The Golden Girls

When her mother, Sophia, makes a new friend, Alvin, only for him to not recognize her one-day due to a mental condition (which is later confirmed to be [[Alzheimer's]]), Dorothy comforts her mother and they openly discuss fears regarding aging and mental health.''The Golden Girls'' season 3 - "Old Friends" (1987). One episode involves Sophia being asked by a friend to assist in her suicide, leading her and Dorothy to discuss the matter and whether such action is acceptable.''The Golden Girls'' season 5 - "Not Another Monday" (1989).

When her mother, Sophia, makes a new friend, Alvin, only for him to not recognize her one-day due to a mental condition (which is later confirmed to be [[Alzheimer's]]), Dorothy comforts her mother and they openly discuss fears regarding aging and mental health.''The Golden Girls'' season 3 - "Old Friends" (1987). One episode involves Sophia being asked by a friend to assist in her suicide, leading her and Dorothy to discuss the matter and whether such action is acceptable.''The Golden Girls'' season 5 - "Not Another Monday" (1989).

A two-episode story, "Sick and Tired" in season 5, has Dorothy suffering from extreme exhaustion and recurring illness but finding no cause from medical scans, leading one doctor to suggest it is depression and psychosomatic, while another tells her she's simply older now and must expect such problems. Dorothy persists and finally finds a doctor who diagnoses her with [[chronic fatigue syndrome]]. [[Susan Harris]], the show's co-creator, also suffered from the then largely unrecognized condition. In part two of this story, Sophia makes extensive [[Benevolent prejudice|racist commentary]] toward the doctor who finally diagnoses Dorothy. Dorothy very gently pushes back on the racism, and stays focused on the diagnosis. The story ends with Dorothy confronting one of the doctors who dismissed her, finding that the man does not recognize her. She remarks on the danger and insensitivity of doctors who do not listen to their patients and muses that she may have been taken more seriously had she been a man.{{citation needed|date=February 2026}}

A two-episode story, "Sick and Tired" in season 5, has Dorothy suffering from extreme exhaustion and recurring illness but finding no cause from medical scans, leading one doctor to suggest it is depression and psychosomatic, while another tells her she's simply older now and must expect such problems. Dorothy persists and finally finds a doctor who diagnoses her with [[chronic fatigue syndrome]]. [[Susan Harris]], the show's co-creator, also suffered from the then largely unrecognized condition. In part two of this story, Sophia makes extensive [[Benevolent prejudice|racist commentary]] toward the doctor who finally diagnoses Dorothy. Dorothy very gently pushes back on the racism, and stays focused on the diagnosis. The story ends with Dorothy confronting one of the doctors who dismissed her, finding that the man does not recognize her. She remarks on the danger and insensitivity of doctors who do not listen to their patients and muses that she [[Gender bias in medical diagnosis|may have been taken more seriously had she been a man]].{{citation needed|date=February 2026}}

There is unexamined [[Social stigma of obesity|fatphobia]] and [[ableism]] (such as calling Rose "stupid") in multiple episodes.

There is unexamined [[Social stigma of obesity|fatphobia]] and [[ableism]] (such as calling Rose "stupid") in multiple episodes.