Soap bosses are doing a really good job of raising awareness for topical issues at the moment. There's been Sinead Tinker's cancer diagnosis in Coronation Street and the tough watch of Ste Hay joining a far-right extremism group in Hollyoaks.
Now, EastEnders have announced that they're going to raise awareness of teenage suicide in a new storyline surrounding Bex Fowler (Jasmine Armfield), the daughter of Sonia Jackson and Martin Fowler.
Viewers have been well-aware that Bex has been struggling with her mental health of late - but no-one in her family seems to have noticed that there's something not quite right with the teenager.
Announcing the news to Metro.co.uk, show boss Jon Sen confirmed that the team are working working with charity Samaritans on the storyline, "We wanted to take Bex on a journey which accurately reflected the crises facing many young people today – many of whom, like Bex, struggle under the mounting pressures placed on teenagers today.
"Having worked closely with Samaritans, our wish is that by telling this story we can encourage others in Bex’s position to realise there’s always help and there’s always hope and we hope that others will be encouraged to start a conversation if they are worried about someone they know."
Swipe through to see EastEnders spoilers for next week:
After discovering Sharon and Keanu's secret, Mel contemplates what to do with the information. Desperate to get revenge on the Mitchell family she asks Lisa to help get Keanu's phone and ends up catching Sharon in a trap.
Elsewhere Iqra Habiba has had enough; first Gray unintentionally offends her which leaves her questioning her job at the restaurant and then she's left humiliated by Ian.
After discovering Sharon and Keanu's secret, Mel contemplates what to do with the information. Desperate to get revenge on the Mitchell family she asks Lisa to help get Keanu's phone and ends up catching Sharon in a trap.
Sharon is horrified when it dawns on her that Mel knows the truths and has evidence to prove it – she's found her paternity test results.
Sharon begs Mel to keep her secret but instead she blackmails her and gives her an ultimatum – convince Louise to move back in with Lisa or she's revealing her baby daddy secret.
Following Mel's threat, Sharon asks Keanu and Louise out for lunch but she's annoyed when Phil invites himself along. When Keanu realises Sharon has been acting odd he confronts her about what's going on.
She lies to him and tells him she can't bear to live so close to him and Louise when she's also pregnant with his baby. A stunned Keanu decides it's best that he and Louise move back in with Lisa.
Sharon is relieved that she's managed to do what Mel wanted but she's then left shaken when Mel tells her it's not over and she'll be in touch.
As Mel continues to blackmail Sharon it leaves Lisa questioning what's going on between the pair however Mel refuses to tell her the truth.
Sharon manages to get the upper hand but then Mel refuses to back down she gives Shaz a threat she can't ignore…
Sharon is left fearing for the worse by Mel's behaviour and it's not long before she changes her demands again… Will Sharon be able to get out of this one?
Meanwhile on the Square, Keegan celebrates his birthday. However there's tension between Mitch Baker and Gray Atkins when the former discovers his son-in-law bought Keegan a laptop.
As the party continues Keegan and Louise clash when she makes a nasty comment about Tiff. It's not long before Louise has to leave.
As the party dies down Tiffany manages to have a catch up with Keegan and opens up about what she's been acting odd recently.
Gray tells Chantelle that he's going to see a therapist about his behaviour. When she accidentally cuts her hand, he insists they go to A&E. While they're there, a nurse spots Chantelle's bruises – will she seek help?
Despite his horrific behaviour, Chantelle supports Gray before his therapy appointment and later on he promises he'll never hurt her again.
Louise is furious when she sees that her brother is well and truly back in with the rest of the Mitchell family. Sick to death of Ben's attitude, Louise is quick to put him in his place and warns him to stay away from her.
She's later confused by Ben's generous behaviour and later on Ben and Keanu discuss parenthood. The pair are interrupted by a man named Jason who has arrives to see through a job Phil has arranged.
Ben is eager to impress so he tells Jason he's able to get him a fancy car for a good deal… Jean Slater struggles with Ben being around and it leaves him contemplating his actions.
Ben asks Jay Brown to help him out for a job but Jay gets way more than he bargained for when he gets back to the Square with a swollen lip. Ben later meets with a friend Tubbs and asks him for help on his new money-making scheme.
Both Ted and Patrick are nervous about meeting Sheree's mum Wanda but as they wait Denise Fox and Jack Branning join them in The Vic.
Ted and Wanda's second date ends in a disaster and he asks her to leave. Wanda decides to give him a second chance and the pair have a heart to heart and discuss Joyce. Feeling touched, Ted kisses Wanda.
Stuart Highway asks Ian Beale to help him prepare a meal for Rainie to celebrate their six-week anniversary but when he refuses – he asks Callum Highway to help out instead.
Rainie is struggling with her withdrawal symptoms but after seeing the effort Stuart has gone to in the parlour, she's left feeling touched.
Thing takes a turn for the worse when Ian crosses a line and it results in Rainie storming over to Sonia Fowler's and demanding drugs.
An out of control Rainie attacks Sonia but luckily Stuart arrives just in time. As he takes his girlfriend home and tries to get through to her she blames him for everything that's happening.
Stuart goes to drastic lengths to help Rainie stay clean but following an incident at the funeral parlour, Callum insists Stuart think of another idea.
Stuart explains the reason behind his latest actions and Callum is left stunned when his brother confesses he's a recovering addict.
Later, Stuart returns to check up on Rainie and she ends up crumbling in his arms. Callum reveals his concerns about Rainie but he's later distracted when Whitney Dean returns.
Upon her return the pair have a heart to heart but Callum is taken a back when she drops a huge bombshell on him… struggling with the news, Callum gets drunk in The Vic.
Jay steps in to help Callum but it's not long before he's storming over to the Mitchell house and blaming Ben for everything that has happened…
While Rainie tries her best to convince Stuart that she's full recovered, Whit speaks to Tiffany about her time away on holiday.
Elsewhere Iqra Habiba has had enough; first Gray unintentionally offends her which leaves her questioning her job at the restaurant and then she's left humiliated by Ian.
After discovering Sharon and Keanu's secret, Mel contemplates what to do with the information. Desperate to get revenge on the Mitchell family she asks Lisa to help get Keanu's phone and ends up catching Sharon in a trap.
Sharon is horrified when it dawns on her that Mel knows the truths and has evidence to prove it – she's found her paternity test results.
Sharon begs Mel to keep her secret but instead she blackmails her and gives her an ultimatum – convince Louise to move back in with Lisa or she's revealing her baby daddy secret.
Following Mel's threat, Sharon asks Keanu and Louise out for lunch but she's annoyed when Phil invites himself along. When Keanu realises Sharon has been acting odd he confronts her about what's going on.
She lies to him and tells him she can't bear to live so close to him and Louise when she's also pregnant with his baby. A stunned Keanu decides it's best that he and Louise move back in with Lisa.
Sharon is relieved that she's managed to do what Mel wanted but she's then left shaken when Mel tells her it's not over and she'll be in touch.
As Mel continues to blackmail Sharon it leaves Lisa questioning what's going on between the pair however Mel refuses to tell her the truth.
Sharon manages to get the upper hand but then Mel refuses to back down she gives Shaz a threat she can't ignore…
Sharon is left fearing for the worse by Mel's behaviour and it's not long before she changes her demands again… Will Sharon be able to get out of this one?
Meanwhile on the Square, Keegan celebrates his birthday. However there's tension between Mitch Baker and Gray Atkins when the former discovers his son-in-law bought Keegan a laptop.
As the party continues Keegan and Louise clash when she makes a nasty comment about Tiff. It's not long before Louise has to leave.
As the party dies down Tiffany manages to have a catch up with Keegan and opens up about what she's been acting odd recently.
Gray tells Chantelle that he's going to see a therapist about his behaviour. When she accidentally cuts her hand, he insists they go to A&E. While they're there, a nurse spots Chantelle's bruises – will she seek help?
Despite his horrific behaviour, Chantelle supports Gray before his therapy appointment and later on he promises he'll never hurt her again.
Louise is furious when she sees that her brother is well and truly back in with the rest of the Mitchell family. Sick to death of Ben's attitude, Louise is quick to put him in his place and warns him to stay away from her.
She's later confused by Ben's generous behaviour and later on Ben and Keanu discuss parenthood. The pair are interrupted by a man named Jason who has arrives to see through a job Phil has arranged.
Ben is eager to impress so he tells Jason he's able to get him a fancy car for a good deal… Jean Slater struggles with Ben being around and it leaves him contemplating his actions.
Ben asks Jay Brown to help him out for a job but Jay gets way more than he bargained for when he gets back to the Square with a swollen lip. Ben later meets with a friend Tubbs and asks him for help on his new money-making scheme.
Both Ted and Patrick are nervous about meeting Sheree's mum Wanda but as they wait Denise Fox and Jack Branning join them in The Vic.
Ted and Wanda's second date ends in a disaster and he asks her to leave. Wanda decides to give him a second chance and the pair have a heart to heart and discuss Joyce. Feeling touched, Ted kisses Wanda.
Stuart Highway asks Ian Beale to help him prepare a meal for Rainie to celebrate their six-week anniversary but when he refuses – he asks Callum Highway to help out instead.
Rainie is struggling with her withdrawal symptoms but after seeing the effort Stuart has gone to in the parlour, she's left feeling touched.
Thing takes a turn for the worse when Ian crosses a line and it results in Rainie storming over to Sonia Fowler's and demanding drugs.
An out of control Rainie attacks Sonia but luckily Stuart arrives just in time. As he takes his girlfriend home and tries to get through to her she blames him for everything that's happening.
Stuart goes to drastic lengths to help Rainie stay clean but following an incident at the funeral parlour, Callum insists Stuart think of another idea.
Stuart explains the reason behind his latest actions and Callum is left stunned when his brother confesses he's a recovering addict.
Later, Stuart returns to check up on Rainie and she ends up crumbling in his arms. Callum reveals his concerns about Rainie but he's later distracted when Whitney Dean returns.
Upon her return the pair have a heart to heart but Callum is taken a back when she drops a huge bombshell on him… struggling with the news, Callum gets drunk in The Vic.
Jay steps in to help Callum but it's not long before he's storming over to the Mitchell house and blaming Ben for everything that has happened…
While Rainie tries her best to convince Stuart that she's full recovered, Whit speaks to Tiffany about her time away on holiday.
Elsewhere Iqra Habiba has had enough; first Gray unintentionally offends her which leaves her questioning her job at the restaurant and then she's left humiliated by Ian.
Lorna Fraser of Samaritans' Media Advice Service added, "Suicide is clearly a very sensitive topic and we were pleased that EastEnders contacted us for advice on how to approach Bex’s storyline.
"Bex’s story highlights the potential consequences of not seeking help if you’re struggling to cope, and also the importance of starting a conversation if you think someone you know may be struggling. If you are worried about someone it’s alright to ask if they’re ok. For some it can be a huge relief to know that someone’s spotted they may be going through a difficult time.
"We would encourage anyone who has been touched by Bex’s storyline to speak to someone they trust or get in touch with Samaritans, we’re here to offer support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."
If you've been affected by this story, you can call Samaritans' 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or go on the Samaritans website.
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