“A Beautiful Mind” A Diathesis-Stress Model Of

2887 Words12 Pages
The 2001 movie “A Beautiful Mind” tells the story of a brilliant mathematician who is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is not caused by one factor but rather it is caused by the interaction of multiple factors, including: genetics, biochemical effects, abnormal brain structure, prenatal exposure to infections, and psychosocial and environmental stressors. All together, these causal factors encompass the diathesis-stress model of schizophrenia. “A Beautiful Mind” focuses on the life of John Forbes Nash, a brilliant mathematician who was eventually diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. The story begins during his early years as a graduate student at Princeton University, where he becomes best friends with his roommate, Charles. Nash is then appointed to an esteemed position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) after developing a truly original idea for his graduate thesis. It is at MIT where Nash meets his wife, Alicia Larde, a student in one of his calculus classes. During his time at MIT, Nash is recruited by the Department of Defence (DOD) at the Pentagon, to help crack a complex and encrypted enemy telecommunication. Nash garners the attention of a top CIA agent, William Parcher, who asks for his assistance in helping to decode Soviet messages. One night while Nash is delivering a report of his findings, he is caught in the middle of a gun battle, and is pursued by Soviet agents. After this incident, he becomes increasingly paranoid. During a guest lecture at Princeton University, Nash notices a suspicious group of individuals. While trying to flee, he is caught, sedated and taken to what he believes is a Soviet facility. It is revealed that these individuals work for a psychiatric facility, and they were sent by Nash’s wife, Alicia, after she began notice his erratic behaviour. Alicia manages to convince Nash that he has

More about “A Beautiful Mind” A Diathesis-Stress Model Of

Open Document