Mental health in film and TV

Portrayals of mental health issues on television and in film seem to be on the increase at the moment. Documentaries like "Why Did You Kill My Dad", storylines like Stacey Slater/Branning/ whatever she is these days in Eastenders' bipolar diagnosis, Effie's psychosis in Skins, one-off dramas like 5 Days, and Hollywood films like The Crazies are all raising the profile of mental distress (whether in negative or positive way) and provoking a lot of debate.

We want to get people talking about these issues on www.open-up.org.uk. What is your view about how a film or television programme has approached the subject of mental health? Are they doing it responsibly? Or are they being sensationalist, and contributing to already existing stigma and stereotypes?

If you want to talk about a particular programme or film in this group, please click on "Create New Topic" and then write the name of the programme/film in the title so people can clearly see what you are talking about. Thanks!