The Phantom of the Opera: A Case Study of Severe Major Depressive Disorder with Psychotic Features

Objective: Portrayals of psychiatry in the arts have been enjoyed by audiences for almost a century. Courses designed to teach psychopathology have used examples from the arts to emphasize major teaching points. This paper frames Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s stage theory of grief within selected scenes of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, The Phantom of the Opera, to achieve course objectives such as the etiology, course, and levels of severity of Major Depressive Disorder. Methods: Course content from our Psychopathology course was transformed into a dialogue between an examining psychiatrist and a Broadway performer who was in character. The performance was part of a special Grand Rounds reviewing the Mood Disorders. Results: Goals and objectives were readily achieved with over 450 faculties in attendance. Conclusions: Organizing a curriculum with performing arts is an innovative teaching method that allows for review of mental disorders such as those demonstrated in The Phantom of the Opera.