Citation

Skryabin VY. BJPsych Bull 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Royal College of Psychiatrists)

DOI

10.1192/bjb.2020.146

PMID

unavailable

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.

Language: en

Keywords

DSM-5; Mental health; stigma and discrimination; personality disorders; psychopathology