Its a mix of memoirs and psychology books, but i kept the list to books that i think would be accessible and interesting. How reading fiction has helped my mental health metro news. Mental illness is much better understood now and treated far more sympathetically, but it is also on the rise. Ocd, eating disorders, depression, unrequited love, absent parents, and more. As an example i a writer living with diagnosed depression was told by a psychiatrist that the only people writing fiction about mental health should be professionals who are. Fiction and non fiction books that deal with mental health. May 09, 2019 since 1949, may has been designated as mental health awareness month. According to the nami website, 1 in 5 americans will be affected by a mental health condition in their lifetime, and the more we talk about the subjecteven in fantastical contextsthe more we can do to understand and assist those who live. Amazon written by poet and author sylvia plath, the bell jar is an autobiographical novel. Fantasy literature opens the door to imaginative worlds. Around one in four people experience a mental health problem each year in the uk. There has been a shifting conversation on the topic of mental health within the american church in the past decade, and christian counselor kristen kansiewicz adds greater insight to that conversation as she responds to tough questions and shares reallife case examples. Here are 12 kidapproved books that tackle mental health in a way that is relatable to young people. The victorians loved stashing mad women up in towers or attics, where they could sloly peel the wallpaper from the walls or moan and.
Sep 18, 2019 i think that these ya books about mental health portray these mental health conditions in a respectful manner. Depression, anxiety, and suicide plagued ones every step. Mental health fiction score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Reading books benefits both your physical and mental health, and those benefits can last a lifetime. There are essays, comics, illustrations, and even funny lists. For mental health awareness week, i thought id chat about 10 books about mental health that are on my wishlist, tbr, or that ive read.
The greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever. According to the nami website, 1 in 5 americans will be affected by a mental health condition in their lifetime, and the more we talk about the subjecteven in fantastical contextsthe more we can do. Heres how birth control pills are saving my mental health the rest of us just live here by patrick ness this novel focuses on your typicaland notsotypicalhigh school life, particularly that of the socalled indie kids, who deal with a multitude of things. A deeply hopeful ya novel about living with mental illness thats perfect for fans of girl in pieces. It looks at how we talk about mental health or how we dont. But with the rise in diagnoses of mental health challengesin part because of a better understanding of how these illnesses can workcomes the crucial need to talk about mental health in a bigger way. I recently chose to neglect my studying, homework and personal responsibilities in favor of reading a book. Dec 28, 2018 they are looking for nonfiction book proposals in the genres of early childhood, self esteem, positive development, bullying, mental health, learning differences, adhd, resources for educators and parents. Taking time to sit back and read a fictional book is one of the best brain exercises you can do for yourself, your mental health, and even for your future aging self. The title is honeymans first published work of fiction, and has been heralded as a life changing title. Stories chronicling the struggles of young people and their friends, siblings, or parents who suffer from anxiety, depression, obsessivecompulsive disorder ocd, agoraphobia, an eating disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, hypochondria, and other illnesses make for engrossing. This book is a conversation starter about mental health. If you find a nonworking link or newly defunct publication at anytime in the future, or if you know a journal or.
Its about so much more than mental illness which is why i. How therapy works to awaken, heal, and set you free winner of the best book award for psychology and mental health winner of the international book award for self help and relationships best new nonfiction book of the year finalist by usa best book awards foreword indies book of the year awards finalist. The government banned these emotions entirely for fear of. It tells the story of a gifted young womans mental breakdown during a summer internship as. A relatively unknown mental health intervention is bibliotherapy or reading. May 11, 2020 my contribution in the forthcoming essay collection raced bodies, erased lives. An original dystopian short story inspired by margret atwood, kurt vonnegut, and david armsby. It helps you destress, improve focus, and sleep better. Here are 16 of our favorite books that address mental health topics in.
The orchid republic was the mental health capital of the world. Reading about mental health can help us gain insights into why certain behaviours happen, and how to deal and cope with them, whether for ourselves or for someone dear. May is mental health awareness month and a great time to explore the many writers who write on diverse topics related to mental health and mental illness. The government banned these emotions entirely for fear of losing money and rep. Jun 15, 2017 heres how birth control pills are saving my mental health the rest of us just live here by patrick ness this novel focuses on your typicaland notsotypicalhigh school life, particularly that of the socalled indie kids, who deal with a multitude of things. Ya books about mental illness and mental health book riot. Apr 15, 2011 in the week when catherine zeta jones helped to open up a debate about mental health, which novels deal best with the issues raised by problems of the mind. Nov 11, 2018 an original dystopian short story inspired by margret atwood, kurt vonnegut, and david armsby. May 01, 2020 21 important books that address mental health topics schizophrenia earth to charlie by justin olson.
Well, this week, instead of picking just one book to feature, i have created a summer reading list comprised of twelve science fiction books that each depict the reality of one or more mental health conditions, sometimes even better than textbooks or realism. Rather than limiting readers capacity to deal with reality, exposure to outsidethebox creative stories may expand their ability to engage reality based on science. Books have a singular ability to educate, entertain, and elicit empathy, making them the perfect medium through which to understand oftmisunderstood illness like depression. Reading science fiction and fantasy can help readers make sense of the world. The perks of being a wallflower by stephen chbosky, one flew over the cuckoos nest by ken kesey, eleanor oliphan. Science fiction builds mental resiliency in young readers. Race in young adult speculative fiction discusses how race, gender and mental health for black girls is. Dalloway by virginia woolf 1925 a day in the life of clarissa dalloway. Why its important to write about mental health in fiction.
Mental health memoirs offer an eyeopening look at the lives of the mentally ill and those around them. Convinced his mother has been abducted by aliens, charlie dickens spends his nights with an eye out for ufos, hoping to join her. Jul 17, 2017 well, this week, instead of picking just one book to feature, i have created a summer reading list comprised of twelve science fiction books that each depict the reality of one or more mental health conditions, sometimes even better than textbooks or realism. The mental health benefits of reading science fiction. I think this book is very well written and fun, while still discussing the important topic of mental health for both children and adults. Turtles all the way down by john green aza is trying. Oct 12, 2017 with mental health awareness week on us, perhaps one of the ways for us to understand mental health is to read stories about it or personal narratives, whether fiction or non fiction. May 10, 2017 id also include being aware that some people who you talk to about mental health may have an agenda, so be aware of their own prejudices when researching. This is a fantasy novel that just happens to star characters who struggle with mental health issues, particularly ptsd.
I discovered science fiction over thirty years ago, but found it hard to find stories that had as much to say about mental illness as they did about. Below weve featured 17 top publishers of mental health books. What better way to immerse yourself in such important cultural conversations than with literature. Christian books on mental health healthy mind ministry. Mental health fiction books meet your next favorite book. Eleanor oliphant is completely fine written by gail honeyman. Childrens fiction could be used, of course, as a starting point. These publications have a creative rather than lifestyle focus. Salinger 1951 the quintessential tale of disaffected youth. Not the taboo subject it once was, mental illness offers rich territory to explore in books for kids and teens. A 14day plan for cutting out all sugar and using protein and fiber to slow the absorption of carbohydrates. Finding a good book is easy, but finding one that represents the mental health community accurately can be difficult. Books that feature characters dealing with mental illness. Heres a list of my favorite nonfiction books on mental illness.
The books beating heart is the complex relationship she has with leonard, a possible fictional standin for david foster wallace, a friend of eugenidess who dealt. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. The man who mistook his wife for a hat and other clinical tales by oliver sacks. Our interviews with experts in the field explore mental health from a wide variety of positions and recommend books on every aspect of the subject. May 24, 2017 on sunday, in honor of may being national mental health month, i posted my ten favorite fiction books about mental illness. Eugenidess third novelhis follow up to the pulitzerwinning oprahs book club selection middlesexcenters on madeline, an english major at. These books traverse all aspects of mental health and mental illness, and theyre both fiction and nonfiction. Browse and shop for books, home decor, toys, gifts and more on indigo. Interestingly, this survey found that 27 percent of americans did not read any books at all in 2016. I typically enjoy reading young adult novels, so all of these books are appropriate for teenagers and older. Literary journals with a mental health focus nicole melanson. Mental health fiction 45 books meet your next favorite book. Mental illness in fiction news newspapers books scholar jstor july 2010.
Oct 02, 2018 mental health is crucial to our overall health. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder over twenty years ago and have had to find all sorts of ways to manage my mental health and forge a career as a writer and audiobook narrator. Oct 18, 2018 mental health is a huge problem, he says. Can picture books meet the crisis in childrens mental health. The following list of books about mental illness contains fiction, graphic novels, nonfiction, memoirs, biographies, and more, all books that broaden our understanding of mental illness from. Sep 09, 2019 this book is a conversation starter about mental health. With mental health awareness week on us, perhaps one of the ways for us to understand mental health is to read stories about it or personal narratives, whether fiction or nonfiction. May, 2014 there is a great tradition of mental illness in fiction. Oct 15, 2019 reading books benefits both your physical and mental health, and those benefits can last a lifetime.
The books that i am mentioning in this post deal with different mental illnesses. There should be as much help for children as we can possibly give. They begin in early childhood and continue through the senior years. Empathising through stories mental health in usborne fiction these brilliant books help give an insight into mental health issues including titles by holly bourne, best known for her authentic characters and revolutionary attitude to mental health and feminism. May 23, 2016 may is mental health awareness month and a great time to explore the many writers who write on diverse topics related to mental health and mental illness. Save my name, blue cats and chartreuse kittens is a mustread for science and health buffs, and website in this browser for the next time i comment. When i took part in futurelearns literature and mental health course in 2015, i explored precisely this question during six weeks of online modules fiction was our focus.
A personcentred approach is an easy comprehension that enhances readers understanding of mental health, mental illness, and recovery. Then charlie meets popular, easygoing seth, who shows him what real friendship is all about. A black womans journey through depression by meri nanaama danquah. Eugenidess third novelhis follow up to the pulitzerwinning oprahs book club selection middlesexcenters on madeline, an english major at brown who struggles to reconcile her life with her love for victorian literature. They are looking for nonfiction book proposals in the genres of early childhood, self esteem, positive development, bullying, mental health, learning differences, adhd, resources for educators and parents. With explanations of basic humanistic concepts like empathy, communication, and social support, the book is worth the read. Growing up and mental health usborne childrens books.
May 18, 2016 as a way to help erase stigma related to mental illnesses, the national alliance on mental illness has designated may as mental health month. The six of crows duology is a thrilling fantasy about an impossible heist carried out by a cast of superdiverse thieves and crooks. Its impossible to separate the two, and yet, it happens all the time. The dsm, also known as psychiatrys bible, is the goto source for psychiatrists, psychologists, and clinical social workers in the united states for identification and diagnosis of mental illness. Nonfiction books can be really educational when it comes to learning about mental health conditions, but fiction books can help you connect with people and see what its actually like for people have mental illnesses. Here are 20 books, fiction and nonfiction, with mental health as the main subject or playing a. Turtles all the way down by john green, challenger deep by neal shusterman, the bell jar by sylvia plath, its k. As a way to help erase stigma related to mental illnesses, the national alliance on mental illness has designated may as mental health month. The therapeutic benefits of writing a novel psychology today.
These books are recommended for mature 4th 8th graders. This lyrical, profound contemporary novel takes an honest. The therapeutic benefits of writing a novel research suggests that writing fiction can be a powerful healing tool. May is mental health awareness month and we find that books can not only help us understand or sympathize, but can often help us talk about difficult topics.
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