The case of two troubled teens captivated psychiatrists at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine for months. Eleven residents and four attending psychiatrists read up on their symptoms and met once a week to discuss them.

They stipulated early on that Edward was, indeed, a vampire. But since he was supposedly 100 years old, not 17 as he appeared, his adolescent moodiness suggested arrested development.

As for Bella, her self-loathing and willingness to sacrifice herself made her especially vulnerable to a dangerous relationship. Treatment plan: cognitive behavioral therapy to counter her automatic negative thoughts.

So what if the patients weren't real? Analyzing the neuroses in the popular "Twilight" saga was such an effective teaching tool that the 12-week elective, dubbed "Therapy Bites," was presented at the American Psychiatric Association's conference last month.

"It was much more fun than sitting in a didactic lecture," says chief resident Ashley Jones.