Psychological films are critical to shape and help society. These movies raise awareness regarding mental health and mental disorders. Moreover, they contribute to overcoming stigma, promote empathy, and in many cases healing. Sometimes, these films also depict schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and so on through their narrative. So, let’s cover the top mental health movies to raise awareness and promote healing.
Best mental health movies for teens
Teenage is emotionally complicated. Adolescents experience anxiety and depression, as well as body image and identity issues. Therefore, it is essential to normalize the conversation around mental well-being from an early age. Mental health films achieve this through appealing characters and scenarios. These movies make teens understand that they are not alone in their struggles.
Five good mental health movies that teens should watch are the following:
Inside out (2015)
- Inside Out tracks a young girl who has to adapt to relocating to a new place of residence. In the film, Riley has her feelings in person form, which are Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust. These feelings guide her response to stressful situations.
- Mental health issues addressed: Emotional regulation, coping with stress, learning to change.
- Why it’s worth watching: Inside Out is helping teenagers understand their feelings. It beautifully demonstrates that all emotions are necessary and how one should cope with it. This film promotes emotional literacy in a friendly and understandable way at a family level.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) is a coming-of-age drama based on Stephen Chbosky’s bestselling novel. It follows Charlie, a shy and introverted high-school freshman, as he navigates friendship, first love, and past trauma with the help of two charismatic seniors, Sam and Patrick.
- Mental health issues addressed: Anxiety, depression, trauma, suicidal feelings.
- Why it’s worth watching: The movie is truthful in regarding the mental health struggles of adolescents. It also helps the audience to find strength and embrace their weaknesses.
To the Bone (2017)
- To The Bone follows the life of a young woman by the name of Ellen who suffers from anorexia. She portrays her struggles in the movie with eating disorder recovery and body image.
- Mental health issues addressed: Conditions and eating disorders, body image, self-harm, recovery.
- Why it’s worth watching: This film gives an unsentimental yet humane treatment to eating disorders. It is an invaluable tool to spread awareness and display the difficulties of healing.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010)
- It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010) follows a stressed teen who admits himself to a psychiatric ward, where he befriends eccentric patients and learns about resilience, friendship, and self-acceptance through humor and heartfelt moments.
- Mental health issues addressed: Depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, psychiatric treatment.
- Why it’s worth watching: The film demystifies mental health treatment and exhibits how human connection can help in recovery.
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
- Girl, Interrupted (1999) follows Susanna Kaysen, a young woman in the 1960s who is sent to a psychiatric hospital, where she forms intense bonds with fellow patients while confronting mental illness, identity, and recovery.
- Mental health issues addressed: Borderline personality disorder, depression, self-harm.
- Why it’s worth watching: This film deeply explores mental health struggles. It reflects not only the hardships but the strengths of ordinary people suffering from such disorders.
Use parental controls to help teens develop a healthy mental situation.
Movies about anxiety, depression & addiction
The most widespread mental health problems in the world are anxiety, depression, and addiction. These issues affect the lives of millions. Movies on these subjects help shed light on their complexity. They describe the emotional angst and functional limitations to which these conditions give rise. They also tend to demonstrate the importance of support, treatment, and hope.
The list below offers five suggestions that highlight anxiety, depression, and addiction thoughtfully:
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
- Silver Linings Playbook (2012) follows Pat, a man with bipolar disorder, as he tries to rebuild his life and marriage, forming an unexpected bond with Tiffany, a widow facing her own emotional struggles.
- Mental health issues addressed: Bipolar, anxiety, depression.
- Why it’s worth watching: Not only does the movie realistically capture the process of mental illness and the necessity of treatment and social care, but it also avoids demonizing the pursuit of treatment.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
- It is based on the life of a Nobel Prize-winning mathematician, John Nash. It is a record of how he struggled against schizophrenia despite his successes in his career.
- Mental health issues addressed: Schizophrenia, delusions, paranoia.
- Why it’s worth watching: This film makes it very clear that schizophrenia is not some one-dimensional monster. People can be assisted by their families and can cope with their symptoms as a result.
The King of Staten Island (2020)
- The King of Staten Island (2020) follows Scott, an aimless young man coping with his firefighter father’s death, as he confronts grief, responsibility, and personal growth through new relationships and unexpected challenges.
- Mental health issues addressed: Depression, drugs, and grief.
- Why it’s worth watching: The movie frankly documents the process of recovery from grief and drug addiction, in an emotional setting.
As Good as It Gets (1997)
- As Good as It Gets (1997) follows Melvin, a misanthropic writer with obsessive-compulsive disorder, whose life changes when he bonds with a waitress and a neighbor, discovering empathy, love, and unexpected personal growth.
- Mental health issues addressed: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety.
- Why it’s worth watching: It offers a warm and optimistic portrayal of OCD, highlighting the power of love and kindness.
The Aviator (2004)
- The Aviator (2004) chronicles the life of aviation pioneer Howard Hughes, highlighting his groundbreaking achievements, lavish lifestyle, and struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder amid his rise and fall in 20th-century America.
- Mental health issues addressed: Anxiety disorder, phobias, OCD.
- Why it’s worth watching: As the film portrays, mental illness applies to any person, no matter the level of success and wealth.
Movies about mental illness
Films about mental illness depict the struggles that people encounter in their lives. They give life incitement to mental health. They promote sympathy and compassion. Good representations convey the message that it is possible to overcome troubles. They highlight the value of community and treatment/support networks.
Movies dealing with schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a debilitating, multi-factorial disorder of the brain, which more often than not is misunderstood in the media. Some movies featuring schizophrenia:
15 Park Avenue (2005)
- 15 Park Avenue (2005) follows Meethi, a woman living with schizophrenia, as her sister navigates the challenges of caring for her while reality and Meethi’s imagined world gradually blur.
- Mental health issues addressed: schizophrenia, psychosis, and family relations.
- Why it’s worth watching: It shows schizophrenia in a more detailed way, showing family problems and love.
The Soloist (2009)
- The Soloist (2009) tells the true story of journalist Steve Lopez, who befriends Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless musician with schizophrenia, leading to a transformative journey of friendship, compassion, and hope.
- Mental health issues addressed: Schizophrenia, trauma, homelessness.
- Why it’s worth watching: The movie brings awareness to social marginalization and the human aspect of mental illness.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
- A Beautiful Mind (2001) follows mathematician John Nash’s rise to brilliance and his battle with schizophrenia, portraying his struggles, relationships, and enduring quest for stability and recognition.
- Mental health issues addressed: Schizophrenia, delusions, paranoia.
- Why it’s worth watching: It makes a much-maligned disease relatable and shows resilience and the promise of hope.
Movies about suicidal, self-harm and eating disorders
These issues are not easy but worth talking about. Movies on suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders raise awareness and sensitivity and encourage the discussion of prevention and recovery.
Thirteen (2003)
- The movie Thirteen follows the story of Tracy, a junior high school student struggling with her sense of self and the pressures of teenage life. When she befriends reckless Evie, she slides into the lifestyle of drugs, recklessness, and self-mutilation.
- Mental health issues addressed: Depression, body image, self-harm, and abuse of substances.
- Why it’s worth watching: Thirteen gives a gritty, realistic feel of how easily teens can ruin their lives through relationships and emotional hurt. The movie is a strong representation of how self-destructive behavior is linked to emotional suffering, which is not addressed.
The Hours (2002)
- Like a melting pot, the movie The Hours juxtaposes the lives of three women who lived in three different times and explores the connections between them. They have to deal with despair and the weight of mental illness.
- Mental health issues addressed: Depression, suicide, and existential crisis.
- Why it’s worth watching: The Hours touches upon the problem of being depressed and having suicidal thoughts. It demonstrates how mental illness incurs effects on life and relationships.
The Virgin Suicides (1999)
- The Virgin Suicides (1999) tells the haunting story of five sheltered sisters whose mysterious lives and tragic fate are observed by neighborhood boys, exploring themes of isolation, repression, and adolescent longing.
- Mental health issues addressed: Suicide, depression, and trauma in a family.
- Why it’s worth watching: The movie highlights the vulnerability and suffering underlying teen psychic meltdowns.
Films about trauma and PTSD
Trauma and PTSD have become a part of the lives of many individuals; however, they are commonly misunderstood. Films dealing with such motifs depict the way of healing.
Ordinary People (1980)
- Ordinary People (1980) follows a family coping with the accidental death of their eldest son, as the surviving son struggles with guilt and depression, revealing deep emotional fractures beneath their seemingly perfect life.
- Mental health issues addressed: PTSD, grief, depression.
- Why it’s worth watching: The forceful and emotional depiction of the interpersonal and family effects of trauma.
Take Shelter (2011)
- Take Shelter (2011) follows a man plagued by apocalyptic visions who becomes obsessed with building a storm shelter, straining his marriage and questioning whether his fears are real or a sign of mental illness.
- Mental health issues addressed: Trauma, PTSD, prodromal psychosis.
- Why it’s worth watching: It brings forth the emotional torment of being traumatized and the unfamiliarity.
Shutter Island (2010)
- Shutter Island (2010) follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels as he investigates a psychiatric facility on a remote island, uncovering dark secrets while confronting disturbing truths about his own mind.
- Mental health issues addressed: PTSD, psychosis, trauma.
- Why it’s worth watching: It is addictive to watch and tells the audience about the complexity of mental illness and memory.
Movies about BPD (borderline personality disorder)
BPD is stigmatized and misunderstood in the social discourse. Such movies are informational and empathetic.
Frances (1982)
- The story is a true one of actress Frances Farmer, and it contains her turmoil with her severe moodiness, unstable relationships, and constant feeling of alienation. The actions of Frances and her ultimate institutionalization can be attributed to the real-life problems of BPD.
- Why it’s worth watching: Frances provides a brief look at the affliction and the power of the individual with BPD. The movie reaffirms the necessity of care and compassion on the part of society and the dangers of misjudging or abusing the victim of the disorder.
Welcome to Me (2014)
- Welcome to Me (2014) follows Alice, a woman with borderline personality disorder who wins the lottery and spends her fortune creating a bizarre talk show about her life, blending dark comedy with themes of self-expression and mental health.
- Why it’s worth watching: The movie offers a fresh take on comedy and a perspective on the struggle of BPD.
Prozac Nation (2001)
- Prozac Nation (2001) follows Elizabeth Wurtzel, a talented college student, as she battles depression, strained relationships, and self-destructive behavior while struggling to find stability through therapy and medication.
- Why it’s worth watching: The film shows the emotional instability of a BPD patient and highlights the need for treatment.
How movies on mental health help people overcome mental illness?
Mental health movies do more than tell stories—they inspire empathy, reduce stigma, and create a sense of belonging for those who feel isolated. By portraying struggles and recovery, they offer both education and hope, encouraging viewers to seek help, connect with others, and foster understanding in their communities.
Breaking stigma and building comfort
- Mental health movements unite people who feel isolated by stigma.
- Sensitive portrayals of mental illness reduce shame and legitimize personal experiences.
- These films provide opportunities for healing and recovery.
Encouraging help-seeking
- Viewers are motivated to seek support or assistance from others.
- Films emphasize empathy, treatment, and community connections.
Reflecting real-life struggles
- For many, mental health movies feel like looking into a mirror.
- They validate personal challenges and give hope for improvement.
Educational and normalizing impact
- Raise awareness of mental health issues among the general public.
- Normalize conversations about mental illness in society.
Promoting understanding and dialogue
- Highlight symptoms and barriers to treatment.
- Encourage more sensitive, informed discussions between families, schools, and communities.
How to use mental health movies for education and support?
Mental health films can be powerful tools for learning and awareness. They not only depict symptoms and treatments but also make complex disorders easier to understand. When viewed together with children, these films encourage open conversations about emotions, coping, and well-being—especially when paired with tools that ensure safe, age-appropriate content.
Educational value
- Mental health films are seen as valuable educational tools.
- Teachers and clinicians endorse them for accurately depicting symptoms and treatments.
- Complex disorders can be better understood through these films.
Emotional awareness
- Such movies spark conversations about emotions and coping strategies.
- They can break down communication barriers around mental health topics.
Role of parents and caretakers
- Watching mental health movies together can help raise awareness in children.
- Films provide a light, approachable introduction to discussing emotions and mental conditions.
Safe viewing with parental control apps
Using tools like FlashGet Kids can further improve the impact of such films. These robust tools offer features like:
- Content filters ensure age-appropriate viewing.
- Screen time can be balanced to protect mental well-being.
- App blocker to ensure your kid doesn’t use too much social media or gets addicted to streaming apps.
Wrap up
Mental health cinema has become essential in the modern day. Audiences now value movies about mental illness more than ever. Adults encourage teens to speak openly about mental health issues. Educating and inspiring, the films about anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and other conditions make people understand and empathize. They bestow a feeling of acceptance and optimism. The movies demonstrate that any person can suffer from mental illness, and there are ways of recovery.
FAQs
Yes. Movies such as To the Bone and The Perks of Being a Wallflower are available on Netflix.
Watch movies together and speak openly about the struggles and feelings of the characters with your family.
Yes. Movies like “Inside Out” and “Wonder” are excellent choices for family viewing, as they allow viewers to explore emotions and resilience together.
