{"id":25653,"date":"2022-11-11T11:47:47","date_gmt":"2022-11-11T10:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1736683"},"modified":"2022-11-11T12:35:10","modified_gmt":"2022-11-11T11:35:10","slug":"eastenders-confirms-amy-mitchells-devastating-self-harm-storyline","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/eastenders-confirms-amy-mitchells-devastating-self-harm-storyline\/","title":{"rendered":"EastEnders confirms Amy Mitchell\u2019s devastating self-harm storyline"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Helen Daly\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 11 November 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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**Warning: this article contains discussion of self-harm which some readers might find upsetting.**<\/em><\/p>\n

Amy Mitchell (played by Ellie Dadd) will be involved in a self-harm storyline in the coming weeks on EastEnders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The teenager has been struggling with mounting pressures both at school and at home which have in turn caused her to be isolated from family and friends.<\/p>\n

Her struggles didn\u2019t stop there as she found herself clashing with her father, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), over her relationship with Denzel (Jaden Ladega).<\/p>\n

That is set to continue and as she gets lower, and it\u2019s revealed she\u2019s been self-harming.<\/p>\n

Over the course of the coming weeks, viewers will also see the impact of Amy\u2019s mental health on her loved ones.<\/p>\n

It will also highlight the ways in which her friends and family come together and learn how to effectively support Amy.<\/p>\n

EastEnders has worked closely with Alumina<\/a>, Mind<\/a> and Samaritans<\/a> to portray this storyline as realistically and sensitively as possible.<\/p>\n

Chris Clenshaw, executive producer of EastEnders, said of the storyline: \u201cIt was really important for us to explore a storyline focused on Amy\u2019s mental health challenges \u2013 the issues she faces impact so many young people and their families across the UK so we hope this will help to raise awareness and to start a conversation amongst viewers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to ensure the story was portrayed with utmost care, which is why working alongside charities such as Alumina, Mind and Samaritans was essential in ensuring it was depicted as sensitively and accurately as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Denzel (Jaden Ladega) and Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) in EastEnders.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/Jack Barnes\/Kieron McCarron<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Jenny Cavendish, project co-manager at Alumina, commented: \u201cStorylines like Amy\u2019s are so important as they can help communicate the emotions felt by the young person and their family when faced with self-harm. We value how sensitively this storyline has been portrayed, whilst also expressing the variety of feelings both Amy and those around her experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs portrayed on EastEnders, we believe seeking support is vital to living a life free from self-harm and hope others will benefit from seeing how sensitively this is handled by the family. At Alumina, we always recommend young people reach out to those around them to help them access the help they need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alex Bushill, head of media and PR at Mind, also said seeing mental health problems depicted on screen can help raise awareness of their signs and symptoms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why it is great to see EastEnders dedicating airtime to exploring such an important issue. We know there is a mental health crisis in young people with one in six experiencing a mental health problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope Amy\u2019s story helps highlight that self-harming is all too real, it\u2019s not attention seeking, or something to be dismissed, and that every young person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We also hope it highlights safe ways for people to look after themselves if they are harming themselves to cope with difficult feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n

And finally, Lorna Fraser, media advisory executive lead at Samaritans, said: \u201cThe utmost care needs to be taken around stories involving self-harm but sensitive portrayals, which depict a character overcoming difficult moments and show hopeful recovery, can provide encouragement for others to reach out for help.<\/p>\n

\u201cYoung people, especially women around Amy Mitchell\u2019s age, are most likely to consider self-harm, so we were pleased to help a hugely popular soap like EastEnders to maximise the positive impact of her story. Hopefully, Amy\u2019s storyline will help start meaningful conversations around mental health and self-harm, which is a major public health concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

For support and information on matters raised within this article, visit the BBC Action Line<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n