Analysis of the film 'Shutter Island' in the context of post-traumatic stress disorder and acceptance commitment therapy

Abstract

Shutter Island is a 2010 psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese. The film begins in 1954 when American police officer Teddy Daniels and his friend Chuck Aule come to the island of Shutter Island, near Massachusetts, to investigate Rachel Solando, a prisoner who has escaped from the mental hospital on the island. Teddy's traumas and hallucinations from his own past are forcing him. Especially the memories of the war, in which he witnessed the sufferings of the Nazis in the death camps, and the death of his wife Dolores, deeply affect his psychology. Teddy is actually a patient named Andrew Laeddis and is a prisoner being treated on Shutter Island. His wife Dolores kills their child due to mental problems and Andrew loses touch with reality, unable to withstand this trauma. The delusion that he is an investigative detective is a therapy method invented by doctors. In the final scene, he accepts Teddy's past, but still continues to live in delusions. This study examines the Martin Scorsese-directed film Dungeon Island (Shutter Island, 2010) with a qualitative case study method within the framework of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Acceptance and Determination Therapy (ACT). The research aims to analyze how the traumatic experiences and psychological processes experienced by Teddy Daniels, the main character in the film, are similar to the basic principles of the ACT. Psychological flexibility, which is one of the main goals of ACT, explains the ability to explain mental experiences without criticism, to be in touch with the present moment, and to become clear in displaying attitudes in line with values. Psychological inflexibility is in front of psychological flexibility. PTSD is a problem that occurs after a deep mental concussion , indicating a constant repetition of a traumatic experience, avoiding trigger signs that are similar to the event, with special symptoms such as high impact. It is aimed to evaluate the scenes that are assumed to be equivalent to these. In conclusion, the traumas and delusions experienced by the protagonist Teddy in the film Shutter Island reveal a significant relationship between the symptoms of PTSD and the basic principles of PTSD. It is anticipated that the psychological processes depicted in the film can be evaluated from a therapeutic perspective and may contribute to understanding an individual's coping mechanisms with traumatic experiences. It is also predicted that conducting empirical research supported by viewer experiences or therapist insights could increase the validity and applicability of film-based therapy approaches.