Mental Health Media: Narratives That Made Us Feel Seen

As we wrap up #MentalHealthMonth, The Manuscript Editor is spotlighting five pieces of media that explore mental health with nuance, honesty, and heart.

Photo by Vie Studio from Pexels

From quiet YA novels to powerful K-dramas and biographical films, these stories left a mark. Here are a few that stuck with us:

1. Wonderful World (2024), Lee Seung-Young

Photo from IMDB

Aired in 2024, Wonderful World is a series that explores the themes of grief, revenge, and redemption in its tragic yet emotionally stirring diegesis.

The episodes depict human intricacies as the characters deal with learned helplessness, rage, and relational problems. Fortunately, the series also culminates with the portrayal of forgiveness, friendship, and justice. Kim Nam Joo’s character specifically plays out how heartbreaks can turn into breakthroughs when one chooses not to give up and find purpose even in the bleakest moments in life.

2. It’s Okay, That’s Love (2014), Kim Kyu Tae

Photo from IMDB

This multi-awarded 2014 K-drama about psychiatrist Ji Hae Soo (Going Hyo Jin) and mystery author Jang Jae Yeol (Zo In Sung) is the story of vulnerability, understanding, and love. Upon their initial meeting, their opposing views on romance become a point of contention, among other things. Except after that, they have to live under the same roof. Initially, tensions are high as their strong personalities and refusal to back down cause them to butt heads. Slowly, Jae Yeol and Hae Soo begin to open up to one another, giving each other the opportunity to shed their initial preconceptions about the other. It doesn’t take long before disdain transforms to love, but things take a turn for the worst when it is revealed that Jae Yeol’s mental health issues are a lot worse than both he and Hae Soo initially thought.

Written by Noh Hee Kyung and directed by Kim Kyu Tae, this show is a comedy, drama, and mystery all rolled into one. The characters are odd on the surface, but absolutely endearing. It offers a unique look into the daily lives of people with a wide spectrum of mental health issues and shows us that you really can’t judge a book by its cover.

3. Solitaire by Alice Oseman

Cover from Wiki

Alice Oseman’s debut novel follows Tori Spring, a Year Twelve student who isn’t sure she’ll ever

feel happy again. Aside from dealing with the usual trappings of being a sixteen-year-old teenager (updating her Tumblr blog, studying for A-levels, preparing for college applications, and dealing with the school’s social hierarchy), Tori’s home life has been affected by her younger brother Charlie’s eating disorder. Then, there’s also Michael Holden and his investigations behind a mysterious group called Solitaire, whose pranks are starting to get more and more dangerous. With everything that’s happening, something is bound to break, and hopefully, it won’t be Tori herself.

Oseman’s novel takes after J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, not only with its language, but also with the way Tori looks at adults. It is clear that at this age, Tori is already disillusioned about her life as well as the role that adults play in it. The book is a stark contrast to Alice Oseman’s most popular work, Heartstopper. The teenage angst might deter some readers, but it’s hard not to feel compassion for Tori and all her struggles.

4. Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry

Cover from Amazon

This book is wrecking in the best way possible.

The poems—soft, sharp, simple—hit like a quiet ache. And the fact that Ellie Terry wrote this with lived experience? That’s why it feels so real. So unflinching. Tourette’s isn’t just mentioned. It’s shown. Felt. The shame, the fear, the exhaustion of trying to “hold it in.” It’s painful. Raw. Beautiful. We’re seeing neurodivergence—Tourette’s especially—told this way. No spectacle. Just life. Life through the eyes of a girl who wants to be seen for more than her tics.

Jinsong’s POV adds another layer. The guilt of watching, staying silent, not knowing when to speak up. It’s messy. Honest. It’s not a story that asks for understanding, but of learning to put oneself in someone else’s shoes. Shoes that belong to someone entirely different.

5. The Iron Claw (2023)

Photo from Rotten Tomatoes

A gripping story about the Von Erich family. Zac Efron delivers the performance of his career as Kevin Von Erich, the second-eldest son in a family marked by tragedy. He plays a man forced to endure unimaginable loss, watching helplessly as his brothers are taken from him one by one—through accidents, the weight of pressure, and the devastating toll of depression and suicide.

A deeply moving film, The Iron Claw hauntingly explores the burdens we carry for family and the lengths that we'd go to for people that we love, but sometimes at the cost of chasing greatness.

These stories remind us why telling our story matters. Not every experience is tidy, but every one is worth being seen. Even after Mental Health Month, the conversation—and your story—still counts. Each one holds space for pain, hope, and everything in between. Let’s keep telling these kinds of stories.

Putting your story out there is a brave thing to do, and caring for it doesn’t just stop when you’ve finally typed “The End.” It also opens the door to clarity, connection, and being truly understood. Let’s edit it into something that honors both your voice and your message. Book your manuscript today at themanuscripteditor.com and get a free 800-word complimentary edit when you sign up!