in Canada in 2003 by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. This study guide follows the First American Edition of the novel, published in... Read Theories of Relativity Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Race

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, French Literature, Race / Racism, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction

The Perfect Nanny is a thriller written by Franco-Moroccan journalist and author Leïla Slimani. Published in 2016, the novel is inspired by the 2012 murders of two white American children in New York City by their caretaker, a naturalized American citizen born in the Dominican Republic. Slimani resets the narrative in Paris, France, and the nanny she depicts is a native French woman and white. Slimani reframes the crime to explore themes of racism, classicism... Read The Perfect Nanny Summary


Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is Stephen Chbosky’s first novel and was published in 1999. It is young adult fiction and a coming-of-age tale told from the perspective of Charlie, a freshman in high school. The epistolary novel is comprised of a series of letters that Charlie writes to someone he calls “friend,” although he has never met this friend in person. He makes it immediately clear that he wants to remain anonymous with... Read The Perks of Being a Wallflower Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Relationships, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine


Publication year 1998

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Language

Tags History: European, Mental Illness, Arts / Culture, Education, Age of Enlightenment, History: World, Biography

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary is a 1998 work of nonfiction by British-American journalist Simon Winchester. Originally titled The Surgeon of Crowthorne: A Tale of Murder, Madness, and the Love of Words upon its release in the United Kingdom, the book follows the story of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and the connection that developed between James Murray, the... Read The Professor And The Madman Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Depression / Suicide, Fantasy, Mental Illness

The Program is a 2014 young adult dystopian novel by Suzanne Young. Young is a novelist specializing in science fiction, thriller, and romance novels in the young adult genre. The novel takes place in a dystopian society where the government declares mental illness an epidemic. The Program follows seventeen-year-old Sloane Barstow, who struggles to reunite with her boyfriend James after a treatment clinic called The Program erases their memories in an attempt to “cure” their... Read The Program Summary


Publication year 1994

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Tags Psychology, Mental Illness, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Biography

The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness is a 1994 memoir that chronicles the years-long struggle of Lori Schilling, a bright, promising, high-achieving Jewish woman, born to affluent parents and afflicted with schizophrenia. Ultimately, Schilling will emerge triumphant from her journey, which includes many stints, both voluntarily and involuntarily, in mental hospitals, several suicide attempts, and a constant battle with hallucinated voices that viciously assail Lori and bid her to kill... Read The Quiet Room Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Health / Medicine, Psychology, Disability, Japanese Literature, Psychology, Mental Illness, Biography


Publication year 1974

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Society: War, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Mental Illness, American Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism

Content Warning: This guide contains references to war-related trauma, suicide, and systemic racism and violence against Indigenous Americans.“The Red Convertible” is a short story that explores themes of Coming of Age and The Trauma of War through the lives of two young Chippewa men. Protagonist Lyman Lamartine reflects on his relationship with his brother, Henry Junior, before, during, and after Henry’s time serving in the Vietnam War. Lyman focuses on the period when he and... Read The Red Convertible Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Confessional, Grief / Death, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Relationships, Mental Illness, Disability


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family

Tags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Mental Illness, Religion / Spirituality

The Rest of Us Just Live Here, a novel by critically acclaimed young adult (YA) author Patrick Ness, tells the story of Mikey, a high school senior living in a fictional town in the state of Washington. The novel follows Mikey as graduation approaches and he navigates the anxieties and uncertainties of love, friendship, and the fear of leaving behind everything he’s grown up with. Ness, the author of the widely lauded Chaos Walking trilogy... Read The Rest of Us Just Live Here Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, British Literature, Gothic Literature


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Depression / Suicide, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction