13 Reasons Why and Netflix’s commercial imperative: Disrupting screen portrayals of mental illness and suicide in Australia

Examining the global media controversy and debates surrounding the first season of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why (2017–present), this article focuses on the Australian context and identifies key issues in these debates through a discussion of current media guidelines for responsible portrayals of mental illness and suicide. The article presents a survey of media and academic responses to 13 Reasons Why, including contributions from people with a lived experience of mental illness and suicide. It argues that the way forward for screen portrayals of mental illness and suicide is for screen producers to collaborate with mental health organizations in the development and exhibition of these stories.