Mental health: 12 series that talk about it with accuracy

To represent an ounce of reality, the cinema is often left behind. In a survey by USC Annenberg, in May 2019, only 1.7% of movie characters are victims of mental health problems. Fortunately for us, the series save the day by treating multiple psychic disorders on the small screen. For teenagers, like adults, it is indeed always interesting to be able to identify with the characters. The screenwriters understood this well by normalizing the subject through their essays in order to stimulate a dialogue. Here are our favorite series that we hasten to share with you.

1 - Euphoria

Far from the sensationalist scenes of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, this HBO series stands out for its realism and its soundtrack to die for. A true phenomenon, Euphoria seduces more than one for its chaotic and raw representation of millennials through their mental health.

If it is also acclaimed, it is undoubtedly thanks to the revelation on screen of Zendaya, the actress who plays the role of a broken teenager. She plays Rue, a young addict who, after a stint in rehab, becomes friends with a transgender high school student named Jules, played by actress Hunter Schafer. In this series, whose season 2 should be released soon, Sam Levinson, director, succeeds with surprising accuracy in depicting the consequences of addiction on a person and his entourage. Hat !

2 - You're the Worst

Through the character of Gretchen, the series shows us what the daily life of a victim of clinical depression looks like. Far from describing a redhead who languishes at the bottom of her bed, Stephen Falk manages to show how this disease impacts her relationships with others and in particular her boyfriend, Jimmy.

Filled with sarcasm, the episodes offer a self-destructing vision of a wobbly, but very endearing character carried by the great actress Aya Cash. The honest and cruel retorts between the two main characters make this a series that really stands out.

3 - Diary of an extraordinary teenager

Adapted from the autobiographical book of the same name, the British series takes place in the 90s, but is still relevant. We talk about adolescence through different issues: depression, anxiety, harassment, sexuality, eating disorders, self-mutilation or even body dysmorphia.

Rae is an endearing character who perfectly portrays a multiplicity of mental issues. We find everything we need to laugh, cry or even be afraid. In our opinion, this series deserves much more visibility as it explores with brutality and without filter themes that concerned us all when we were younger.

4 - Skam Norway

It's one of the best teen dramas of recent years. A real phenomenon that has earned a somewhat wobbly adaptation to the French, Skam is part of a Norwegian continuity of the British series Skins. Between first love and identity building, we find there what makes most of the ups and downs of the daily life of a gang of teenagers.

In each season, we focus on a character, in which it is easy to recognize yourself, and on mental health. Between sexuality, self-confidence, eating disorders, religion, harassment, this Scandinavian series highlights with authenticity and sincerity the life of a teenager today punctuated by social networks. A total change of scenery far from the "crazy" teen series like Ginny and Georgia.

5 - Looking for Alaska

A completely different register for the series adapted from the brilliant novel "Who are you Alaska?" by John Green. It is easy to enter this bubble of youth beyond time and technology. The adaptation produced by Hulu, depicts the life of 4 teenagers who find themselves in a summer camp.

Miles, the main character, like Alaska, are both very well versed in literature, which is refreshing when we often see the teenage characters portrayed as profoundly uneducated. The series is very complete, as it addresses all the recurring themes of adolescence. She puts a point of barley to one in particular: mourning. Or maybe two, if we take into account social inequalities and their consequences, as we can see with the clash between sons of good families and scholarship holders.

The plot is nourished by debates, confessions, under the gaze of benevolent adult figures (finally!), in particular the theology teacher. Looking For Alaska has an adult look without being too far from teenagers. We witness their doubts, their desire to dream and the richness of their friendships. The series wraps up in eight episodes. For a moment of delicacy, a little funny, but above all very moving, young and old alike, we recommend this series of a different kind.

6 - Normal People

Revelation of the year, this series adapted from the novel by Sally Rooney is the breath of fresh air that we really needed. Carried by two brilliant actors and actresses, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal, Normal People shines with its writing. The relationship between two teenagers separated by everything until their adult life highlights the ups and downs of love.

The series also tackles bullying, sexuality, depression, anxiety, family violence, and even social class, and all of this with terrible accuracy. In addition to the love story, the series addresses themes such as femininity and the appropriation of the body or masculinity and the expression of one's most intimate emotions. All this is treated in 12 episodes of 30 minutes and will undoubtedly leave you hungry.

7-Red Band Society

Another bad French adaptation, Red Band Society in its original version, however, deserves to be watched. Realistic and human, the series upsets everything we thought we knew about everything. It follows the daily life of a group of sick teenagers with their questions about their mental health, who live in a hospital. Cancer, anorexia, handicap, coma... everything is covered.

The little extra may lie in the veracity of the behavior of the parents who seem as clueless as their children. Focusing on young patients also makes it possible to address a little-discussed theme, which is mortality at an age when you think you are invincible. Without the fuss and full of humor, this feel good series is a good mix of serious and quirky with a touch of sensitivity for the final episode which made us draw a tear (or even two or three).

8 - The Flight Attendant

Just available on streaming platforms, the series is already critically acclaimed. We find the main character Cassie, a young air hostess, slim and pretty who seems to have everything going for her. Except that she is the victim of a fairly advanced alcoholism. The series takes us into her world of psychosis where she loses all sense of reality and ends up hearing voices. This impacts his work, but also those close to him and especially his quest to find the assassin who killed his one-night stand: Alex Solokov.

Is she schizophrenic, bipolar? Probably a little and we can see that her addiction is sinking her more and more: loss of memory, personality dissociation, falls, anxiety attacks... With humor, sometimes very dark, and a lot of sarcasm, the series brilliantly succeeds in giving another rhythm to this mental health issue with the character of Cassie as endearing as it is terrifying. An eventful flight, but which lands safely in our favorite list.

9 - Shameless

Shameless is interested in the daily life of the Gallagher family and tackles various key themes such as homosexuality or alcoholism, but not only by taking certain characters aside to talk about their mental health. For example, Monica and Ian are both bipolar. We can therefore see the chilling consequences that the disease can have on a person and their loved ones. We also think of Sheila, the neighbor, plagued by OCD and agoraphobia, who nevertheless ends up getting out of it with appropriate treatment. It's all properly put on screen with endearing characters and quirky humor. The series manages to give hope that everything will be better if we fight.

10 - In my head

Freshly released on the big screen, the FranceTV Splash series invites the viewer to question the mental health of our teenagers. In the form of a documentary, journalist Océane Lerouge sets out to meet young people who tell her their stories and tell her about their troubles in their own words.

We can see a multitude of portraits scrolling by, trying to get better by all the means available to them. Sober testimonials that easily sweep away the quest for well-being and positivism that are taking over social networks. Anorexia, schizophrenia, addiction, school phobia... nothing is overlooked or even denigrated.

11 - Crazy Ex Girlfriend

Don't be fooled by its name, because this series is about much more than an addict to her ex. We find Rebecca, a brilliant lawyer, in the grip of a severe depression and who speaks without filter of her process towards healing her mental health.

With depth, but a little - a lot - of humour, the series talks about suicide, self-hatred and drug addiction. A quest to get better very well executed and without hypocrisy that feels good.

12 - BoJack Horseman

The character of Bojack Horseman, despite his face as a horse, succeeds brilliantly in telling us about our inner demons. It perfectly translates the key characteristics of depression: the desire for nothing, isolation and lack of self-confidence.

With his self-destructive behavior, Bo-Jack is an endearing character who, eaten away by alcoholism, takes refuge in cruelty and cynical humor to mask a deep self-hatred.

Filled with emotional slaps, the series also focuses on other characters and therefore other themes: motherhood, friendship and sexuality. A moving animated comedy to binge-watch as soon as possible.

The list could go on and on, but we'll leave it up to you to complete it by posting your favorite series on mental health on the forum.