Over the years, more and more television series have at the center, or in some subplot they present, themes mental health.

All too often, television characters show a mental breakdown, but the way it is portrayed on the small screen cannot always be portrayed accurately or taken seriously. Especially after the onset of the coronavirus – whether diagnosed or not – they have more anxiety, fears and even signs of depression. At a time when television productions focus on representation, there are several series that deal with mental health in a more realistic, “human” way.

In honor of World Mental Health Day, below are some of the best mental health TV series.

We know Ricky Gervais as one of the most successful comedians and creators of projects balancing between comedy and drama. In After Life, Gervais presents a very different personality, Tony Johnson. Tony loses his wife to cancer and struggles with his emotions and suicidal thoughts after her death. Instead of seeking support from friends and loved ones, he “closes” himself and pushes people away. But over time, Tony learns that his approach may not be the best approach to solving these problems.

After Life falls under the category of black comedy, which highlights issues like grief and depression, mostly how men deal with them.

Based on the novel by Sally Rooney, the popular “Normal People” is about two people from different social backgrounds, Marian Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal). The two fall in love in high school and the story follows their relationship from the very beginning to their college years. The Irish-made romantic-psychological drama explores how young lovers go from adolescence to adulthood, remembering their relationship, trying to manage the emotions, mental states they experience, and at the same time learning to survive as independent individuals.

Through Marian and Connell’s journey, we see that mental health is very difficult to manage, and that’s okay.

Based on the novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, the hit series Big Little Lies is set in suburban California, where in its second season a small community is in turmoil following the mysterious death of Celeste’s (Nicole Kidman) husband Perry. Wright (Alexander Skarsgård). The story is presented from different perspectives and during events in the lives of Madeleine (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste, Jane (Sailene Woodley), Bonnie (Zoe Kravitz), and Renata (Laura Dern). Through stories, viewers learn about how events in society have affected their personal lives.

Big Little Lies focuses in depth on sensitive topics such as domestic violence, abuse, trauma, amnesia, guilt, social isolation and more.

The animated series is a black comedy about a seedy 1990s TV star who struggles with his waning popularity.

Depicted as an anthropomorphic horse (voiced by Will Arnett), Bojack Horse wants to return to acting and rebuild his reputation as an actor by publishing his detailed autobiography. But his self-destructive behavior stands in the way of his plans to move on in life.

The Netflix original series explores BoJack’s struggles with addiction, depression, and maintaining healthy relationships with his friends and acquaintances who also have mental health issues.

The popular drama gained acclaim for its realistic portrayal of anxiety, depression, and trauma, among other things.

The British black comedy is based on the play of the same name by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who wrote, created and starred in the series. In the Emmy Award-winning series, Waller-Bridge searches for the meaning of his life.

The constant struggle of a young woman is shown in clever and apt storytelling in Fleabag, where we watch her struggle to manage her life events, love, emotions, and try to manage the expectations of her parents and society.