THE CONCEPT OF MENTAL DISORDER IN GREEK CINEMA

Mental patients in Greek society have never been considered as 'sacred ', but on the contrary as handicapped, and cinema largely reflects the se concepts. A total of 30 films that appeared to deal with mental dis order in a direct or indirect way have been reviewed. The identificati on of each mental disorder was made according to DSM-IV criteria. Five of these cases were presented as having a factitious disorder, seven were psychotic and two had dissociative (hysterical) disorders. The re maining eight cases related to personality disorder or character devia nce. In two cases diagnosis was impossible. The image of mental disord er is consistent with psychiatric nosology, and disorders with 'dramat ic' or 'impressive' manifestation of symptomatology are chosen. No rea l solutions, proposals or ideology on mental illness emerge.