15 books to read to understand mental health issues

Cover to A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar. Image: Simon & Schuster

A Beautiful Mind – Sylvia Nasar

This biography by Sylvia Nasar tells the story of Nobel Prize winner John Forbes Nash Jr., who was an economist and mathematician. The book follows Nash’s time at MIT and Princeton, and the way he struggled with schizophrenia. The book is not entirely focused on his mental illness, but also his academic achievements, as well as his personal life, and it was adapted into a film in 2001.

Cover to A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin. Image: Scholastic

A Corner of the Universe – Ann M. Martin

This young adult novel follows the character of 12-year-old Hattie as she spends the summer with her uncle Adam, who has been away for ten years. Adam was away at an institution because of his diagnosis of autism and schizophrenia. The adults in the story have difficulty handling the energy Adam puts out, but Hattie finds a connection with him. It’s a Newbery Honors book, and a great recommendation for some younger readers in your life.

Cover to Defying the Verdict by Charita Cole Brown. Image: Curbside Splendor Publishing

Defying the Verdict: My Bipolar Life – Charita Cole Brown

In this true story, Brown opens up about her struggle with bipolar disorder. After a breakdown in college that was eerily similar to her grandmother’s, she was hospitalized and diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The book tells readers how she accepted her diagnosis and the changes she made thereafter, all in her own words.