Mothers, Fathers, and the Lives We Inherit

As psychiatrists, we listen to both what is said and what is unsaid. We must look at the patient both in the context of their individuality and as part of their family unit. The identity of our patients is shaped by their parents. However, conflict often arises when there is discordance between a parent's and a child's expectations, which can precipitate tragedy. In this month's Media Forum, we feature 2 works that are tied together by parental expectations: Everything I Never Told You, a novel by Celeste Ng, and Hospital Playlist, a Korean drama. The 2 pieces may appear dissimilar, as one is a literary tragedy and the other is a medical drama. However, both illustrate how family and culture shape identity, affording us clinical pearls to use in our health care practice.