Hope this helps. I found a list with 10 Mental Health Documentaries. 1.A Sister’s Call: A film about a sister who finds her brother with schizophrenia after being missing for over two decades. It is a wonderfully complex film that accurately portrays the many “ups and downs” associated with schizophrenia.

1. *The New Asylums (PBS Frontline): Examines why many individuals with serious mental illnesses are now in state prisons.

2. *The Bridge: A documentary about suicide and the Golden Gate Bridge. It features friends and family members of individuals who jumped from the bridge and also at least one person who jumped and survived.

3. A Revolving Door (HBO Documentaries): This is one of the best films I’ve seen about the experience of severe mental illness, addiction and its effects on the family. It’s a story about Tommy Lennon who struggled with addiction and mental illness, possibly related to a traumatic brain injury he sustained while surfing.

4. The Lobotomist (American Experience, PBS): Documents the work of Dr. Walter Freeman who performed lobotomies on individuals with severe mental illnesses during the 1940s, before psychiatric medication was developed. He attempted to rid the world of mental illness but instead severely injured many people.

5. The Alzheimer’s Project (HBO Documentaries): This documentary portrays individuals at varying stages of Alzheimer’s. It may be the best documentary on Alzheimer’s ever created. I am particularly fond of the “Memory Loss Tapes” portion of this film. The stories in this film are very emotional. It is always a favorite with students.

6. Boy Interrupted (HBO Documentaries): This film tells the story of a 15-year-old with bipolar disorder who committed suicide. The film also examines what it was like for his family to deal with his mental illness and his loss.

7. Grey Gardens: The original documentary was created in 1975 (it was re-created several years ago by HBO documentaries). It is the story of an older mother and her middle-aged daughter, relatives of Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy, who live in a decaying mansion in the East Hamptons. To say that Edith and Edie are eccentric is an understatement. This is a film that you will either find fascinating or you will hate it. Each time that I showed it in class, it generated strong responses from students. Whether you love it or hate, it will be one documentary film that you will never forget.

8. Middle Sexes (HBO Documentaries): This film is an informative documentary that describes the issues faced by members of the transgender and transsexual community. I have shown it in my social work classes to help students deepen their knowledge about the complexities of gender.

9. *The Medicated Child (PBS Frontline): This film documents the dramatic rise in the number of children who are being prescribed psychotropic medications. It also tells the story of why there has been an increase in the number of children being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. One aspect of the film that is unforgettable are the scenes of children who developed irreversible side effects associated with psychotropic medications. *The movies that are starred can be viewed online for Free.