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