17 shows that positively discuss mental health

Jessica Jones

As a powerful protagonist, the serious follows Jessica Jones as she uses her powers for good (even despite her realistic goals in her pseudo-heroic endeavors). After all, some heroes just want to be able to pay their rent with their detective skills. If they happen to stop some crime and save some civilians along the way, then that’s just a pleasant side effect.

Apart from retelling Jessica’s comic book narrative on Netflix, the show focuses on her PTSD and how she gradually copes from her trauma without actually showing the trauma (i.e. when she was raped). The series manages to touch on this topic skillfully all while allowing for strong character development.

Though the series focuses on her enhanced strength, Jessica learns how to cope with her sexual assault and manage her PTSD symptoms. Although many series and one-off episode discuss how sexual assault survivors deal with PTSD directly after their assault, pop culture rarely ever shows how a character copes with their PTSD in the long-term.

Jessica Jones also doesn’t constantly use parallels or images of her actual assault as a way to constantly dredge up an old trauma. Distancing viewers and Jessica from the actual imagery makes her relationship with her mental health more respectful.