| Course | D571 Psychopathology |
|---|---|
| Task | Task 2 |
| Paper type | Media depiction analysis |
| Length | About 1,100 words, 3 pages |
| Format | APA 7 |
| School | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Program | BS Psychology |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for D571 Task 2
Three Characters, Three Diagnoses: How Temple Grandin, A Beautiful Mind and Silver Linings Playbook Depict Autism, Schizophrenia and Bipolar I Disorder
Student Name
Leavitt School of Health, Western Governors University
D571: Psychopathology, Task 2
Course Instructor
Month Day, Year
Three Characters, Three Diagnoses: How Temple Grandin, A Beautiful Mind and Silver Linings Playbook Depict Autism, Schizophrenia and Bipolar I Disorder
Introduction
Films and television are where many people first form an image of mental disorders. A review of research on screen portrayals found that depictions of mental illness are frequent and often negative, and that they have a cumulative effect on public perceptions and on whether people seek help (Pirkis et al., 2006). This paper analyzes three fictional portrayals: Temple Grandin in the film of the same name, representing a neurodevelopmental disorder; John Nash in A Beautiful Mind, representing a psychotic disorder; and Pat Solitano in Silver Linings Playbook, representing a mood disorder. For each, it describes the symptoms shown, compares them with diagnostic criteria in the current diagnostic manual (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022), and judges how accurately and responsibly the film portrays the disorder. The analysis concerns characters as depicted, not diagnoses of real people.
Neurodevelopmental Disorder: Autism Spectrum Disorder in Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin (Jackson, 2010) dramatizes the early life of the animal scientist and autism advocate, played by Claire Danes, from her diagnosis as a child through her college years and early career designing livestock handling facilities.
Symptoms shown. The character has marked difficulty with back-and-forth conversation, often speaking at length about her interests without noticing the listener's reactions. She avoids eye contact and struggles to read facial expressions, practicing them from photographs. She shows intense, focused interests, particularly in cattle behavior and the mechanics of gates and chutes, and insists on routines. The film repeatedly shows sensory sensitivity: loud noises and crowds overwhelm her, and she builds a squeeze machine to calm herself with deep pressure. It also shows her strength in visual thinking, presented through flashes of images as she solves design problems.
Comparison with criteria. Autism spectrum disorder requires persistent deficits in social communication and interaction across settings, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities, including sensory hyper- or hyporeactivity, present from early development and causing significant impairment (APA, 2022). The film shows examples of all three social communication deficits and at least three of the four restricted and repetitive patterns, beginning in childhood. A study that compared autistic characters in film and television with the diagnostic criteria found that characters often display the full range of listed characteristics, and raised questions about whether such portrayals represent the lived experience of autism authentically (Nordahl-Hansen et al., 2018).
Accuracy and responsibility. This portrayal is among the more accurate and respectful. It shows autism as a different way of thinking with strengths as well as challenges, and it avoids the savant stereotype of extraordinary talent without effort. Because it is based on a real person who publicly supported the film, it may still present an unusually successful outcome, and viewers should not assume every autistic person shares Grandin's profile.
Psychotic Disorder: Schizophrenia in A Beautiful Mind
A Beautiful Mind (Howard, 2001) follows a fictionalized John Nash, a Princeton mathematician played by Russell Crowe, who comes to believe he is working for a government agency decoding Soviet messages hidden in magazines.
Symptoms shown. The character shows delusions of persecution and of special importance, believing he is being hunted by agents and has a secret mission. He interacts with three people who are later revealed to be hallucinations: a college roommate, the roommate's young niece and a government handler. His functioning declines sharply; he neglects his family and his work. After treatment, he shows the flat affect and cognitive slowing that can follow both the illness and medication, and he later learns to ignore the figures he still sees.
Comparison with criteria. Schizophrenia requires two or more of five symptom types, including at least one of delusions, hallucinations or disorganized speech, for a significant portion of a month, with continuous signs of disturbance for at least six months and a decline in functioning (APA, 2022). The character clearly meets these criteria through delusions, hallucinations and negative symptoms over years.
Accuracy and responsibility. The film's most important inaccuracy is the form of the hallucinations. The characters Nash sees and talks with are fully formed visual people. In schizophrenia, auditory hallucinations, usually voices, are much more common than visual ones. The choice serves the storytelling, since the audience is fooled along with the character, but it may lead viewers to misunderstand the disorder. The film deserves credit for showing that people with schizophrenia can have meaningful lives and relationships, and for avoiding the common link between psychosis and violence toward strangers.
Mood Disorder: Bipolar I Disorder in Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook (Russell, 2012) follows Pat Solitano, played by Bradley Cooper, who returns to his parents' home in Philadelphia after eight months in a psychiatric hospital, following a violent outburst when he found his wife with another man.
Symptoms shown. Pat shows periods of elevated, expansive mood and high energy. He sleeps very little, wakes his parents at 4 a.m. to rant about a novel he has just finished and thrown through a window, speaks rapidly and cannot be interrupted, and pursues an unrealistic plan to win back his wife despite a restraining order. His judgment is poor, and his irritability escalates to aggression when he hears a song linked to the day his marriage collapsed. The film also refers to periods of low mood and shows his reluctance to take medication.
Comparison with criteria. A bipolar I diagnosis rests on at least one manic episode (APA, 2022). The manual describes a stretch of unusually high, expansive or irritable mood with heightened energy that lasts a week, or less if the person has to be hospitalized. During it, several of the listed features appear together, among them sleeping little without feeling tired, talking fast and hard to interrupt, thoughts that race, being easily pulled off task, a surge of goal-driven activity and reckless choices, and the episode seriously disrupts daily life. The hospitalization and the behaviors shown in the film fit a manic episode.
Accuracy and responsibility. The film captures the energy, sleeplessness and pressured speech of mania with unusual realism and shows the strain on a family. Its weakness is its arc: recovery appears to come mainly from a relationship and a dance competition, with medication reduced to a background detail. Viewers may take away the idea that love can replace treatment, a message that could discourage people from continuing care.
Conclusion
All three films show recognizable symptoms that align with current diagnostic criteria, and all three portray their main characters with more dignity than many screen depictions. Their inaccuracies follow the needs of storytelling: an unusually successful outcome, visual rather than auditory hallucinations and a romance that overshadows treatment. Critical viewing means enjoying the story while checking its picture of the disorder against the evidence.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Howard, R. (Director). (2001). A beautiful mind [Film]. Universal Pictures; DreamWorks Pictures.
Jackson, M. (Director). (2010). Temple Grandin [Film]. HBO Films.
Nordahl-Hansen, A., Tøndevold, M., & Fletcher-Watson, S. (2018). Mental health on screen: A DSM-5 dissection of portrayals of autism spectrum disorders in film and TV. Psychiatry Research, 262, 351-353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.08.050
Pirkis, J., Blood, R. W., Francis, C., & McCallum, K. (2006). On-screen portrayals of mental illness: Extent, nature, and impacts. Journal of Health Communication, 11(5), 523-541. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730600755889
Russell, D. O. (Director). (2012). Silver linings playbook [Film]. The Weinstein Company.
What the D571 Task 2 instructions ask
The second D571 task asks you to analyze how popular media depict three kinds of disorder: neurodevelopmental, psychotic and mood. Most versions ask you to choose a fictional character for each category, name the film or series, describe the symptoms the character displays, compare those symptoms with diagnostic criteria and discuss how accurately the depiction represents the disorder. Some versions ask about the biopsychosocial factors shown or about stigma. You are analyzing a portrayal, not diagnosing a real person, so the writing should stay focused on what appears on screen. Each character needs enough scenes described to support the comparison with criteria.
How this D571 Task 2 example is built
The introduction explains why screen depictions matter, citing a review of research on their effects. Each character then gets a section with the same four-part structure: a sentence on the film, the behaviors shown, the matching criteria and a judgment of accuracy. That parallel structure lets the reader compare the three portrayals directly. The autism section adds a study that compared screen characters with diagnostic criteria. The schizophrenia section explains why fully formed visual companions are unusual in the disorder. The bipolar section connects specific scenes, such as the 4 a.m. rant, to features of mania. A brief conclusion names the storytelling pressure behind each film's main inaccuracy.
Where the D571 Task 2 rubric puts the marks
D571 Task 2 uses WGU's usual bands, competent, approaching competence or not evident, applied one aspect at a time. Distinct aspects typically cover each of the three disorder categories, so every character needs full treatment. Within each, evaluators look for specific symptoms shown, an accurate comparison with diagnostic criteria and a reasoned judgment about the accuracy of the depiction. Aspects on the biopsychosocial model or stigma may apply depending on the version. Evaluators reward precision, such as noting duration requirements or the difference between hallucination types. Citations for the films and the diagnostic manual in APA style, along with professional writing, are part of the rubric.
D571 Task 2 help: what sends it back
The most common mistake is diagnosing from a single dramatic scene. Criteria usually involve patterns over time, so describe several behaviors across the film. Another frequent problem is listing criteria without matching them; say which scene shows which criterion. Third, students choose characters whose disorder is never made clear, which leaves the category in doubt. Pick portrayals where the film itself signals the condition. Judge accuracy honestly, including strengths as well as errors, and consider what a viewer might wrongly learn. Cite films correctly in APA style with the director and year. Finally, respect the people behind the categories: analyze the depiction without mocking the character or the condition, and remember that many readers of your paper may live with the disorders you describe.
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D571 Task 2 questions, answered
Which movies work for D571 Task 2?
Films or series with characters whose disorder is clearly portrayed across several scenes. The sample uses Temple Grandin, A Beautiful Mind and Silver Linings Playbook.
How do I cite a movie in APA for D571?
List the director, year, title in italics with Film in brackets and the production company, for example Howard, R. (Director). (2001). A beautiful mind [Film]. Universal Pictures.
Is A Beautiful Mind accurate about schizophrenia?
It shows delusions, hallucinations and functional decline that fit the criteria, but its visual companions are unusual; auditory hallucinations are far more common in schizophrenia.
Does D571 Task 2 need research sources?
Yes. Cite the current diagnostic manual for the criteria you compare, and add research on media portrayals to strengthen the accuracy discussion, as the sample does.
Where can I find a free D571 Task 2 sample paper?
The full analysis of all three films is published above with margin notes. If you picked different characters, send them with your D571 instructions and the desk writes a first custom version free.