"We hope it helps anyone watching."
The BBC’s EastEnders is no stranger to tackling hard-hitting issues in its storylines.
These plots are rooted in realism and can contribute significantly to raising awareness about taboo and difficult topics.
In EastEnders, Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) has been fighting a distressing battle with his mental health in recent weeks.
The businessman had spiralled back into drug-dealing following financial difficulties.
During this process, he tortured Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) and Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho).
This resulted in Harry being addicted to drugs, which also led him to have a spell in detox.
When Harry returned to get revenge on Ravi, he and his mother, Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington), drugged Ravi.
Ravi then experienced hallucinations, which resulted in him unintentionally attacking his son, Davinder ‘Nugget’ Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury).
Nugget ended up in a coma, and his head injury consequently led him to receive an epilepsy diagnosis.
Blaming himself for the troubles of many, Ravi’s mental health began to deteriorate.
His partner, Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy), has been begging Ravi to get the help he needs.
The businessman has also been forced to turn a police informant to avoid prison, but that made him a target for Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple).
After a showdown in the woods, Mark eventually spared Ravi’s life.
Upcoming episodes of EastEnders will see Ravi sink to his lowest mental state and consider taking his own life.
However, with his family’s support, Ravi will finally accept that he needs help.
In future scenes of the show, Priya’s concerns grow when Ravi fails to defend Nugget during an altercation with Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips).
Suki Panesar-Unwin (Balvinder Sopal) later agrees to pay for Ravi’s private therapy.
The BBC soap has been working closely with Samaritans to portray this storyline accurately.
Ben Wadey, the Executive Producer of EastEnders, said: “EastEnders always takes great care when researching storylines such as Ravi’s, and we’re grateful to Samaritans for the advice they have given us, helping us ensure Ravi’s story is told with the care and sensitivity it deserves.”
Lorna Fraser, Head of Media Advisory Service at Samaritans, added: “Storylines responsibly reflecting experiences of mental health and suicide can help tackle stigma and can encourage viewers who might be struggling to talk about how they are feeling.
“We’re proud to have supported EastEnders with covering Ravi’s self-harm and mental health crisis sensitively and are grateful for their efforts in making this as safe as possible.
“We hope it helps anyone watching to seek support if they need it.”
EastEnders continues on Monday, April 13, 2026, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
For those struggling with mental health, they can visit the Samaritans website here.
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