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Mind and EastEnders work together
Posted Friday 15 May 2009
Find out how Mind helped with Stacey Branning's current storyline
Eastenders character Stacey Branning (played by Lacey Turner) has been exhibiting increasingly erratic behaviour, following the disappearance of her brother Sean, and then the tragic death of her best friend Danielle. In the coming weeks, she will be forced to consider that she too is experiencing bipolar disorder, the condition that her mum Jean (Gillian Wright) lives with.
Britain's best loved continuing drama has developed Stacey's story by research and consultation accessed through a variety of mental health charities including Mind and MDF The Bipolar Organisation.
"It's fantastic that a high-profile soap like EastEnders has been prepared to tackle the challenge of exploring a mental health issue through the experience of Stacey Slater who is such a well-loved and popular character, says Mind's Chief Executive Paul Farmer.
"The degree of research and consultancy they have undertaken to ensure an accurate and honest portrayal of how mental distress affects not only the individual but also family and friends is to be commended. For many people with mental health problems the stigma and discrimination they can face can be a bigger obstacle than the illness itself. We hope this storyline will help to dispel the myths about mental health problems and help the public to be more informed about this issue."
Diederick Santer, Executive Producer, Eastenders, adds "What we're seeing this week with Stacey is in some ways an extension of how she's always been - a character of highs and lows, of great passions and dark moods. This week, we see that the contrasts have become bigger, and we start to realise that her mood is more complex than upset about her brother's disappearance and grief at her friend's death. It's the beginning of us getting to really know and understand who Stacey is and what makes her behave the way she does."
External resources
Information about bipolar disorder in families
Resources from Mind
Understanding bipolar disorder