Mental Health Documentaries

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Have you ever watched a mental health documentary and found it helped you understand your own mental illness or that of someone you love? The best of these often ground-breaking films dig deep to explain the nature of the illness, what causes it, and how it manifests. Mental health documentaries also delve into the modern treatments available to help ease the symptoms or overcome the disorder altogether.

Montare Outpatient provides a variety of evidence-based therapies proven to help people reduce their symptoms of mental health disorders. Our team of clinicians works tirelessly to help people enjoy better control over their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Our outpatient programs give you the hope you need and the tools to feel better. 

List of Mental Health Documentaries

The more a person knows about the facts about mental health, the better prepared they are to identify their symptoms and determine if they have a mental health disorder. As well, if they’ve already received a diagnosis, a mental health documentary can provide valuable insight into how to seek treatment. Mental health documentaries can also give the loved ones of someone with a mental illness tremendous insight into how to recognize the symptoms of a mental health disorder and how to provide support for it.

Below we have listed several mental health documentaries that are worth checking out.

Anxiety Documentaries

Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness. Several anxiety documentaries are available to help people understand the illness and find the appropriate type of help they need.

Anxiety and Me: Nadiya Hussain looked like she had it all after winning The Great British Baking Show and enjoying success on television. In this anxiety documentary, she explores the causes of her anxiety and what type of treatment will be the most beneficial.

Anxious Nation: A woman documents the anxiety disorder her teenage daughter suffers in an effort to help families understand how anxiety manifests in young people.

Uncertainty: Why We’re So Anxious About Anxiety: This documentary explores the prevalence, signs, and symptoms of anxiety disorders and why people need to communicate more about this mental illness.  

Bipolar Disorder Documentaries

Bipolar documentaries help dispel the myths many people mistakenly believe about this challenging mental health disorder.

Of Two Minds: This film uses humor as part of its approach to explaining the ups and downs of living with bipolar disorder. 

Ride the Tiger: A Guide Through the Bipolar Brain: Even highly accomplished people can deal with bipolar disorder despite their lives seeming perfect on the outside. This film tells the stories of several successful people who have bipolar disorder. 

PTSD Documentaries

PTSD documentaries help demystify this mental illness that receives a lot of press but is still vastly misunderstood by many. 

PTSD: The Walking Wounded – Mental Health After the Military: This documentary zeroes in on the impact of PTSD on military members who struggle to reintegrate into civilian life while facing the reality of their mental illness.

HERE. IS. BETTER: This award-winning film interweaves the stories of veterans with PTSD and explores the treatments that work best. 

Schizophrenia Documentaries

While not a lot of schizophrenia documentaries are out there, there are still ones that help people understand this illness in either themselves or someone they love. 

Six Schizophrenic Brothers:  An HBO documentary that explores the story of a family with a large number of people who have schizophrenia, including six siblings. 

Living with Schizophrenia: A Call For Hope and Recovery: A documentary about three people who have schizophrenia and live productive lives filled with hope. 

Depression Documentaries

Watching depression documentaries helps people feel less alone. It also helps them learn to express themselves and have an idea of where to turn for structured care for their mental health.

Depression: Out of the Shadows: A PBS project that offers a comprehensive overview of depression by putting the spotlight on several individuals and families.

Out of the Dark: A look at the life of Olympic athlete Raven Saunders, who dealt with depression during her time at the 2016 Olympics and went on to become an advocate for more communication about mental health disorders among athletes.  

ADHD Documentaries

Because this mental illness can be confusing to so many, finding a quality ADHD documentary can help set the record straight for both those who have it and their loved ones. 

The Disruptors: A look at the lives of innovators, entrepreneurs, artists, and athletes who have ADHD and feel it has played a role in how successful they became. 

Living with ADHD: This BBC documentary explores how people with neurodivergent ADHD try to fit into society when their brains function in a different manner than others. 

Autism Documentaries

Watching autism documentaries helps separate fact from fiction about this often misunderstood mental health disorder. 

Temple Grandin: An Open Door: A multiple-award-winning documentary about Dr. Temple Grandin, who champions the humane treatment of livestock, autism rights, and inclusive neurodiversity. 

A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism: A woman’s quest to help unlock the mind of her autistic son by doing extensive research into different types of therapy. 

Mental Institutions Documentaries

Because many people have a limited and negative view of what treatment centers are like, it can be helpful to watch mental institution documentaries. A licensed and skilled treatment center can provide a wealth of care that changes people’s lives.

One South: Portrait of a Psych Unit: The journey of college-age patients at a mental hospital in Queens, New York. An overview of their daily lives, therapy sessions, and emotions helps people understand their experiences in treatment.

Out of Mind, Out of Sight: This documentary covers 18 months of the lives of four patients in the Brockville Mental Health Centre in Ontario, Canada.

Contact Montare Outpatient to Find Help for Mental Health Disorders

Montare Outpatient encourages those struggling with a mental illness to seek out mental health documentaries to help add to their knowledge of how the mind works. Our outpatient programs meet each person where they are in terms of their mental illness and what treatment goals they have. We match them with multi-disciplinary therapies that teach them how to reframe their thoughts and emotional reactions. We also offer access to prescription medications that help ease the symptoms of poor mental health.

Contact us today to find out how we can help you or someone you love feel better. Our proven therapeutic tactics taught by our friendly staff of experts put you back in control. 

Published: 1/29/2025