This thesis attempts to analyse the various ways in which mental disorders are depicted, what importance they carry in communities and the consequences of overcoming such struggles. These points are reflected in Susanna Kaysen's Girl interrupted, a formative piece of literature in the studies of mental illness. It offers a side-by-side comparison of the book and its film adaptation. It also focuses on the means in which suicide is painted, how females can uplift each other and the aftermath of leaving a mental institution. Hence, how similarly or differently these are shown in the original or the film version. Moreover, it connects and refers back to influential works by other major figures such as Michael Foucault, Émile Durkheim or George Rosen.