HBO is diving into the world of mental help crises for its latest documentary installment. The two-episode “One South: Portrait of a Psych Unit” will debut its first part on June 25 followed by part two on June 26, TheWrap has exclusively learned. Both parts will debut at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
“One in 10 young adults in the United States are diagnosed with a serious mental illness. Utilizing rare access, ‘One South: Portrait of a Psych Unit’ demystifies the treatment process and offers a compassionate understanding of mental health issues young adults are facing today and how to help them,” a press release for the documentary reads.
The two-part series looks at the inpatient psychiatric unit at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Queens, N.Y., which specializes in treating young adults. Specifically, it focuses on the hospital’s Behavioral Health College Partnership (BHCP), which is a community service program that works closely with 93 affiliated New York state colleges and universities and their student counseling centers. It helps these professionals and programs address behavioral health issues that was impacting undergraduate and graduate students.
This series offers an intimate look behind locked doors of one of the only inpatient units in the United States that specializes in treating college students. It follows these students as they cope with serious mental health issues, including depression, anxiety and personality disorders from intake to discharge. Alongside the patients, the film will follow the psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers and mental health workers of Northwell Zucker Hillside Hospital as well as the counselors and supervisors of the college program.
“The reality is we have some patients that have fully given up. They are sure when they come in. They want to die,” a healthcare worker says offscreen in the first trailer.
“The goal here is to have them find reasons for living. How am I going to find meaning out of this pain?” another says. Watch the full trailer above.
“One South” is produced and directed by Peabody Award-winner Alexandra
Shiva and Lindsey Megrue, both of whom worked on “This Is Home.” Shiva also directed “How to Dance in Ohio.” The documentary comes from Gidalya Pictures Production. Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller executive produce the two-part documentary with Anna Klein serving as its coordinating producer.
