13 Reasons How: Mental Health is Depicted in YA

The original cover of 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

The majority of high school counselors are not licensed psychiatrists, but are mandated reporters. While some students may feel comfortable sharing with a counselor, getting the help they need is not guaranteed and can make matters worse. Reaching out for help is not easy when the problem is depression or suicidal ideation. Parents and educators would rather push toxic positivity, religion, and self-reliance than consider giving space to discuss mental health. Teenagers specifically struggle to reach out because no one expects a young mind in the first world to weigh so heavily. For this reason, young adult novels that do discuss mental illness in teens are deemed inappropriate and provocative, then often banned from school and community libraries.

Before the controversy of 13 Reasons Why first hit Netflix in 2017, the novel (2007) by Jay Asher had mixed reviews as well. Critics accuse Asher of glamorization as the main premise is that Hannah Baker, the novel’s secondary protagonist, dies by suicide, then uses pre-recorded cassette tapes to impose guilt on the people she believes are responsible for her death. The message almost seems to be that attention was the reward teens would reap by ending their lives, that people would finally care about them and would be sorry for not caring sooner. This line of thinking should not be trivialized; it’s a cry for help. One thing the novel does well is show that suicide is often not treated seriously. In the novel, Hannah anonymously submits a note about her suicidal thoughts in a class discussion. Her peers thought it was a ploy for attention, disturbing, and that people who choose to end their own lives are selfish. These are real sentiments surrounding suicide, and they juxtapose the real pain surrounding Hannah’s own choice for suicide. Hannah felt trapped in an unyielding world after being bullied and sexually assaulted, which is why she thought suicide was her last resort. The author admits that Hannah Baker was inspired by someone in his personal life, and there are many more people just like her. The correlation of increased suicide rates and 13 Reasons Why is undetermined, but it must be acknowledge it started a more forward discussion about mental health. 

The Perks of Being A Wallflower (1999) is a popular book as it brings a well-rounded perspective on adolescent inner conflict, such as sexuality, suicide, and domestic abuse; this is also the reason why it has been banned multiple times. Charlie, the protagonist, is trying to overcome the suicide of his best friend and the death of his aunt while beginning high school. He is adopted by a group of quirky seniors who accept him as he is. However, while supporting the other characters with their personal issues, eventually, Charlie’s repressed memories of sexual abuse come to the surface. He receives psychiatric help and support from all those who care about him. The book gained a cult following because it validated and normalized mental health help for teens. Many teens identify with Charlie’s character, and the release of the movie adaptation in 2012 further establishes its significance to young adult fiction.

The cover of The Perks of Being a Wallflower as it is discussed  by the National Coalition Against Censorship

The modern mental health movement gained traction in the 1990s and early 2000s, the same time period during which the novels mentioned were released. In the 2010s, #MentalHealthMatters was trending on social media. Various celebrities openly spoke about their own mental health struggles. Consequently, young people were encouraged to discuss their mental health, particularly in online communities to avoid the scrutiny of parents. Therapy became less stigmatized as people understood that it is not for “crazy people” but for people who need extra help. The pandemic era proved that a lot of people needed extra help. Quarantining meant people were alone with their thoughts and didn’t feel compelled to pretend they were fine when they weren't. Online therapy made mental health support more accessible and convenient. Society gradually opened its arms to accept that it is unnecessary to stigmatize mental illness. 

All the Bright Places (2015) by Jennifer Niven is a YA novel about mental health published during the mental health movement. Two teens, Finch and Violet, explore different parts of their small Indiana town while both have suicidal ideations. That’s actually how they met; Violet was about to jump off a building, and Finch had come up to do the same but ended up stopping her instead. The two start a relationship, and while Violet is able to heal, Finch isn’t. The story is similar to The Fault in Our Stars (2012) except centered around suicide instead of cancer. Both novels also take place in Indiana and have the characters go on trips to bond over their illnesses. This demonstrates that mental health has become less taboo. The novel was generally positively received, and the only complaint is that it relies too much on mental illness to carry the plot forward, as critics claim the surrounding characters and plot outside of the love story are improbable and shallow.

Now, can mental illness be a character trait? From the beginning of the 21st century, YA novels treated mental illness like a challenge that could be overcome despite the stigma. Then, later novels like All The Bright Places seem to assign different illnesses, like bipolar disorder or depression to be the character’s fatal flaw. For example, Finch made it a point to refuse getting treatment for bipolar disorder because he didn’t want it to define who he was. Ironically, the reason he died by suicide is that he didn’t get the help he clearly needed. This is where glamorization fits in: a character cannot only be depressed, but there have to be other qualities of the character that make them distinct. Personality traits should be different from symptoms of mental illness, like whether the character is loyal, selfish, trustworthy, or manipulative. Idolizing a character because of their mental illness negates the seriousness of the condition and doesn’t help young readers who may be struggling. Authors should be more mindful when handling such topics to get the appropriate message across.