EastEnders works with mental health charity

EastEnders has announced that it has been working with the mental health charity Mind on Isaac’s schizophrenia storyline. This storyline will play out over Mental Health Awareness Week (10-17 May) and beyond.

Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. The charity works to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.

The soap is airing a continuation of a storyline aiming to encourage vital conversations about the realities of living with a mental health problem, with character Isaac’s schizophrenia. Mind has provided research, guidance and workshops to the writers, producers and actors to help give an insight into the emotional and social experience of living with schizophrenia, particularly looking at attitudes towards mental health in African Caribbean communities.

With the start of mental health awareness week, the storyline aims to encourage vital conversations about the realities of living with a mental health problem. In the coming weeks the audience will see Isaac struggling to manage his symptoms following his decision to stop taking his medication, and we’ll see him dealing with stigmatising views from friends and family.

This isn’t the first time that EastEnders has tackled schizophrenia. Long-term fans will remember Joe Wick’s battle with the illness. Mind have also assisted EastEnders with storylines relating to Stacy and Jeans mental health.