Caveat actor, Caveat emptor: Some notes on some hazards of Tinseltown teaching

Abstract

The use of films in teaching psychiatry and psychotherapy remains problematic for a number of reasons. The bulk of films are made for commercial reasons, not for educational purposes. Scientific truth is often overshadowed by narrative requirement in films. In most ‘mainstream’ cinema and ‘indie’ productions, diagnostic accuracy is still seriously compromised by narrative considerations. Clinical reality continues to be undermined and overridden by the need – as makers see it – to tell a powerful story in aid of huge box office receipts. Therapists in films are also often caricatures and caution must be employed in using cinema in real-time individual therapy.