Mental Health

Fantasy vs. Reality: What "Encanto" Gets Right—and Wrong—About Colombia

An animated young Latine woman in an embroidered shirt and long skirt stands surprised in the middle of a circle of people cheering her on, lit by a warm glow from yellow-orange dots of light that glow around them.
by Rosa Boshier
February 1, 2022 at 2:28pm
While Disney’s “Encanto” represents parts of Colombia’s diasporic cultural experience, its mirage of multicultural equity downplays the reality of marginalized communities in Latin America.
A woman stares with a blank, slightly distressed look, out of a window draped with golden colored curtains.

We Still Don’t Believe Mentally Ill Women

by s.e. smith
May 20, 2021 at 12:46pm
Anna Fox is the epitome of a tragic, hysterical woman—the kind of character who’s easy to write off and should be a victim rather than a heroine. Read more »
Britney Spears wears a red dress. Her hair is blond and in a high ponytail.

“Framing Britney Spears” Is a Portrait of a Pop Star on Fire

by Vanessa Willoughby
February 19, 2021 at 1:04pm
Framing Britney Spears is a clear indictment of society’s stigmatization of mental illness. Read more »
A preteen white girl with red hair sits on a couch next to a massive purple cat and oversized mosquito.

Perpetual Emotion: In Season 4 of “Big Mouth,” Anxiety Takes Center Stage

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
December 9, 2020 at 9:25am
Big Mouth has never shied away from mental health Read more »
Two white women hold each other’s wrists and look intensely at each other. One has dark hair in a bun and a hat on; the other has bright red hair and looks away.

Seeking Humanity: “Ratched” Is a Queer Show That Explores Power and Violence

by Leticia Urieta
November 11, 2020 at 2:48pm
Ratched isn’t just a lesbian love story. Read more »
kaleidoscope image of author Christal Yuen, an Asian woman.

Reflecting Strength: Therapists of Color Unravel Power from Whiteness

by Christal Yuen
November 10, 2020 at 9:00am
People of color may not have access to certain types of power, but we can learn how to redefine power to serve us in a way that allows us to be true to ourselves. Read more »
Two transmasculine people sitting together wearing coats on a bench outside and having a serious conversation.

Keep Fighting: How to Move Forward after the Election

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
November 9, 2020 at 10:18am
This is only the beginning. Read more »
a close-up shot of Vanessa Kirby, a white woman, holding Shia LeBeouf, a bearded white man's face in her hands in Pieces of a Woman

Shot to Pieces: “Pieces of a Woman” Is a New Take on a Well-Worn Trope

by Jourdain Searles
November 2, 2020 at 1:46pm
What does it mean to make an “authentic” film about tragedy? Read more »
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Latinx woman with long, black hair, and wearing glasses, has a gray mask over her face

Go Low: The Time for Civility Is Over

by s.e. smith
October 9, 2020 at 12:41pm
We don’t pay our representatives to be scared, hiding behind the apron strings of civility. Read more »
Korra, a brown-skinned woman with short, messily cut brown hair, holds fire in her palm and looks out from a cave. Her eye is injured.

“Legend of Korra” Shows How to Navigate PTSD While Fighting Injustice

by Jennifer Caroccio Maldonado
September 10, 2020 at 10:01am
Legend of Korra shows TV viewers that it’s possible to manage trauma—even while continuing the fight for justice. Read more »
Daisy Coleman, a white woman with shoulder-length blond hair and a neck tattoo, looks at the camera

Trauma Fishbowl: Reality TV Is Costing Survivors More Than Privacy

by s.e. smith
September 10, 2020 at 9:00am
These events are a stark reminder of the price of fame. Read more »

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