Books, especially ya novels, possess the ability to provide comfort to those who find representation of themselves in a character with a mental illness, as well as to. Im definitely a little biased because of my own experiences, but some of my favourite books are queer and have mental illness representation because thats me. Ive read quite a few incredible ya novels with mental health representation so far in 2019, so today i want to share some of my top favourites with you. Ya involving mental health issues 2000present 361 books. Nov 04, 2019 50 mustread ya books about mental illness. This means that we should give young people hope with mental illness, but also create an atmosphere that truly expresses what living with mental illness is like. Those are a great way to learn more about what its like to live with a mental. John green on turtles all the way down and mental illness. There are books about addiction, eating disorders, depression, schizophrenia, and more, as experienced by the teen main characters. Welcome back to another edition of yas that get it right, in which pros weigh in on ya books they think nailed an aspect of the human experience. Here are 15 books to read this month to help you start a conversation and a deeply hopeful ya novel about living with mental illness thats perfect for fans of. May is mental health awareness month, and as society grows in its understanding of mental illnesses, their effects, and their treatments, were seeing more and more ya narratives that address these topics. But thats not the case for everyone, and theres still a lot of work to do. Exploring real struggles through fictional characters.
Ya books about mental illness you should read a good book is always better than a short article. Mental illness is one of the most pressing health concerns of the modern age, and ya literature has a role to play in opening up the conversation on this longtabooed subject. Below are some of my favorite books which offer a refreshing perspective on mental health conditions, breaking through the cultural, social, and. One of the most practical ways to combat stigma around mental illness is to raise awareness in society about it, and what better way to do that than through books. This lyrical, profound contemporary novel takes an honest. There are a ton of patrick ness books lining our shelves, but in two of his most recent, he pulls off something pretty amazing. These books traverse all aspects of mental health and mental illness, and theyre both fiction and nonfiction. Over the last decade, the growth in ya books about mental illness is hard to overlook. One thing that can help make it a little easier are ya novels that deal with mental health issues. The characters have goals, relationships and obstacles, just like everybody else. Oct 14, 2015 peoples is the protagonist of the silver linings playbook, a touching and entertaining novel by matthew quick that captures the experience of someone living with a mental illness. Due to the uptick in mental illness among teens, books like these can be literal lifesavers for some kids as they seek to create empathy and fight the stigma surrounding mental health care. After all, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions arent going to call in sick when you dont have the energy to deal. 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.
Books can bring comfort to those suffering from mental illness and increase awareness among family, friends, and peers. A list of young adult books featuring characters with. Ive read plenty of books on depression fiction and nonfiction but id never really looked at the ya category the only pieces of fiction i read as a teenager that dealt with any kind of mental illness tended to be anorexia or bullimia, as it was undergoing a lot of media attention at the time and seemed to be the next big problem in focus for. This book describes what depression is like, and calls out the ridiculousness of existing stigmas about mental illness. Since may is mental health awareness month, i asked some of my favorite authors of mental health ya, as well as and including authors who are also mental health professionals, to share their favorite mental health yas that get it right. For more, please see my recent blog post on ya novels of obsessivecompulsive disorder ocd at teen librarian.
If youre looking for books to help a teen whos struggling or to increase your own understanding of mental health issues, these books can get you started. Aug 20, 2019 im definitely a little biased because of my own experiences, but some of my favourite books are queer and have mental illness representation because thats me. From heartwrenching and honest to lighthearted and funny, these 12 books accurately portray mental illness and help break the stigma that envelops our world today. Its always been there, in part because writing about adolescents in any capacity means exploring a social group that is a cocktail of hormones that causes them tremendous physical, emotional, intellectual, and mental changes in a short time frame. According to will grayson, mental health days are little more than a luxurious day off for people who arent stuck with a chronic mental illness. This year saw headlines about a string of suicides of young kpop artists and frequent news of celebrities deaths due to substance overdose, as well as the publication of some terrific and eyeopening books about issues. World suicide prevention day was september 10 to honor this, my classroom library display and all my book talks for the month focus on mental illness, wellness, ways the brain works, and the effects of trauma as told in. Whats more, empathy is listed along with comfort and decisionmaking as important components of strong leadership teaching skills. A deeply hopeful ya novel about living with mental illness thats perfect for fans of girl in pieces. I think there have been lots of good ya books about mental illness over the years. There are many compelling, wellwritten narratives that focus on mental illness or otherwise feature teen characters struggling with and.
One of the reasons i am reading ya books about mental illness is to evaluate whether various disorders are authentically represented in the stories according to descriptions of the illnesses in the dsm5 diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th edition, 20. Secondly, they all suffer with chronic illness, but their illnesses are what some might refer to as invisible. Find me elsewhere goodreads hailsheartsnyc twitter hailsheartsnyc instagram. Mental illness and mental wellbeing are topics that keep emerging in contemporary ya, and they keep being explored in worthwhile even lifechanging ways. The protagonist, mira, is a new student at saint francis prep in attempts to be normal and have a new start. So, in no particular order, here are some stunning ya books that handle mental health. Jan 24, 2017 the characters in these books have two things in common. Like, you can tell when an author is including something as a oneoff plot point instead of giving it the love and care it needs. Exploring mental illness in ya literature rebecca alasdair. For many, the stigma around mental illness is decreasing. I didnt know it then, but 20% of american youth are affected by some form of mental illness in their lifetime.
October also happens to be national bully prevention month with the 11th being national depression screening day. The book deals with important themes like t reatment, improvements and relapses, daily struggles and overcoming the past. Its almost impossible to omit this book when talking about the portrayal of mental illness in ya novels. 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. While there are many books on mental illness, there are so many different illnesses to cover and only a few books on each. For me, one of the reasons i like writing ya books is because i love sharing a shelf with the other ya books that. Here i discuss some of the things to remember when writing about mental illness, and what ya books are currently out there. Books, especially ya novels, possess the ability to provide comfort to those who find representation of themselves in a character with a mental illness, as well as to educate readers who find the subject unfamiliar.
Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Mental illness in young adult literature exploring real struggles through fictional characters. Mental illness in young adult literature by kia jane richmond. Not the taboo subject it once was, mental illness offers rich territory to explore in books for kids and teens. Mental illness in young adult literature by kia jane. Its not just books about people with depression, but a wide range of mental illnesses, traumas, disabilities, and processes. Ya books about mental illness and mental health book riot. Ya books featuring characters with mental illness the seattle. Ya books about mental illness all that i can fix by crystal chan. When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird. The characters in these books have two things in common. Authors whose ya books about mental illness get it right.
Growing up is hard for everyone, but for someone with a mental illness, it can seem impossible. I find reading to be a challenge sometimes, when im dealing with anxiety and depression. Why you should read these ya mental health books even if you have never dealt with a mental illness, chances are you know people who have them. Heres a list of 5 ya novels that brilliantly tackle mental health issues. Oct 02, 2018 over the last decade, the growth in ya books about mental illness is hard to overlook.
This list features very recent contemporary ya titles that have tackled mental illness in some capacity. Leigh, who is half asian and half white, travels to taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. Promoting mental wellness with ya literature published february 2, 2016 there are no shortages of books for young adults that tackle mental illness. This week, october 7, is mental illness awareness week. 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. Ya books featuring characters with mental illness by stepha89 a community created list. Check out last years videos for mental illness awareness week check out my new channel dedicated to psychology and mental health h.
Ya books for mental health awareness the educators room. Ya books about mental illness depression, ocd, anxiety, ptsd, and more. Ya books about mental health young adult books about anxiety, ocd, depression, eating disorders, self harm, etc. Ya novels that get real about mental health hellogiggles. Sep 18, 2019 why you should read these ya mental health books even if you have never dealt with a mental illness, chances are you know people who have them.
May 18, 2016 welcome back to another edition of yas that get it right, in which pros weigh in on ya books they think nailed an aspect of the human experience. Its not glamorous or special, its life destroying and difficult. Mental illness in young adult literature is an excellent overview of common mental health struggles that many readers begin to face in their teen years and a solid introduction to the literature that addresses those same struggles. Language and symptoms of mental illness in young adult. Women and mental illness fiction and nonfiction, best eating disorder books, ya involving mental health issues 2000present, borderline. 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. Ya novels about mental illness, if youre looking for books to help a teen whos struggling or to increase your own understanding of mental health issues, these books can get you started.
May 10, 2019 because sometimes you need a reminder that youre not alone, we reached out to the members of our facebook group and asked for their favorite books that portray mental illness and discussions of mental health well. Whether youre new on my blog or a regular here, you have to know that mental health is a topic very, very dear to my heart and, if i can scream about some young adult books dealing with mental health, i will do so very happily, so. Ya books featuring characters with mental illness by stepha89 a communitycreated list. Young adult books about anxiety, ocd, depression, eating disorders, self harm, etc. The hub has focused on books for mental health awareness month and also written about the trend of suicide and depression in young adult literature in just the last year. Ya suffering from mental illness books and giveaway. Public domain pictures 422 ive seen multiple articles of people describing their experiences with mental health. Mental health in ya novels the little contemporary corner. From theme to style, there are a lot of exciting developments happening in the ya novels of mental illness. While a lot of ya books about mental health may try to pull punches about the difficulties involved in coping, the rest of us just live heredoes not. Ya mental health mustreads of 2019 written word worlds.
Aug 23, 2017 one of the reasons i am reading ya books about mental illness is to evaluate whether various disorders are authentically represented in the stories according to descriptions of the illnesses in the dsm5 diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th edition, 20. Using literature to confront the stigma of mental illness. This year saw headlines about a string of suicides of young kpop artists and frequent news of celebrities deaths due to substance overdose, as well as the publication of some terrific and eyeopening books about issues related. Fans of the impossible life is one of many depression books i considered listing here. Memoirs, fiction, ya these books show what its like when your brain seems to be working against you. Oct 01, 2017 check out last years videos for mental illness awareness week check out my new channel dedicated to psychology and mental health h. Dec 18, 2019 one of the most practical ways to combat stigma around mental illness is to raise awareness in society about it, and what better way to do that than through books. For some of us, talking about mental health and mental illness is hard. The clear structure of the book makes it easy to reference for any specific needs an information professional.
Reading allowed me to escape, but it also showed me that i wasnt alone in my struggle. This is a reality so many teens experience, but its not explored quite as much as it should be. Ya books dealing with issues relating to mental health and clinical psychology, first published in 2000 or later. May 31, 2016 growing up is hard for everyone, but for someone with a mental illness, it can seem impossible. If you havent read the rest of us just live here, he turns the entire chosen one trope on its head. Oct 10, 2017 according to will grayson, mental health days are little more than a luxurious day off for people who arent stuck with a chronic mental illness. Score a books 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. Suicide and the mental health crisis among africanamericans by. It deals with more of the struggles of physical illness at first, but then has surprising characters with mental illnesses that just pull it all together.
May 01, 2020 may is mental health awareness month, and as society grows in its understanding of mental illnesses, their effects, and their treatments, were seeing more and more ya narratives that address these topics. There are a lot of depictions of mental illness out there that feel super disingenuous. Peoples is the protagonist of the silver linings playbook, a touching and entertaining novel by matthew quick that captures the experience of someone living with a mental illness. Because sometimes you need a reminder that youre not alone, we reached out to the members of our facebook group and asked for their favorite books that portray mental illness and discussions of mental health well.
Your favorite ya authors including ellen hopkins, maureen johnson, and more recount their own experiences with mental illness in this raw, real, and powerful collection of essays that explores everything from add to ptsd. Helping teens better understand their mental life, as well as better cultivating the language to openly communicate about it, are ya books about mental illness. Though i am still in the beginning stages of my research, i have found in the books ive read thus far that the. Mental illness is a hard subject to talk about in real life, so of course its a tough topic to tackle in books. With that in mind, here are a few ya books from recent years that get real about mental illness, from bipolar disorder to anxiety to ocd. One thing that can help make it a little easier are ya. Picks with young people or their parentsrelatives dealing with a. Without reducing him to his condition, this cowritten. Its may and with it comes mental health awareness month. According to librarians, the following ya books are awesome when it comes to hearing a voice that tells you youre not alone in the struggle against mental illness. Nov 11, 20 mental illness and mental wellbeing are topics that keep emerging in contemporary ya, and they keep being explored in worthwhile even lifechanging ways. This lyrical, profound contemporary novel takes an honest, mesmerizing look at the effects of grief and living with mental illness. Nivens ya novel tells the heartbreaking story of two teens who have. Its important for ya novels to represent mental illness in a real and positive away.
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