Discussion: Is Mental Illness Becoming a Trend?

In the past, I've cheered-on authors for including the topic of mental illness in their novels, and even sat down to write a blog post about how I want to read about characters that suffer from the conditions we hardly hear about, to possibly challenge some of the stereotypes we - and society - have come to accept. We have all heard the comments made about the organisation-obsession those with OCD have, or how the person who is having a particularly bad day is deemed as 'depressed'. But, where are the books where main characters are struggling with eating-disorders? Battling against bulimia? I don't know.

 

When addressed with care, including mental illness in YA can have an undeniable impact on readers, offering them the chance to learn - through the characters - how to support a friend or recognise the symptoms of a condition.  Not only can it teach empathy skills to non-sufferers - and end the stigma that surrounds many of the most common conditions -  but a book that tackles mental illness can provide a safe-haven for a teenager in need. They have the comfort of knowing one of their favourite characters is in a similar situation - and is likely to survive it. I could write an almost endless list of all the positives that come from writing about mental illness - but that's for another time. What I wanted to discuss was the trend that is beginning to appear when it comes to tackling mental illness, and why I hope it comes to an end soon.

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Responses to the likes of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Silver Linings Playbook, which became well-known for breaking down the barriers of mental illness in fiction, have been overwhelming. Authors have followed their lead, penning their own tales about other 'taboo' topics of conversation, and YA sections have never been so diverse. And I do love this. Although, the success of those that are not sugar-coated seems to have set the precedent for some mistreatment of mental health issues within fiction. In fact, it is seemingly being used as the latest 'selling point' in the YA world; a trend reminiscent of the vampire take-over that followed the Twilight Saga, and the Dystopia-craze that we saw in the Hunger Games aftermath. I'm not the only one that complained about how every YA was centred on a sixteen year-old protagonist, who was likely to be facing a life-or-death scenario.

 

Lately, whilst in a bookstore, I've lost count of the number of novels I've come across that include a mentally ill main central character on the search of new beginnings, and who meets a friend that is described as being equally ''messed up". YA presents the idea that, in a crowded world, those with mental illnesses seem to gravitate towards each other. That, in doing so, they will probably develop a relationship - one that, by the end of the book, typically come to an end; the characters seemingly causing some form of self-destruction. Books need to show that those with a mental illness are not 'outsiders', but are capable of immersing themselves in our society.  Equally, the life of those with a mental illness should not be viewed as a fast-track to a dramatic storyline or heart-breaking ending that will have readers reaching for the Kleenex. Can we not just bring back the idea of a Happily Ever After?

The assumption also seems to have been made that, to score a few extra stars on rating systems, a YA book needs to include a mentally ill character. That it needs to embody a sense of diversity by forcing a condition upon a character or a more 'mature' subject matter onto the novel as a whole.  The same, though, can be said when it comes to including someone who is LGBT or disabled.  I've seen the half-hearted attempts by authors to feature a mentally-ill character, with very little thought for the subject matter itself, and it's no surprise that I've begun to feel hesitant. Mental illness is not a fast-track ticket to becoming the next critically-acclaimed novel. Including a character with a mental illness should be a decision that is thought-out and well-researched; handled with an emotional-depth and understanding that other topics don't call for. Remember: those with the conditions that are written about do read the novels, and they need to see themselves reflected in the tale.

 

At times, though, mental illness shouldn't be all a book is about, but simply mentioned consistently. I'd love to see a book written that features a mentally ill character, yet  isn't about the condition they have directly. I've never seen this done before. Use books to represent the fact that people of all ages live their daily lives with a mental illness, and it may only affect them in the most subtle ways. When authors decide to include mental illness, they do so in a way that means it dominates the whole storyline.  I would rather see a character whose illness has become part of them but who has a life outside the label of 'mentally ill'.

As more novels about mental illness crowd the shelves, and most lack the understanding of the last, I've resorted to wanting less novels about the subject matter. I'd rather read a few where the author has considered the feelings of those who do have a mental illness, than a lot where writers have simply followed the crowd.

 

Are issues like mental illness being used as a selling point?

Are they becoming the latest trend?

 

Tell me in the comments!
 

These discussion posts are never written with the intent to harm a reader. If you do find something that could be viewed as offensive in this post, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sophie
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Diversity in YA: Write More About Mental Illness

Whilst LGBT issues are finally being addressed in YA, after much campaigning, isn't it time that more books were released tackling mental illness? Not with the addition of a character who washes their hands constantly or has a set of perfectly sharpened-pencils. That's a stereotype. Not with a brief mention of a classmate who once tried to commit suicide, or someone who has self-harmed. With an author writing a book about disorders such as OCD and Depression. But, why write it for the YA audience? Why is it that teenagers need to read books about such a tough-topic? I'll tell you why. Before I began to write this post, I decided to do some research, and I came across statistics about the number children who suffer from a mental illness. Ten percent do in the UK, and I couldn't believe it was such a high number. You could be sitting in class, and not realise that three of your friends are faced with the task of living with a mental illness. It's a huge number.

 

Diversity in YA is important for one reason: it reflects our society. We're not all one race, one religion, one sexuality. We're not all the same. I've noticed there are more books, each month, that break the boundaries; who tear down the walls between the 'perfect' characters we so often read about and the truth. Yet, I can name only a few novels that deal with mental-illness. Liz Coley's Pretty Girl Thirteen was a novel I read last summer, and still continue to recommend, it being the first time I come across Dissociative Identity Disorder. And now, I understand what those who suffer from DID experience - when it appears in a Documentary or on TV - being much more empathetic. I also read This Song Will Save Your Life recently, where author Leila Sales writes about suicide, and - having supported a friend through a similar situation before - I finally felt I could grasp how frustrated she must have felt. And I realised how wrong I was to assume it was an overreaction.

 

A lot of young people read novels. I hate to admit that reading isn't as popular as it used to be, but occasionally a novel will create a trend that changes that. A few months ago, this was The Fault in Our Stars, which educated young people about the effects of Cancer. It seemed like everyone was reading it; talking about it; tweeting about it. Next time, it could be a story following characters with mental-illnesses. We've all heard the "I've got OCD" statements when a person starts organising an untidy set of books, or "I'm so depressed" in the corridors after a Maths lesson. These are brushed-off as being just an expression. More books discussing these illnesses - such as anxiety - would help people realise what they are actually saying. It would help teach them - us - what happens during the worst moments in these illness; after recent events, its important that people know what sufferers have to try and overcome. It's not easy. With more coverage there's more discussion, and that's what we need. It would hand mental-health patients the respect they should have had years ago.

Young Adult is an important genre. At our age, we begin to want to know more about the world we live in; no longer wanting to read sugar-coated tales. We want to read about characters we can relate to, where the authors understand what it is like to be a teenager. We need to know that someone has been through the same situations we find ourselves in, and have made it through. Mental illness affects all of us - some not directly, but through family and friends. Whilst readers could benefit from seeing how their favourite character copes with having Depression, another may learn how to support a friend. With the recent release of OCD Soap - which has been removed from sale by Paperchase - it's clear that we more books about mental illness; read by young people who won't continue to release products we've seen recently. Books have an impact on many lives - it would be a shame to not see more authors tackle issues that are so prominent in society.

*Information(both statistics and on OCD Soap) was up-to-date when I wrote this post for scheduling. Statistics are from the Mental Health Foundation's website.

Do you think that more books need to tackle mental illness?
What other subjects should be seen more in YA?

Tell me in the comments!