More Authentic Mental Health Portrayals in Movies Are Important for Kids and Teens
More than 20% of Americans live with a mental health condition. But in the popular media, mental health conditions appear far less frequently. Of the 100 top-grossing films of 2022, only a fraction featured characters with mental health conditions.
And the representations that do exist are often more focused on entertainment value than accuracy, relying heavily on stereotypes, sensationalization, and misplaced humor. These depictions reinforce misconceptions and stigma around mental health. This is especially problematic for young people and their families.
It’s important that kids and teens experience authentic portrayals of mental health conditions in the films and shows they watch. Common Sense Media curates lists, such as films that feature characters living with mental health conditions, that can help families find relatable representations in positively rated content.
Families benefit from honest, multi-dimensional representations of mental health conditions.
Similar to the positive effects of authentic racial, ethnic, and gender representation, characters and storylines that properly address mental health have a positive effect on kids. Whether a young person is experiencing mental health challenges personally, or they know a friend or family member with anxiety or depression, authentic portrayals help normalize these common conditions. They can also offer hope to families.
Parents and caregivers have concerns about what their kids and teens watch, especially when it comes to sensitive and sometimes triggering topics like depression and suicide. Drawing from our work and guidance from our clinical advisers, including psychotherapist Lindsay Renner Schwarz, the team at Families for Depression Awareness developed this list of six questions that families can consider when it comes to finding accurate portrayals of mental health in movies. We’ve included both good and not-so-good examples from movies and TV shows.
Are characters with mental health conditions disparaged in any way?
Whether it’s jokes at characters’ expense or more widespread social ostracism, people with mental health conditions are often subject to poor treatment on screen. According to a recent study of top grossing films in 2022, 78% of characters with mental health conditions were insulted or belittled on account of their mental health. In many cases, this mistreatment gets woven into plotlines in which these characters are either victims of violence or become violent themselves.
In reality, people with mental health conditions are rarely perpetrators of violence, and people with severe mental illness are significantly more at risk of being victimized.
Look for: Stories that treat people who have mental health conditions with respect and dignity, as opposed to using them as dramatic props.
Who’s doing it right? In The Summer I Turned Pretty series, which was created by Jenny Han (who also wrote the books the show is based on), audiences see Conrad Fisher living with depression and anxiety, in part related to losing his mom to cancer. In one realistic scene in which he experiences a panic attack, a friend who had similar experiences helps Conrad through it, sharing skills he used. Throughout the series, characters who face mental health challenges find support from friends and family, rather than ridicule.
Are characters with mental health conditions shown having a full range of experiences?
Unfortunately, many movies tend to focus more on worst-case scenarios and play to extremes. Many stories oversimplify mental health conditions as having one single cause—a childhood trauma, for example. Similarly, the families of characters with mental health conditions are almost always depicted as dysfunctional. In reality, mental health is far more multifaceted, influenced by psychological, sociocultural, and genetic factors, among others. And people can experience depression and anxiety without a traumatic or dramatic cause.
Look for: Portrayals of people who have varied, interesting lives while living with mental health conditions.
Who’s doing it right? Normal People, a coming-of-age drama on Hulu, follows the on-again, off-again romantic relationship between Marianne and Connell, starting from their high school years. As they navigate the transition to college and develop into young adults, they struggle with low self-worth, depression, and anxiety, showing a complex range of experiences.
Does the series or film show the complexity of mental health conditions?
In the real world, people with mental health conditions may, at different points in their lives, go from struggling to coping to thriving (and sometimes back again). Movies often oversimplify the process of recovery—implying that a character is “cured” of their mental health condition after meeting the right life partner, for example. They overlook the possibilities for recovery and rarely show a person who’s managing a mental health condition as they go on living their lives.
Look for: Stories that focus on the path to mental wellness, rather than unrealistic quick fixes to challenging conditions.
Who’s doing it right? The lead characters of the Netflix series Alexa and Katie are best friends with loving and supportive families. As a cancer survivor, Alexa faces difficulties with her emotional recovery after treatment, including an episode that shows her experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. And anxiety disorder is part of Katie’s story, which includes learning the ways she can best manage it. For these girls, their conditions aren’t quickly resolved, but rather are threaded into the arc of their journeys, with all the expected ups and downs.
Is help-seeking a positive aspect of the story?
Many movies and shows lack accurate representations of treatment options for mental health conditions. And the portrayals of therapy that do exist sometimes depict it as causing more harm than good. Some films and TV series also show characters engaging in inappropriate relationships with their therapists.
Look for: More truthful and hopeful representations of characters finding help for mental health conditions from trusted adults and trained mental health professionals.
Who’s doing it right? One mostly positive example is Never Have I Ever, a Mindy Kaling-created teen series for Netflix that follows Indian American high school student Devi Vishwakumar. Along with dealing with the sudden death of her father, Devi faces the typical teen challenges of navigating school, friendships, and romance. Audiences join Devi in regular sessions with her therapist, played by Niecy Nash. While some of the therapist’s comments are clearly made for entertainment value, what comes through is the high-trust relationship the two develop over time.
Similarly, the title character in Apple TV+’s popular Ted Lasso initially resists therapy, but ultimately is guided to a breakthrough about his relationship with his father by his therapist’s thoughtful questions—a scene that many mental health professionals have applauded.
Are the experiences of characters with mental health conditions trivialized?
Some TV shows and movies trivialize mental health conditions by presenting them as minor annoyances, jokes, or personality quirks. For example, the series Monk features a private detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder. While the show touches on some of the challenges and frustrations of Monk’s condition, it mostly presents it as an occupational advantage that allows him to crack complex cases. But humor can be used effectively if it’s in moderation, in the right context, and self-directed—for example, a character with a mental health condition finding occasional humor in their situation.
Look for: Movies that acknowledge the seriousness of mental health conditions and use humor respectfully.
Who’s doing it right? In the 2012 film Silver Linings Playbook, there’s a scene where the two main characters, Pat and Tiffany, compare notes on the many different medications they’ve tried for treatment, speaking in a humorous shorthand about a serious topic. Because their portrayals of bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder are so honest throughout the film, this scene lands well.
Is the prevalence of mental health conditions among marginalized groups accurately depicted?
Hollywood has historically centered the experiences of White, heterosexual characters. Unfortunately, it’s no different when it comes to characters with mental health conditions. Of the top-grossing movies in 2022, more than 75% of characters with mental health conditions were White, and fewer than 10% were LGBTQ+. In reality, LGBTQ+ people are more at risk for depression than those who are heterosexual and cisgender. Other mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, disproportionately affect Black communities.
Look for: Movies and shows that portray the unique experiences of marginalized people who have mental health conditions in a realistic way.
Who’s doing it right? In Season 4 of ABC’s Black-ish, mom Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross) feels overwhelmed after the birth of her fifth child and learns that she’s suffering from postpartum depression. Much of this honest portrayal came from a script by writers who had experienced postpartum depression. Importantly, this episode also showed the effect the experience had on the whole family.
Romantic comedy Love, Simon is the first film from a major studio about a gay teen romance. At the start, Simon is closeted from his family and friends while having conversations with another boy online using pseudonyms. Audiences see the tension and stress that Simon experiences while hiding his sexuality. Ultimately, he comes out and receives support from his family and most of his school community.
Even movies and shows that earn public praise for their representation of mental health conditions may not check all the boxes. But a less-than-perfect portrayal can still open the door to important conversations. Caregivers and educators can ask kids and teens how the depictions resonate with them in terms of accuracy, and identify which ones reinforce stereotypes and social stigma.
This article was republished with permission from Common Sense Media. To see the original, visit their website. Common Sense is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century.