The Best TV Shows That Address Mental Health

Key Takeaways

• TV shows can provoke conversations and awareness around mental health issues, such as
  Shameless
  &
  The Crowded Room.
• 1 in 4 people worldwide struggle with mental illness; anxiety, depression, and LGBTQ+ show the highest rates in the US.
• 13 Reasons Why
  effectively depicts mental health issues related to bullying, abuse, and suicide.

TV shows addressing mental health are a must to provoke conversations, raise awareness, and bring people together by helping foster empathy and acceptance. One in every four people struggles with mental illness worldwide. Among U.S. adults, the demographic group that struggles the most is LGBTQ+, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Anxiety disorders and depression are the most prevalent conditions annually.

Some TV shows bring awareness to mental health by centering around a dysfunctional family in Chicago, raising awareness and educating viewers on dissociative identity disorder, and illustrating the consequences of bullying and abuse. While these shows are not always easy to watch, they ask important questions and shine a light on serious and all-too-common mental health issues.

This article discusses mental health issues, including topics such as depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, self-harm, and suicide.

9 Shameless

Addresses Bipolar Disease, Addiction, And Neglect

• Genre: Comedy, Drama
• Release date: January 9, 2011
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
• IMDb rating: 8.5/10

Shameless ought to be the number one TV show that tackles mental health issues. The show revolves around a Chicago family grappling with alcoholism, burnout, depression, addiction, bipolar disease, and body image issues. Shameless portrays these issues perfectly and in a realistic way, thanks to its talented cast, including Jeremy Allen White, Emmy Rossum, and William H. Macy.

This Chicago family is very toxic, with a narcissistic father, a son who has impulsive behaviors due to his sexuality, and an eldest sister who tries to keep the family together at all costs after continuously being abandoned by both toxic parents.

8 The Crowded Room

Provokes Conversations About Trauma And Dissociative Identities

• Genre: Drama, Psychological Thriller
• Release date: June 9, 2023
• Streaming: Apple TV
• IMDb rating: 7.7/10

The Crowded Room is a psychological thriller that tells the story of a young man named Danny (played by Tom Holland) who is being accused of a crime while dealing with schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder. Throughout the show, viewers can decipher the plot through the interrogations, therapy sessions, and the triggers that set up his episodes and impact his behaviors.

The show also describes how mental illness, specifically psychosis, can affect a person’s sense of self and their relationships. In addition, The Crowded Room does a great job of showing how society views mental health issues.

7 13 Reasons Why

Covers Mental Health Issues Stemming From Bullying And Abuse

• Genre: Teen Drama, Mystery, Psychological Thriller
• Release date: March 31, 2017
• Streaming: Netflix
• IMDb rating: 7.5/10

13 Reasons Why is another TV show that properly addresses mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and suicide, originating from bullying, trauma, and sexual assault. The series is extremely explicit; the plot starts with Hanna Baker (played by Katherine Langford), who decides to commit suicide and leaves behind 13 tapes. Each addresses a person who she believes did her wrong and caused her decision to end her life.

If you or someone you know is struggling, resources and
immediate support
are available through mental health professionals and helplines.

Meanwhile, Clay Jensen (played by Dylan Minnette), Hanna’s best friend, is left with feelings of guilt, anxiety, and the need for justice. This shows the importance of the need for empathy towards other people and the consequences of untreated trauma.

6 The Bear

Acknowledges Mental Health Issues Like Anxiety And Grief

• Genre: Comedy-drama, Psychological Drama
• Release date: June 23, 2022
• Streaming: Disney +
• IMDb rating: 8.6/10

The Bear nails this category. This TV show addresses the high pressure in a work environment and the results of unprocessed trauma and a lack of open dialogue. The main lead, Carmy (played by Jeremy Allen White), inherits his brother’s local restaurant after his death. Carmy is going through a hard time after not being there for his brother. Meanwhile, he’s also dealing with the anxiety and stress from his toxic restaurant work environment.

This show isn’t just about cooking. It’s a raw glimpse at how people deal—or avoid dealing—with trauma, stress, and their overall negative emotions. It’s a must-watch, and is a 103-time award winner with over 150 nominations. Each member of the cast has won or was nominated for Best Actor.

5 Shrinking

The Importance Of Therapy For Healing From Grief

• Genre: Comedy, Drama
• Release date: January 27, 2023
• Streaming: Apple TV
• IMDb rating: 8.0/10

Shrinking shows the importance of therapy as a tool throughout the healing process when grieving for a loved one. The plot centers around Jimmy (played by Jason Segel), who works as a therapist while going through mental struggles after the death of his wife. This results in him changing his traditional therapy sessions and taking risks, which leads to an interesting turn.

The show portrays grief, depression, and an unfiltered side of the healing process. It also emphasizes that it is impossible to help someone if one isn’t in the right state of mind. As expected from actor Jason Segel, the show combines comedy with drama and Jimmy is an incredibly relatable and fun character to watch.

4 BoJack Horseman

Portraits Of Self-Destructive Behavior And Depression

• Genre: Adult Animation, Dark Comedy, Psychological Drama
• Release date: August 22, 2014
• Streaming: Netflix
• IMDb rating: 8.8/10

BoJack Horseman is an adult animation series that uses dark comedy and drama to portray mental health issues without sugarcoating anything. The main character, BoJack (voiced by Will Arnett), is a famous actor trying to be relevant again while struggling with depression, alcoholism, and self-destructive behavior.

BoJack Horseman received the animation’s highest honor—the
Annie Award
for Best General Audience Animated Television Broadcast Production.

What highlights the show is each character’s raw honesty in dealing with mental issues. Other characters are Diane (voiced by Allison Brie), who is looking for a life purpose, and Princess Carolyn (voiced by Amy Sedaris), who also deals with anxiety and workaholism.

3 Euphoria

Substance Abuse And Identity Issues In Teens

• Genre: Teen Drama, Psychological Drama
• Release date: June 16, 2019
• Streaming: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
• IMDb rating: 8.3/10

Euphoria is a TV drama show released in June 2019. The plot focuses on the main female lead, Rue (played by Zendaya), who is fighting an intense addiction to drugs to help her cope with mental health issues like depression and anxiety following the death of her father. Zendaya’s remarkable performance resulted in an Emmy Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Euphoria is brilliant in showing how messy life can get when dealing with untreated trauma without any professional help and how social pressures and social media can affect mental health.

2 Baby Reindeer

Addresses Isolation, Trauma, And Discontentment

• Genre: Dark Comedy, Biography, Drama
• Release date: April 11, 2024
• Streaming: Netflix
• IMDb rating: 7.7/10

Baby Reindeer was written by—and also stars—Richard Gadd, who had his life turned upside down after an act of kindness to a vulnerable woman he encountered in the bar where he works. The woman is mentally unstable and starts to harass and abuse him. Throughout the series, fans can see how paranoia, fear, and guilt can affect someone’s day-to-day life if left untreated.

The show is based on a true story and presents a clear and realistic view of these struggles, provoking conversations about mental health. For anyone who has been in the same situation, the show can be a little unsettling and triggering.

1 In Treatment

A Raw Look Into Therapy Sessions

• Genre: Drama
• Release date: January 28, 2008
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
• IMDb rating: 8.3/10

In the TV show In Treatment, viewers get a sneak peek into the therapy world. It not only shows the struggles of the patients but also the therapist’s point of view. What viewers like about this TV show is that most episodes are inside the therapy room, giving a realistic and raw view of the process. The therapy sessions cover anxiety, couple and parental conflicts, and couples therapy as well.

The cases are relatable, and they highlight that healing takes time and that self-reflection is key. In Treatment focuses entirely on therapy, making it a must for anyone looking for shows that not only focus on mental health issues but focus on the healing process as well.