It is common practice within most popular media—prominently in video games—to utilize mental illness to explain character motivations. Typically these characters are antagonists and there is little or no reason that mental illness would drive them to act the way they do in the context of the media’s plot. Mental illness is used not as a compelling character trait but rather as a shortcut to not give character depth and understanding.
However, there are always exceptions to these trends, such as the charming game Celeste. Celeste is “a game about climbing a mountain,” as is simply put by the game’s trailers. However, the game is far more complex than this and explores themes regarding the mental health of its characters. The game does not show the protagonist, Madeline, curing or defeating her own mental illness (specifically anxiety), but rather learning to live with it and understand it as an important part of herself. The mental health of Madeline is openly discussed along with minor exemplifications within other characters. The game has received great praise since release through awards and reviews (example below).
While the work of Celeste‘s creators and the game’s message are empowering and empathetic, they are still far from the mean of modern media. Modern media—most importantly video games—can and should do a better job of presenting mental illness, while still being enjoyable to play. For the most part only indie games tackle important topics such as mental illness in nuanced and impactful ways, while AAA studios are far from adopting this same practice widespread. It is important that we discuss and spread messages about the effect of mental illness to a large audience, so that they can be understood and those affected can seek help more openly without feeling stigmatized.
Mental Health in Video Games 