Exploring the Use of Animation to Highlight Mental Health Issues

I've recently been doing consultancy work for a small-scale client, researching how mental health is discussed across various media platforms. Mental health can be a sensitive topic to explore and portray through creative mediums making it a hard balance to strike right. This led to me diving deeper into animation and how it's used. During which I discovered animation to be one of the best forms of depicting such issues in an informative, entertaining and yet sensitive manner. So here are some of the best animations I discovered for my client during my exploration that I wanted to share with my audience. I feel we could all be a bit more empathetic and educated when it comes to mental health.

Addiction — Chicken or The Egg

Chicken or The Egg is a superb animation that highlights addiction. Trying to explain addiction to an individual who has never been through it themselves can be incredibly difficult. This animation has an upbeat vibe, using humour to highlight a serious matter. While still showing an insight into the powerful temptation and uncontrollable urge an addict can go through. It is a good method of teaching children about the real consequences of addiction without leading them into a discussion of more adult topics such as drug, alcohol or gambling addictions. But to truly understand its essence, watching Chicken and the Egg is best.

Anxiety — In Between

In Between is a fantastic depiction of living with animation. It shows the audience how anxiety can have a devastating effect on an individuals day to day life. However, it does reveal that many people who suffer from chronic anxiety can learn to live with it. Although it is not the perfect lifestyle, nothing is perfect and you can live a normal life again. Once again this animation is positive, upbeat and humorous. It removes the usual negative and depressing tones that are usually linked to mental health.

Insomnia — Chicken or The Egg

The final animation is Dream Catchers, it does have a feeling that I would normally associate with mental health. It reveals the true essence of suffering that many go through while battling mental health issues. The aspect I love about the animation is the new information I gather from watching it. Unlike anxiety and addiction which I have first-hand experience with. I used to be a full-time smoker and got anxious from time to time. This animation introduced me to a new concept of insomnia. Little did I know that some people can experience night terrors with their insomnia, preventing them from falling asleep. I also love the ending without a solution. Was it just that one night or will tonight be the same?

A creative director reflection on this research

After analysing, a wide variety of animations included the once I have just mentioned. I discovered that I would like to tackle my communication problem in a more positive manner. I want to move away from the depressing, upsetting tones that are associated with mental health. Especially with the cinema of the early millennium and the recent Mr.Robot serious, all using a dark undertone. I am aware that mental illness is not a good experience, however, I feel we do not need the audience to feel the same sensation to educate them.

Animation is not my strongest area of expertise, I can create simple 2D animation, or as was the case with this project, direct my client towards a superb animator with a storyboard already generated for them.

I did discuss with Theo about animation and CGI, he introduced me to some amazing work done by his friend. He also directed me toward the correct software to start learning, I did discover that animation is a very long process and that most people take a long course to understand the tools. He advised me that it might not be the best direction to take my final project towards. However, the context of my project he felt was very exciting and going in the right direction. While providing me with some new keywords to explore while going through the research process such as neurodiversity.

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