title: Horror films and psychiatry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Horror films have been popular for generations. The purpose of this article is to illustrate psychiatric conditions, themes and practice seen in horror films.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Horror films often either include psychiatrists as characters or depict (Hollywood's dangerous version of) serious mental illness. Demonic possession, zombies, and 'slasher' killers are described, as well as the horror genre's characterizations of psychiatrists.
authors.affiliation: University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Sh.friedman@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Susan Hatters
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago, Fellow in Child Psychiatry, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Fernando Espi
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Forcen
authors.affiliation: Case Western Reserve University, Resident in Psychiatry, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: John Preston
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Shand
mesh_terms: D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D009040:Motion Pictures; D011570:Psychiatry
keywords: films; forensic; homicide; horror; violence