Vote from your sofa to end mental health soap operas
As The Jeremy Kyle Show is axed after the death of a guest and the Government launches an inquiry into reality TV, it is important to remember the real progress being made when it comes to the media’s depiction of mental health.
As someone who writes endlessly about the stuff in our heads, I would say this. But I have seen some absolutely outstanding broadcasting this past Mental Health Awareness Week. The BBC, more than fulfilling its public service remit, has given us a series of documentaries that will have enlightened and enriched many viewers.
Nadiya Hussain’s programme about anxiety was a haunting look at the catastrophic battles so many face every day before even leaving the house.
David Harewood: Psychosis and Me must surely win a Bafta. The actor’s account of the events which led up to him being sectioned at the age of 23 was extraordinary. In one hour, he shattered centuries of stigma attached to men and mental health: speaking to his friends, who took him to hospital, and meeting remarkable young men who spoke about living with psychosis. It sucked all the shame out of this most stigmatised of mental health issues.
I barely need to say this to readers of The Telegraph, but as viewers, we can change how mental health is depicted on television. If we refuse to watch the programmes that take people’s real lives and turn them into game shows or soap operas, and instead get behind shows such as Harewood’s, we will send a message to programmers that is loud and clear. We can all help, without even having to leave the sofa.