Synopsis

Following on from the critical acclaim of series one, Changing Minds: The Inside Story journeys with mentally ill patients on their road to recovery, from breaking point to breakthrough. This second series emphasises the plight of younger patients, aged 18 and over, who are most at risk of developing mental illness. Psychiatrist Dr Mark Cross: "This is a specifically vulnerable group, this is where the majority of mental illnesses start. So therefore this is of vital importance, we have to get it right in this age group." Raw and emotional, profound and at times funny, the three-part series is an intimate observation of daily life in the locked mental health units of Sydney's Campbelltown Hospital and in the homes of patients cared for by community mental health teams. The series follows ten characters whose mental illnesses do not discriminate in age or social standing. They include Nicholas (aged 18), a bullied schoolboy who relieves his anxiety by self-harming; Daniel (20) whose cannabis addiction is masking psychotic symptoms; Taileah (20), a recently graduated nurse whose stress manifests in distressing auditory hallucinations; Nathan (24) whose schizophrenia allows him to chat with Hitler and Muhammad Ali; Joel (18), a rebellious teenager struggling with a tragic past; Fabrice (36), a barrister's son with persecutory delusions about demons and devils; and David (47) who believes he's Elvis Presley. All the patients agreed to be filmed whilst unwell, and formally consented again when recovered, both times with the discretion and agreement of their psychiatrists. The series explores: the vulnerability of young people and the importance of managing mental illness as early as possible; what it's like to be held against your will, under the law, in a locked ward; the challenge of treating patients diagnosed with mental illness who have no insight into their condition; the impact of drugs and alcohol on mental health; and the support role of families, who also struggle with the negative stereotypes of mental illness. By following the treating teams in Campbelltown Hospital's Mental Health Unit, taboos are challenged, stigmas attacked. It's sometimes uncomfortable viewing, but the message is clear - help is available, mental illness is treatable.