Mental Hygiene tells the story of Caitlin, a 1980’s teenager whose wry internal musings take the form of black and white educational films known as “Mental Hygiene Films.” When Caitlin’s mother insists she attend a Father-Daughter dance with the man next door, Caitlin makes an unexpected friend and discovers the truth about first impressions. Mental Hygiene was Silverbush’s thesis film from AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women. It was an inaugural film of the first Tribeca Film Festival in 2001 and won Best Short Film at the Deauville Festival for American Cinema.
Mental Hygiene