Bill Woods speaks with Dr Marny Lishman, Health & Community Psychologist,
to discuss whether ‘true crime TV’ can affect our mental health?

‘Maid’, ‘The Staircase’, ‘Inventing Anna’…there are many ‘real life’ criminal dramas that may affect our psyche differently than the non-fiction CSI-type crime dramas, particularly if we’ve been a victim of a similar crime ourselves, says Dr Lishman.

For some, these shows can be quite cathartic, for others, they can be triggering. We need to keep in mind that these shows are a condensed version of an individual’s journey that would have been filled with a range and richness of emotions, thoughts, and behaviours, which occurred over many weeks, months, or years.

So, is a 1-hour show or an 8-part series going to capture the depth of what truly happens to real people?

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