Movies and Mental HealthDue by May 3rd, 2023 at 5pm via Blackboard
The Context
We’ve all heard the phrase “abnormal psychology,” however, what not all of us have
heard is that this is a term considered by many mental health practitioners to be wildly outdated.
Mental illness is a very normal part of life, just like acute and chronic physical illness, and
phrases like “abnormal psychology” are misrepresentative.
Movies and tv shows get a lot wrong when it comes to different diagnoses and contribute
to harmful stereotypes. You can read more about this issue here:
https://www.psycom.net/mental-health-wellbeing/horror-movies-mental-health-stigma
The Assignment
Please find ONE movie or TV episode that you believe is trying to depict some sort of
mental illness (and it can’t be an example from the above article). Then, please answer these
questions: A) What is the disorder and what are the symptoms being shown in the movie/episode
(use the DSM-5 for help with diagnostic criteria. Directions on accessing it for free are on the
next page)? B) What does the movie/episode get right or wrong? C) How might the portrayal of
that illness impact people living with it in real life?
The Point Value
You will get up to 5 extra credit points for completing this assignment, but that depends
on the following requirements:
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12 pt font, Times New Roman, good spelling/grammar (Grammarly.com is a cool tool)
Length: NO LONGER than a page but have at least a few sentences per question. Don’t
worry about making it super long (please don’t).
When you cite any sources, such as the DSM-5 or any research articles (not magazine
articles like something from Psychology Today – although you can find links to relevant
research within those articles!), APA formatting must be used. Use this resource if you
need help: https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/format-your-reference-list
Note: This doesn’t need to be super research-heavy. I just think gathering knowledge is an
important skill that we should consider as psychology students.
Email me with questions!
How do I find the DSM-5?
It’s right here: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Go to Section II for diagnostic information.
Use the following citation in your assignment:
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
www.citationmachine.net is helpful for APA 7 formatting that you don’t have to create yourself.
Note on APA formatting:
In-text citations need to be included in APA formatting in addition to the References page at the
end. The References page is what you’re referring to throughout your article. It doesn’t make
sense to have this page without the in-text citations. Below is what those citations would look
like as sample sentences. They include author last names and the year the article was published:
Article has one author: Research has found that most high schools only teach MLA formatting to
future college students, despite some students never using it once during their college careers
(Benemann, 2023).
Article has two authors: It may be more helpful to teach multiple methods of paper formatting and
reference styles (Benemann & Smith, 2023).
Article has three or more authors: It is very important for students to know how to properly cite
research despite how tedious it can feel at times (Benemann et al., 2023).
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Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
