Movies on mental trauma can 'boost understanding'
Relatives of psychiatric patients should watch films that deal with mental disorders to better understand conditions family members suffer, the Mental Health Department has advised.
It recommends "A Beautiful Mind" for relatives of people who suffer from schizophrenia. The Academy-Award-winning film was screened at state-run Srithanya Hospital on Monday as part of an educational project. The screening was followed by a discussion with relatives about understanding psychosis through movies, or mong jit pan seu. Mental illnesses have been in the headlines recently after a prominent, wealthy educator was committed to an institution after his family found he was acting strangely. The department decided people needed more information about psychiatric conditions and felt easy-to-understand media like films could help, according to its director-general ML Dr Somchai Chakrabhand. He suggested "A Beautiful Mind" was the best film for this task. It is a biographic tale of 1994 Nobel Price winner in economics John Forbes Nash Jr. Nash suffered throughout his life with schizophrenia. He was diagnosed in 1959 and was in and out of hospitals until 1970. He recovered slowly over time and with the help of colleagues and his long-suffering wife Alicia. Nash remains a mathematics research professor at Princeton University today. He was awarded the Nobel Price for his game theory work at Princeton as a student. "This movie is about a famous person who succeeded in life although he suffered from hallucinations. So, I think people will be interested in it and easily understand psychosis," said Sookjaroen Tangwongchai, a member of Thailand Royal College of Psychiatrists. The film is loosely based on the biography of the same name by Sylvia Nasar and Sookjaroen recommends the book to those wanting a fuller, more accurate picture. Sookjaroen expressed hope relatives of patients and others would look at psychiatric illnesses in different and positive ways and have sympathy with sufferers. Other films the department has recommended are "Analyse This", "Matchstick Men", "The Aviator", "Spider", "The Judgement" ("Ai-Fak"), "Forrest Gump", "Rain Man", "Marathon", "What Dreams May Come" and "The Hours".
Pasara Puthamat The Nation
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