Mental health: 9 series that talk about it very well

We can almost talk about a revolution. For several years, cinema has had an advantage in terms of representation of the world of serials. Minorities—whoever they are—emerge from the shadows, female protagonists gradually break away from stereotypes, and mental disorders are finally opened up in both teen and adult series.

The producers and screenwriters have understood this well, this kind of treatment of taboo topics like mental health is important because it allows the audience to recognize and recognize themselves through the characters. However, nothing is won.

In survey conducted In May 2019 by USC Annenberg School of Journalism in Southern California, only 7% of television characters struggle with mental health issues. In the cinema, they would be only 1.7%.

Through their flagship programs, mainstream channels want to normalize the topic to encourage dialogue. This is a case of HBO broadcasting A message of awareness Before some series on psychological disorders, such as The Sopranos or Euphoria.

Other fictions, on the other hand, often stand out in their presentation of this issue, such as the phenomenon of 13 Reasons Why, which bets big on the sensational series. On the contrary, some fiction manages to deal accurately with the subject of psychological disorder. Focus on nine of them:

Normal people

While the entire world was in lockdown, the series Normal People appealed to many viewers. It’s not so much its rather classic plot – the romance of two young students over several years – but its complex character development. When it comes to good mental health, normal people go there.

It is through the character of Connelly, played by Paul Mescall, that this fiction succeeds where many have failed. An athlete and very popular student, Connelly feels isolated and struggles to truly connect with others. Normal People explores the gray areas of depression without exaggerating it or underestimating its effects.

It’s all the more interesting because it’s a male character. When it comes to on-screen mental health, women are more interested in TV shows than men, as if the latter are less concerned about these issues. It is not surprising that Paul Mescal should become one of the most sought-after actors of the speech of normal people, because his interpretation threatens you.

Crazy ex-girlfriend

Don’t be fooled by its title or a few lines of its synopsis, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend uses the codes of romantic comedies to better convey them. The series follows Rebecca, a brilliant lawyer who leaves her firm in New York to settle in a small California suburb in hopes of reconnecting with her childhood sweetheart.

Rachel Bloom, who wears many hats in this series – she is a co-creator, screenwriter and actor – talks about depression without complexes and connects the entire therapeutic process, from denial to avoidance to self-acceptance.

Bold and cleverly written, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend depicts the heroine’s psychological journey with depth, but not without humor. The series is being transformed into a musical to convey important messages through songs, as the title suggests.Antidepressants aren’t that big of a deal“- Antidepressants aren’t that bad. In French – from Season 4:

mental

The psychic series on FranceTV Slash opens the doors of the child psychiatry service of Primevères to introduce four diametrically opposed characters: Marvin (Constantine Vidal), Simon (Louis Perez), Estelle (Lorena Tellier) and Melody (Alicia Hawa). Everyone faces their own difficulties and must find a path that leads to remission. Bipolarity, attachment disorder, impulsivity… Psychic is interested in psychological disorders during a difficult period, during adolescence, where uncertainty and complexes rule.

Like the SKAM series, which is also broadcast on FranceTV Slash, Mental manages to deal with these difficult topics and reach young people with great precision, thanks to particularly attractive characters and realistic dialogues, far from the caricatures typical of teenage shows. Unlike 13 Reasons Why, the series manages to grab the viewer and touch on the darkness of life without falling into pathos.

Sexual education

Upon its release, Sex Education overshadowed 13 Reasons Why in terms of its representation of mental health issues. Where the latter did not escape a few sensational sequences, the former dealt with these topics with compassion and maturity. The story basically follows Otis, the son of a sexologist, his discovery and his questions about sexuality.

Never has a series lived up to its title so well: sex education is about taking teenagers into their hands and educating them about topics that are still taboo. Throughout its four seasons, the show has always dealt with topics such as consent, post-traumatic stress, gender identity with a certain levity.

big mouth

An animated series definitely not intended for children, Big Mouth by Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, Mark Levin and Jennifer Fleckett follows the daily lives of a group of teenagers as they go through puberty.

The series, like its title – Grande Gueule in French – doesn’t skimp on vulgarity and crime when talking about youth sexuality, discrimination and depression. It is in this respect that Big Mouth becomes particularly interesting. Here the dark side of the characters is represented as creatures to better personify their feelings.

There is Depression Kitty – Depression Kitty in English – this big purple cat that embodies the dark side of Jesse Glazer (Jesse Klein) or the witch of shame – dubbed by David Thewlis, which symbolizes the unrecognized shame of the characters. Both hilarious and very accurate in its depiction of psychological disorders, Big Mouth is by no means to be missed.

girls

Created by Lena Dunham in 2012, Girls focuses on the tribulations of a group of friends in their thirties. The series succeeds thanks to the authentic portraits of its female characters, who, a thousand miles away from the codes of the American soap opera, show their forms and talk about sexuality with great freedom.

But it is her heroine, Hannah Worvat – played by Lena Dunham, who is also the creator of the program – that the girls manage to talk about mental health with great realism. A young woman suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), these repetitive behaviors are often associated with anxiety.

We’re certainly thinking of that scene from Season 2 where a character obsessively cleans his ears with a cotton swab. A fairly banal scene on paper, but one that becomes very uncomfortable and painful for the viewer, because it perfectly manages to transcribe the violence of these crises.

In this video, a specialist analyzes the OCD of the hero of the series:

Euphoria

The real-life phenomenon just after release, the new HBO series, EuphoriaIt was widely talked about for its chaotic and raw performance Millennials, her virtuoso staging, and her revelation: Zendaya, perfect skin for the living. The actor plays Rue, a young drug addict who, after a stint in rehab, befriends a transgender high school student named Jules (Hunter Schafer). The series, inspired by an Israeli soap opera, brilliantly deals with mental health through its main character.

In Euphoria, Rue (Zendaya) digs into drugs to bury her many troubles, but her character avoids the stereotypes of other films and series on the subject. Forget the dangerous antagonists with criminal fantasies, the high school student is treated here with great compassion and delicacy. The creator of the series, Sam Levinson, who used his own experience to adapt the series, successfully manages to convey the consequences of disorder and addiction on a person and his family circle.

Bojack the rider

Formerly of the famous 90s sitcom Horsin’ Around, Bojack can’t shake his dark thoughts. And his friends, his fancy house in Hollywood, and his money won’t do anything about it. For his series, creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg chooses a hero with a horse’s head to better bring our inner demons to the table.

The BoJack Horseman character – voiced by Will Arnett in the original version – perfectly conveys the many characteristics of depression without taking the easy way out. The former small screen star wants for nothing; He can’t help but be unfriendly to others and spends his time devaluing himself, as evidenced by a great internal monologue scene in Season 4 that begins with the words:stupid piece of shit“(“stupid sackDespite this destructive behavior, Bojack remains a deeply compelling anti-hero and is perhaps one of the series’ strongest points.

Shameless (US)

Adapted from the British series of the same name, Shameless focuses on the turbulent journey of the Gallaghers, a chaotic family in which Fiona (Amy Rossum), the eldest of the tribe, must raise her brothers and sister. Although the series deals with many important topics such as homosexuality or alcoholism, it also manages to highlight mental health through its characters.

This is the case of Monica (Chloe Webb) and Ian (Cameron Monaghan), who suffer from bipolar disorder in different seasons of the series. How can we forget that heartwarming scene in Season 2, where the joy of a Thanksgiving meal is interrupted by a mother’s suicide attempt.

There’s also the character of neighbor Sheila Jackson, played by the excellent Joan Cusack, who is agoraphobic and consumed by her OCD, which prevents her from leaving the house. Through therapies and effective treatment, he gains an upper hand over his obsession. An important message that proves that a cure for this anxiety is available to everyone.