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Analysing Joker: an attempt to establish diagnosis for a film icon.


ABSTRACT: Todd Phillips's film Joker, a 2019 psychological thriller, has stirred up strong reactions to the portrayal of the lead character's mental disorder, which is never specified. I used DSM-5 criteria to study whether Joker/Arthur Fleck showed signs of a real mental disorder. The psychopathology Arthur exhibits is unclear, preventing diagnosis of psychotic disorder or schizophrenia; the unusual combination of symptoms suggests a complex mix of features of certain personality traits, namely psychopathy and narcissism (he meets DSM-5 criteria for narcissistic personality disorder). He also shows the symptoms of pseudobulbar affect due to traumatic brain injury. This apparent co-occurrence of both mental disorder and a neurological condition may be confusing for audiences trying to understand mental illness.

SUBMITTER: Skryabin VY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8727382 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Analysing <i>Joker</i>: an attempt to establish diagnosis for a film icon.

Skryabin Valentin Yurievich VY  

BJPsych bulletin 20211201 6


Todd Phillips's film Joker, a 2019 psychological thriller, has stirred up strong reactions to the portrayal of the lead character's mental disorder, which is never specified. I used DSM-5 criteria to study whether Joker/Arthur Fleck showed signs of a real mental disorder. The psychopathology Arthur exhibits is unclear, preventing diagnosis of psychotic disorder or schizophrenia; the unusual combination of symptoms suggests a complex mix of features of certain personality traits, namely psychopat  ...[more]

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