NMU professor publishes book on mental illness portrayal

MARQUETTE — Although 1 in 5 teens is affected by a mental illness of some kind, the way it is portrayed in young adult literature is something that needs to be fixed.

That’s why NMU professor Kia Jane Richmond published a book on the subject, in hopes to break the stigma surrounding mental illnesses, and how they appear in novels.

“You can be successful with mental illness. It doesn’t have to define you. It’s just like any other illness. It’s like diabetes, or high blood pressure, or any other consistent illness you might have,” says Richmond.

Richmond used other novels as examples of how to teach mental illness awareness.

The book is directed towards parents, teachers and counselors that deal with teens that might be mentally ill.

While this book has more to do with young adults, Richmond is hopeful for the opportunity to research and publish a book dealing more with middle-schoolers, maybe perhaps college students.