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.

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

OCDaniel (2016), a young adult novel by American author Wesley King, follows Daniel Leigh, a teenager with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), who struggles with the symptoms of his condition along with his social rejection for being odd. More than anything else, Daniel wants to be “normal” and to meet the expectations of his father. Daniel’s world changes when he befriends Sara Malvern, a selectively mute girl known to the school as “Psycho Sara.” Daniel and Sara embark... Read OCDaniel Summary


Publication year 1973

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Nation, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Arts / Culture, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Depression / Suicide, History: U.S., Mental Illness, History: World


Publication year 1901

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Education, Education, Science / Nature, French Literature, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1962

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Health / Medicine, Relationships, Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a historical fiction novel by Ken Kesey, published in 1962. Kesey drew on his experiences working in a veterans’ hospital to develop a critique of then-current psychiatric practices. The novel’s central conflict between a domineering nurse and an unruly patient can also be read as an allegory for the emerging culture wars of the 1960s. The novel was adapted into a Broadway play one year after its publication... Read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Mental Illness


Publication year 2004

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Education, Education, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Opening Skinner’s Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century by Lauren Slater is a work of narrative non-fiction published in 2004 by W.W. Norton & Company. Slater, an American psychotherapist, examines 10 landmark psychological experiments—from B.F. Skinner’s infamous boxes to Harry Harlow’s primates—and, in doing so, she explores larger philosophical questions related to human freedom, the limits of science, and truth in art.Slater provides biographical details of the scientists behind each landmark experiment. She... Read Opening Skinner's Box Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Memoir in Verse, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Biography, Mental Illness


Publication year 1532

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Gender / Feminism, History: European, Love / Sexuality, Military / War, Italian Literature, Renaissance, Mental Illness, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love

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


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness

Tags Historical Fiction, Disability, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Bullying, Post-War Era, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, History: World

Petey is middle grade novel written by Ben Mikaelsen and published in 1998. Mikaelsen is the author of 10 novels for young adults and the winner of several awards for his work. Petey is dedicated to and based on the life of Clyde Cothern, a Montana man with cerebral palsy who was misdiagnosed as intellectually disabled and confined to Montana State Hospital in the 1920s. Mikaelsen and Cothern shared a close personal friendship, and while... Read Petey Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Arts / Culture, Depression / Suicide, Grief / Death, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction

Picture Us in the Light is a young adult novel written by Kelly Loy Gilbert and published in 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Gilbert is the author of three young adult novels, all of which focus on the young Asian American experience. Picture Us in the Light is written in the first-person perspective of protagonist Danny Cheng, but Gilbert includes flashbacks to China to connect Danny to a past his parents have... Read Picture Us in the Light Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy

Tags Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Classic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

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

Reality Boy (2013) is a young adult novel by American writer A.S. King. Told through the first-person perspective of Gerald Faust, a teenage boy who grapples with trauma, the narrative explores Gerald’s childhood abuse and the public spotlight which facilitated it when his family is selected for a reality television series. Gerald’s account takes place during his teenage years and features chapters that flash back to the filming of the series.Plot SummaryWhen Gerald Faust was... Read Reality Boy Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Disability, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Depression / Suicide, Inspirational, Mental Illness, Psychology, Biography


Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Social Justice, Self Help, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Philosophy, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine


Publication year 1994

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Psychology, Gender / Feminism, Parenting, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Self Help

Reviving Ophelia was written in 1994 by Mary Pipher, a psychologist who works with women and teen girls, studying the ways cultural norms impact their mental health. The book comprises a collection of Pipher’s essays, which are based on the interviews and focus groups with adolescent girls she conducted with her daughter, Sara Pipher. She wrote the collection to bring awareness to the cultural trauma and dysfunction experienced by adolescent girls and to assist girls... Read Reviving Ophelia Summary


Publication year 2002

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Humor, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs was first published in 2002 as a memoir. After several of the figures it features sued for defamation and dishonesty of its claims, however, it was recategorized as a book. It can also be classified as a bildungsroman since it follows the adolescent growth of its narrator and protagonist. Running with Scissors was adapted into a feature film in 2006.Other works by this author include Dry and A Wolf... Read Running With Scissors Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Self Discovery, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Self Help, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness


Publication year 1999

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

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