Suicide, depression and mental disorder in vampire fiction.

What is it about?

What can a vampire story tell us about the experience of mental illness or self-harming behaviour? Contemporary vampire texts for teens and young adults often feature protagonists who struggle with mental challenges. With a primary focus on Vampire Academy and Bloodlines by Richelle Mead, this paper examines the representations of mental and mood disorders, self-harming and suicide, tracing how YA vampire fiction revamps the Romantic(ized) notion of “madness” - and its connections to love, creativity, vampirism and gender - for the needs of contemporary young reader.

Featured Image

Photo by Abdiel Ibarra on Unsplash

Photo by Abdiel Ibarra on Unsplash

Why is it important?

According to WHO, up to one-fifth of adolescents worldwide suffer from a mental health condition, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15–19-year-olds (2019). Responsible cultural representations can work to reduce the stigma attached to mental health problems and send a positive message to young people suffering from mental distress. Exploring a wide spectrum of mental and mood disorders in a thoughtful and sensitive way, Richelle Mead’s internationally acclaimed series deliver a powerful account of young people struggling with mental challenges, raising important questions about their experiences and discussing the strategies of coping.