In recent years, our society has made great strides in promoting mental health awareness, starting open dialogues about disorders that millions of people struggle with every day. As with any key issue, a large part of its rising popularity and circulation comes from repeated media exposure. However, the wider the discourse becomes, the more room there is for error and misinformation. With shows like the infamously controversial 13 Reasons Why at the forefront of media discussion, it’s important to examine the differences between good and bad mental health representation, and its resulting impacts on the stigmas still left to be eradicated on this topic.

From its debut in 2017, 13 Reasons Why has dominated headlines every time a new season has dropped. While some praise its blunt approach to mental health issues, and how it does not shy away from the graphic and the provocative, the show has been accused by many of romanticising suicide. The central catalyst of the story, Hannah Baker, is surrounded by gossip and mystery after her death at the beginning of the series, sensationalised as a pillar of suffering instead of a young girl seeking help who is ignored time and time again. The premise of the tapes in the show’s first season, with thirteen characters being implicated in her eventual suicide, has an alarming revenge undertone. It gives a twisted image of people grappling with suicidal ideation as people looking to inflict pain on others through their demise, rather than people who are looking to end their own suffering, which is the sad reality. In this sense, Hannah is almost villainised during the series, despite being the deeply troubled victim of her own mind and circumstances.

The series is notorious for its graphic suicide scene shown towards the end of the first season. Despite claiming they included the scene to highlight the harsh reality of suicide attempts, the show faced intense backlash for its relatively quick and easy depiction of such a traumatic event. This made it clear to many that this form of gratuitous violence was just another ‘shock factor’ added to the series to be used as entertainment rather than awareness. As such, the series had a major problem in its first season with being focused on the drama of suicide, rather than the suicide itself. These reckless storytelling decisions can have disastrous consequences for vulnerable young viewers hoping to find solace in the show. Although the scene has recently been removed from the first series on Netflix, it has been viewed countless times over the past two years, making the delayed edit seem redundant. However, it is positive to see creative outlets like Netflix working on correcting how they present heavy topics like suicide and mental health.

One of the most seldom mentioned, yet most fundamental aspects of dealing with mental illness is the confusion and complexity of diagnosis and recovery. Mental illnesses are fickle and often getting a concrete diagnosis is a long process, as it cannot always be accurately self-administered. Shows like the musical-comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend handle such topics with the nuance needed to ensure an accurate portrayal. The series follows protagonist Rebecca Bunch’s quest for love, while addressing her myriad of mental health issues, covering her downward spiral and eventual road to recovery with great respect and sensitivity. We see first-hand how destructive her behaviour can be, both for her and the people around her, and despite being the main character, she is given permission to be justifiably unlikable in those moments, while not being villainised. When she finally receives her diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, it is both a joyous moment, as she finally has a name for the root of all her problems, and a fearful one, as she grapples with what a label like that can mean, realising a diagnosis is not the end of the recovery process, but the beginning.

Unlike the aforementioned 13 Reasons Why, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend highlights the positives of receiving professional therapy, in addition to the realities of mundane recovery work to ensure one stays on track. The show provides an honest look at the mistakes one can make on this journey, as in reality, recovery isn’t linear. In trying to get better, we can easily fall back into old habits. By exposing this fact, people watching may not feel so guilty or alone when undertaking these journeys and will gain a realistic insight of what to expect.

Conversely, shows that depict mental health services as cold or unhelpful can do great damage. In 13 Reasons Why, Hannah tries to reach out for help from her school counsellor, who seems painfully unconcerned by her cry for help. In the seasons that have followed, the teenagers have tried to deal with classmate Tyler’s attempt to commit a school shooting internally, rather than seek professional help for him. This creates a dangerous precedence, which could result in young people taking on the burden of helping others with issues they are far too unequipped to deal with. It’s important that if TV shows are going to tackle the subject of mental health, they don’t create a cast of characters with no regard for professional guidance. This would only further enhance the stereotype that it is ‘weak’ to ask for help, when in fact it is the strongest decision one can make.

Shows that revolve around mental health issues do not have to sombre, painful affairs in order to be accurate representations. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is able to perfectly balance the line of handling serious topics like depression and suicide with grace, while still keeping the entertainment value intact. Keeping audiences’ attention on such tough subject matter can be done in a number of ways. In Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s case, humour and elaborate musical numbers are the tools of choice. The Emmy-award winning song “Antidepressants Are So Not a Big Deal”, features a La La Land inspired dance sequence, while Rebecca’s psychiatrist sings about the prevalence of these well-known drugs in every day communities. Such positive exposure for mental health medication is rarely seen in the media, even though daily medication for mental health disorders is a reality for millions around the globe. Helping to destigmatize this often vital aspect of treatment may allow more people to come to terms with their diagnoses, and be free from shame around being prescribed medication.

I think that in order to ensure a topic like mental health stops being taboo, or ends up being cast back into the shadows once again, the media we consume, be it TV, films or literature, should address the problems our society faces with honesty. If we can’t reflect truth in fiction, then we could be doing more harm than good in using topics like mental health to add drama to story lines, and might as well not talk about it at all. Spreading exaggerated or glamorised ideas about mental health struggles through media can particularly affect young people, and may result in a lack of empathy for others, or discourage them from seeking help when they need it. Expressing the raw reality of the core problems we face as individuals, like mental health issues, through all forms of art and media can provide both insight and healing for creators and consumers alike.