Why am I passionate about this?

I have a reputation as an expert on the portrayal of psychopathology in contemporary cinema, and I have lectured on this topic hundreds of times in dozens of different countries. This reputation builds on five editions of Movies and Mental Illness and two editions of Positive Psychology at the Movies. I am also currently coauthoring a third book: Movies, Mini-series, and Multiculturalism: Using Films to Understand Culture, and I edit a series of film reviews for Hogrefe titled A Clinical Psychologist Goes to the Movies. Much of my career has been devoted to exploring the fascinating interface of psychopathology and media.


I wrote

Movies and Mental Illness

By Danny Wedding,

Book cover of Movies and Mental Illness

What is my book about?

Films are a powerful medium for teaching students of psychology, social work, medicine, nursing, counseling, and also literature or media…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Film

Danny Wedding Why did I love this book?

I loved this book. It is a quick read (100 pages) that will introduce readers to the importance of film in contemporary society.

Schlozman is a child psychiatrist who writes beautifully; he is also one of the world’s leading authorities on the relationship between cinema and mental illness, and he is someone who is deeply concerned by the ways in which films perpetuate stigma for people who are coping with mental illness, substance abuse or a developmental disability. Schlozman was an English teacher before becoming a psychiatrist; this is likely one of the reasons he writes so well.

By Steven Schlozman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Film as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Our world is inundated by film. Our best stories are told on movie screens, on televisions, on smartphones and laptops. Film argues that on-screen storytelling is the most ubiquitous format for art to intersect with health and well-being, offering a way for us to appreciate, understand and even celebrate the most nuanced and complex notions of what it means to be healthy through the stories that we watch unfolding. Clinicians use film to better understand their patients, and individuals use film to better understand themselves and each other.
Using case histories and based on academic research from a range of…


Book cover of Characters on the Couch

Danny Wedding Why did I love this book?

I found this book to be full of literary and film examples of mental illness that I could bring into the courses I teach in abnormal psychology and medical ethics.

The writing is clear and engaging, and the book introduced me to numerous films that I had not previously seen. I was especially interested in the discussion of films that illustrate (a) positive psychology and (b) movies that depict therapists in action.  

By Dean Haycock,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Characters on the Couch as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Providing intriguing insights for students, film buffs, and readers of various genres of fiction, this fascinating book delves into the psychology of 100 well-known fictional characters. Our favorite fictional characters from books and movies often display an impressive and wide range of psychological attributes, both positive and negative. We admire their resilience, courage, humanity, or justice, and we are intrigued by other characters who show signs of personality disorders and mental illness-psychopathy, narcissism, antisocial personality, paranoia, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, among many other conditions. This book examines the psychological attributes and motivations of 100 fascinating characters that include examples of…


Ad

Book cover of The Yamanaka Factors

The Yamanaka Factors by Jed Henson,

Fall 2028. Mickey Cooper, an elderly homeless man, receives an incredible proposition from a rogue pharmaceutical company: “Be our secret guinea pig for our new drug, and we’ll pay you life-changing money, which you’ll be able to enjoy because if (cough) when the treatment works, two months from now your…

Book cover of Cinemeducation

Danny Wedding Why did I love this book?

I have devoted much of my life to teaching medical students about mental illness and medical ethics, and this edited book is the best source for recommending films that are appropriate for the classroom. Medical students don’t have enough free time to watch entire films, but they love it when I bring in clips that illustrate schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, for example.

I found the book especially helpful for teaching interviewing skills–it is far less threatening for students to see examples of bad practice than to have these same behaviors pop up in clinical settings or in role-playing scenarios. 

By Patricia Lenahan (editor), Matthew Alexander (editor), Anna Pavlov (editor)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cinemeducation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Whole System Working" is an approach that enables people to find sustainable solutions to local problems. It is also a theoretical approach to organizational development that views groups of people who share a common purpose as a "living system". Based on King's Fund work over four years with health agencies and their local partners in housing, local government, the independent sector, transport, and local people, this book describes the founding principles which characterize the approach, gives examples of its application in practice, and answers common questions.


Book cover of Psychology at the Movies

Danny Wedding Why did I love this book?

I found Young’s book to be tremendously helpful as I searched for films to use in my abnormal psychology courses. There are numerous recommendations for psychologically relevant films that my students found fascinating.

The book is relatively short, but it is scholarly and a quick read. Young is a clinical psychologist, and he draws on his professional background in recommending relevant films. I came away from this book with dozens of new ideas for films to use in the classroom.

By Skip Dine Young,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Psychology at the Movies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Psychology at the Movies explores the insights to be gained by applying various psychological lenses to popular films including cinematic depictions of human behavior, the psychology of filmmakers, and the impact of viewing movies. Uses the widest range of psychological approaches to explore movies, the people who make them, and the people who watch them Written in an accessible style with vivid examples from a diverse group of popular films, such as The Silence of the Lambs, The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, Taxi Driver, Good Will Hunting, and A Beautiful Mind Brings together psychology, film studies, mass communication, and…


Ad

Book cover of Rewriting Illness

Rewriting Illness by Elizabeth Benedict,

What happens when a novelist with a “razor-sharp wit” (Newsday), a “singular sensibility” (Huff Post), and a lifetime of fear about getting sick finds a lump where no lump should be? Months of medical mishaps, coded language, and Doctors who don't get it.

With wisdom, self-effacing wit, and the story-telling…

Book cover of Madness at the Movies

Danny Wedding Why did I love this book?

I found this book perfect for my dual interests in mental illness and cinema; it is current (copyright 2023) and engaging. Charney is a practicing child psychiatry who brings extensive clinical experience to his writing. He also loves films, and this comes across in this book.

I especially like the numerous film grabs that illustrate this interesting volume, and it was especially interesting to see another therapist’s reactions to dozens of films I have watched and loved.

By James Charney,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Madness at the Movies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A unique exploration of how mental illness is portrayed in classic and contemporary films.

The study of classic and contemporary films can provide a powerful avenue to understand the experience of mental illness. In Madness at the Movies, James Charney, MD, a practicing psychiatrist and long-time cinephile, examines films that delve deeply into characters' inner worlds, and he analyzes moments that help define their particular mental illness.

Based on the highly popular course that Charney taught at Yale University and the American University of Rome, Madness at the Movies introduces readers to films that may be new to them and…


Explore my book 😀

Movies and Mental Illness

By Danny Wedding,

Book cover of Movies and Mental Illness

What is my book about?

Films are a powerful medium for teaching students of psychology, social work, medicine, nursing, counseling, and also literature or media studies about psychopathology. The 15 core clinical chapters of this book each use a case history along with synopses and scenes from one or two specific, often well-known films to explain and teach students about the most important disorders encountered in clinical practice. Helpful teaching tools, such as suggestions for class discussion and key issues to consider while viewing films, are provided throughout.

This book has established a wonderful reputation as an enjoyable and highly memorable supplementary teaching tool for abnormal psychology classes. My book is also a great gift for any psychology major or any graduate student who loves films.

Book cover of Film
Book cover of Characters on the Couch
Book cover of Cinemeducation

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

2,007

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 You might also like…

Book cover of Evil Alice and the Borzoi

Evil Alice and the Borzoi by DK Coutant,

Cleo Cooper is living the dream with ocean-dipping weekends, a good job, good friends, fair boyfriend, and a good dog. But, paradise is shaken when the body of a young woman is dragged onto a university research vessel during a class outing in Hilo Bay.

Cleo is shocked to find…

Book cover of Her Little Secret

Her Little Secret by Julia Stone,

If you’re intrigued by the psychology of relationships this is the novel for you.

Described as a modern-day Rebecca, this is a story of a bereaved man’s obsession with his deceased married lover, Michelle. Determined to find out all he can about Michelle’s life when she wasn’t with him,…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in psychology, mental disorders, and bipolar disorder?

Psychology 1,997 books
Mental Disorders 185 books
Bipolar Disorder 44 books