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 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Society: Immigration

Tags Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, Depression / Suicide, Health / Medicine, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Social Justice, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Masculinity, Society: Community, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender

Tags Satire, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Fight Club (1996) is the debut novel of American author Chuck Palahniuk. Three years later, American filmmaker David Fincher directed the film adaptation starring Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden, Edward Norton as the Narrator, and Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer. This study guide uses the 2018 paperback edition published by W. W. Norton & Co.Fight Club is a contemporary work of literary fiction that contends with masculinity, materialism, consumer culture, and modern disillusionment. Inspired... Read Fight Club Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Immigration, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Children's Literature, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Korean War


Publication year 1990

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability

Tags Lyric Poem, Mental Illness, American Literature


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Depression / Suicide, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Diversity, Realism, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

The young adult novel Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock depicts the day 18-year-old Leonard Peacock plans to carry out a murder-suicide. Author Matthew Quick wrote this and other popular titles, including Silver Linings Playbook, adapted into the Oscar-winning film. This guide refers to the 2013 hardback first edition from Little, Brown and Company.Plot SummaryNarrator and protagonist Leonard Peacock sits alone in his home the morning of his birthday. Later that day, he plans to kill himself... Read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness


Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Midlife

Tags Arts / Culture, Humor, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Biography, Mental Illness


Publication year 2019

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Indigenous, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Community, Relationships: Family

Tags Inspirational, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Biography


Publication year 1990

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: New Age

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


Publication year 2006

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity

Tags LGBTQ, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Parenting, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Gender / Feminism, Biography

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (2006) is a graphic novel memoir written and illustrated by underground cartoonist Alison Bechdel. The book centers on Bechdel’s relationship with her late father Bruce Allen Bechdel, who died in what she believes was a death by suicide. Fun Home is a non-linear narrative that rehashes events from Alison Bechdel’s youth and adolescence. Her memories are presented in the comic panels, overlayed with her prosaic, retrospective musings in text boxes... Read Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Girl in Pieces is the New York Times bestselling young adult contemporary novel by Kathleen Glasgow originally published in 2016. It was a New York Public Library Best Book for Teens selection and Amelia Bloomer Project Award Selection. The novel explores a teen’s recovery journey from self-harm, exploring the roles of community, healthy patterns, and acceptance of dualities. Glasgow is also well-known for her other novels, including You'd Be Home Now (2021) and How to... Read Girl in Pieces Summary


Publication year 1993

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Psychology, Gender / Feminism, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Health / Medicine, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Classic Fiction, Biography

Susanna Kaysen’s 1993, Girl, Interrupted, is a memoir that explores Kaysen’s time as a teenage psychiatric patient in McLean Hospital in the late 1960s. Kaysen explores the murky definitions of mental health and illness, as she recounters her experience of being diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and makes compelling arguments about the subjective nature of personality, behavior, and disorder. Girl, Interrupted is a bestselling book and was adapted into the 1999 film starring Winona Ryder... Read Girl, Interrupted Summary


Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Depression / Suicide, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction

Initially advertised as an anonymous, true story of a teenage girl, Go Ask Alice (1971) by Beatrice Sparks is an epistolary novel, or a fictional work structured as a diary. The diary entries chronicle two years of a teen girl’s experience with social acceptance, family relationships, and drugs—primarily marijuana, LSD, and amphetamines. Although Beatrice Sparks initially claimed to be the diary’s editor, considerable evidence suggests that she’s the sole author of the fictional work. Nevertheless... Read Go Ask Alice Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Goodbye Days is a young adult novel by Jeff Zentner. Published in 2017, it follows a teenage boy, Carver Briggs, who is grappling with the deaths of his three best friends. All three boys died in a car crash on their way to pick up Carver from work. Carver’s survivor’s guilt is exacerbated by the fact that he’s facing a possible criminal investigation for “negligent homicide” for his supposed role in the accident. Carver texted... Read Goodbye Days Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness

Tags Humor, Health / Medicine, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Goodbye, Vitamin is Asian American author Rachel Khong’s debut novel. Khong, whose grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease, explores how Alzheimer’s disease affects a family in this work of literary fiction. Written as a series of diary entries, Khong’s protagonist, Ruth Young, meditates on memory, forgiveness, and the challenges inherent in familial relationships as she navigates an adulthood that is not turning out as planned.Published in 2017, Goodbye, Vitamin received positive reviews and was named one of... Read Goodbye, Vitamin Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Yessenia Lopez—a 16-year-old, wheelchair-bound Puerto Rican girl from inner city Chicago—arrives at ILLC from juvie after violently assaulting her classmate in school. With absent parents and a recently deceased guardian (Tía Nene), she is explosive and struggles to get along with her peers. However, she develops friendships with a few of her roommates and caring adult employees, like Joanne and Jimmie. Though she hates ILLC and finds it to be demeaning, she has nowhere else... Read Good Kings Bad Kings Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery

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