MENTAL ILLNESS IN YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE : exploring real struggles through fictional ... characters

This book explores how mental illness is portrayed in 21st-century young adult fiction and how selected works can help teachers, librarians, and mental health professionals to more effectively address the needs of students combating mental illness. Mental Illness in Young Adult Literature: Exploring Real Struggles through Fictional Characters highlights American young adult literature published since the year 2000 that features characters grappling with mental illness. Chapters focus on mental disorders identified by the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, and OCD. Each chapter begins with a description of a mental illness that includes its prevalence, demographic trends, symptoms, related disorders, and treatment options before examining a selection of young adult texts in depth. Analysis of the texts explores how a mental illness manifests for a particular character, how that character perceives him- or herself and is perceived by others, and what treatment or support he or she receives. The connections between mental illness and race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and identity are examined, and relevant research from education, psychology, and adolescent health is thoroughly integrated. Each chapter also provides a list of additional readings. An appendix offers strategies for integrating young adult literature into health curricula and other programs. Offers extensive analysis of contemporary young adult fiction featuring youth with mental illness to help school and youth services librarians make informed collection development and readers' advisory decisions Examines the symptoms and warning signs of mental illness in adolescents in addition to how various disorders are diagnosed and treated Offers strategies for teachers and librarians to integrate quality texts into middle and high school curricula and into community initiatives aimed at confronting the stigma associated with mental illness Follows a standardized chapter format that makes it easy for readers to learn about the books and the mental illnesses they highlight Provides an extended list of resources at the end of each chapter that includes additional young adult fiction and nonfiction as well as adult fiction texts Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 12 Young Adult Literature: Definition, Historical Context, and Inclusion in the Curriculum 12 Definition of Mental Illness and its Presence in Young Adult Literature 14 Focus and Organization of this Book 18 Overview of Chapters 19 Conclusion 20 References 21 Chapter 1: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Related Disorders 24 ADHD Defined 24 Related and Comorbid Disorders 25 Treatment Options 25 Club Meds 26 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 26 Psychiatric Treatment 26 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 27 Motorcycles, Sushi, and One Strange Book 28 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 29 Psychiatric Treatment 30 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 31 Conclusion 33 Additional Books on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder 34 References 34 Chapter 2: Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders 36 Schizophrenia Defined 36 Related and Comorbid Disorders 37 Treatment Options 38 Your Voice Is All I Hear 38 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 39 Psychiatric Treatment 40 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 41 Freaks Like Us 42 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 43 Psychiatric Treatment 43 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 44 Challenger Deep 45 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 45 Psychiatric Treatment 47 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 48 Schizo 49 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 50 Psychiatric Treatment 51 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 52 Conclusion 53 Additional Books on Schizophrenia 54 References 55 Chapter 3: Bipolar Disorder and Related Disorders 57 Bipolar Disorder Defined 57 Related and Comorbid Disorders 58 Treatment Options 59 Crazy 59 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 59 Psychiatric Treatment 62 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 63 This Is How I Find Her 64 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 64 Psychiatric Treatment 65 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 66 Conclusion 67 Additional Books on Bipolar Disorder 68 References 69 Chapter 4: Depressive Disorders 70 Depressive Disorders Defined 70 Related and Comorbid Disorders 71 Treatment Options 71 When Reason Breaks 72 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 72 Psychiatric Treatment 74 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 75 Get Well Soon 76 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 76 Psychiatric Treatment 77 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 78 Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock 79 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 79 Psychiatric Treatment 82 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 82 It’s Kind of a Funny Story 84 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 84 Psychiatric Treatment 85 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 87 Conclusion 88 Additional Books on Depressive Disorders 89 References 89 Chapter 5: Anxiety Disorder and Related Disorders 91 Anxiety Disorder Defined 91 Related and Comorbid Disorders 93 Treatment Options 93 The Nature of Jade 93 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 94 Psychiatric Treatment 95 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 96 Finding Audrey 97 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 98 Psychiatric Treatment 100 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 101 Highly Illogical Behavior 101 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 102 Psychiatric Treatment 103 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 104 Conclusion 105 Additional Books on Anxiety Disorders 106 References 106 Chapter 6: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Related Disorders 108 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Defined 108 Related and Comorbid Disorders 109 Treatment Options 109 Not as Crazy as I Seem 110 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 110 Psychiatric Treatment 111 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 112 Every Last Word 114 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 114 Psychiatric Treatment 116 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 117 Turtles All the Way Down 118 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 118 Psychiatric Treatment 120 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 121 Conclusion 122 Additional Books on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders 123 References 124 Chapter 7: Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders 126 Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders 126 Related and Comorbid Disorders 127 Treatment Options 128 Something Like Normal 128 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 129 Psychiatric Treatment 130 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 131 The Impossible Knife of Memory 133 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 133 Psychiatric Treatment 134 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 135 The Way I Used to Be 137 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 137 Psychiatric Treatment 138 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 139 Conclusion 139 Additional Books on Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders 140 References 141 Chapter 8: Feeding and Eating Disorders 143 Feeding and Eating Disorders Defined 143 Related and Comorbid Disorders 145 Treatment Options 145 Wintergirls 147 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 147 Psychiatric Treatment 149 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 150 Pointe 152 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 153 Psychiatric Treatment 154 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 155 Starved 156 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 156 Psychiatric Treatment 157 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 158 Sugar 159 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 160 Psychiatric Treatment 161 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 161 Conclusion 162 Additional Books on Feeding and Eating Disorders 164 References 165 Chapter 9: Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders 166 Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders 166 Related and Comorbid Disorders 170 Treatment Options 170 Beneath a Meth Moon 171 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 172 Psychiatric Treatment 173 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 174 Dope Sick 175 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 175 Psychiatric Treatment 177 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 177 Clean 178 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 178 Psychiatric Treatment 180 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 182 Conclusion 183 Additional Books on Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders 185 References 185 Chapter 10: Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal Behavior Disorders 188 Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal Behavior 188 Related and Comorbid Disorders 190 Treatment Options 190 Girl in Pieces 191 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 192 Psychiatric Treatment 194 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 195 Suicide Notes: A Novel 198 Warning Signs/Symptoms/Diagnosis 198 Psychiatric Treatment 199 Reactions from Peers, Parents, and Others 199 Conclusion 200 Additional Books on Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal-Behavior Disorders 202 References 203 Resources for Exploring Mental Illness through Young Adult Literature in the Classroom 206 Sample Lesson Plan for When Reason Breaks 208 High-School English Language Arts—Grades 9–10 208 Common Core State Standards Addressed 210 AASL Standards Addressed 210 Sample Lesson Plan for the Impossible Knife of Memory 211 High-School English Language Arts—Grades 11–12 211 Common-Core State Standards (CCSS) Addressed 213 AASL Standards Addressed 213 Classroom Activity: Close Reading and Language Analysis 213 Classroom Activity: Mental-Health Professionals and Treatments in Young Adult Literature 215 Textbooks on Young Adult Literature 216 Community-Health Resource List 217 Index 220 About the Author 226 This book explores how mental illness is portrayed in 21st-century young adult fiction and how selected works can help teachers, librarians, and mental health professionals to more effectively address the needs of students combating mental illness. It offers extensive analysis of contemporary young adult fiction featuring youth with mental illness to help school and youth services librarians make informed collection development and readers' advisory decisions; examines the symptoms and warning signs of mental illness in adolescents in addition to how various disorders are diagnosed and treated; offers strategies for teachers and librarians to integrate quality texts into middle and high school curricula and into community initiatives aimed at confronting the stigma associated with mental illness; follows a standardized chapter format that makes it easy for readers to learn about the books and the mental illnesses they highlight; [and] provides an extended list of resources at the end of each chapter that includes additional young adult fiction and nonfiction as well as adult fiction texts