Masked Depression and Suicidal Ideation in the Drawings of Schizophrenic Patients (IN: Suicide and the Creative Arts, edited by S Stack & D Lester)

This chapter examines the value of artwork as a diagnostic tool for patients with psychosis. Discussion is focused on the art expressions rather than on the mental illness of the artists. Paintings are reviewed for their potential contribution to a better understanding of the patients’ emotional state, particularly masked depression among patients with schizophrenia. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the symbols in the patients’ drawings. (44 refs.)