Dimensional classification for DSM-5 personality disorders in ‘Rachel getting married’ (2009): a media content analysis with teaching purposes

ABSTRACT

Films could be valuable tools in the pursuit of a more consistent learning in Psychiatry for health students and professionals. This study aimed to explore the features found in Kym's character in the movie ‘Rachel getting married’. We used media content analysis in a structured manner to identify the dimensional classification (the ‘Big Five’ model) of the DSM-5 for personality disorder criteria as portrayed by the main protagonist of the movie. We studied her behavior and attitudes in the context of the film structure and storyline. Throughout the movie, Kym reveals several of the criteria described in the DSM-5 for personality disorders, with emphasis in the domains of antagonism and negative affectivity, depicted in eight and five of the selected scenes, respectively. Amidst this complex family context, Kym's personality traits often get mixed with psychopathological elements. Still, Kym appears in four scenes exhibiting distancing traits; she displays loss of inhibition in one other scene. In three of the selected scenes, three different domains coexist showing that, as well as in clinical practice, it is hard to diagnose a person with only one personality disorder. Therefore, we consider that the film ‘Rachel getting married’ can be an important educational tool.

KEYWORDS:

• movies
• cinema
• personality
• DSM-5
• Big Five model

Disclosure statement

Dr Castaldelli-Maia receives Pfizer Independent Grant for Learning and Change (IGLC) managed by Global Bridges (Healthcare Alliance for Tobacco Dependence Treatment) hosted at Mayo Clinic, to support free smoking cessation treatment training in addiction/mental health care units in Brazil (grant IGLC 13513957), which had no relationship with the present study. Dr Andrade is Executive President of Center for Information on Health and Alcohol (CISA), which had no funding relationship with this project. All other authors have no conflicts of interest.

Notes on contributors

Fernanda Severo Guimarães is a Medical Student of Medical School of Fundação do ABC, who have been participating in many national and international academic conferences and health events. Her interests are in the areas of Psychopharmacology, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Transcultural Psychiatry.

Laura Dip Ramos is a Medical Student of Medical School of Fundação do ABC. Her interests are in the areas of Medical Psychology, Psychiatry, Preventive Medicine, Transcultural Psychiatry, and Medical Education.

Arthur Guerra de Andrade, MD, PhD is Full Professor of Psychiatry, Medical School, Fundação do ABC, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Departament of Psichiatry, Medical School, Universidade de São Paulo. He is Executive President of Center for Information on Health and Alcohol (CISA) and President of the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions (ICAA).

João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia, MD is an Affiliated Professor at Department of Neuroscience, Medical School, Fundação do ABC, and PhD student at Departament of Psychiatry, Medical School, Universidade de São Paulo. He is President of the ABC Center for Mental Health Studies and holds the position of Early Career Psychiatrist Observer of the Scientific Publications Committee of the World Psychiatric Association. He is also the Member In-Training of the Scientific Publications Committee of the College of Problems on Drug Dependence. His research interests are in addiction, cultural and social psychiatry and epidemiology.