Students will choose an instructor-approved movie that depicts mental illness. They will write a paper in which they discuss the character’s disorder, symptoms, and impairment, the impact it has on the individual, family and society, treatment (if provided), and an overall reflection on how realistic the depiction of mental illness is in the movie. Students will also consider if this movie perpetuates myths about mental illness or helps reduce stigma.

Step 1: Select a movie that depicts mental illness. This must be pre-approved by the instructor. Or, you can select one of the already approved movies from the list below

A Beautiful Mind (PG-13)
Matchstick Men (PG-13)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (PG-13)
Step 2: Watch the movie and take notes on the following:

the character’s disorder
the character’s symptoms of this disorder
the level of impairment the disorder causes the individual
how the disorder impacts the individual
how the disorder impacts their family
how the disorder impacts society at large
the pros and cons of their treatment (if provided)
how realistic the portrayal of mental illness is
does the movie help or hurt with regards to the stigma of mental illness
Step 3: Write your paper. It should

include an APA formatted title page
be in times new roman, size 12 font, and double spaced
include an introduction with a THESIS statement
include headers (sub-titles) for each of the areas covered in the paper (see step 2)
include a conclusion
be about 4-5 pages in length.