One of 2024’s most surprising documentaries came in the form of Six Schizophrenic Brothers, a series that tackled one of America’s most troubled families.
While the Galvin name might not be familiar to many, the American family actually proved to have an almost unbelievable story behind their genetics and impact on mental illness research.
It’s a sad tale that involves the crumbling of a large family, many of whom ended up with the same diagnosis. Murder, suicide, and allegations of abuse are all painful details in the Galvins’ story, and a Discovery documentary addressed it all earlier this year.
Here’s how to watch the mini series, with details on what it’s really about and why there was backlash from the family itself.
How to watch the Six Schizophrenic Brothers documentary
All four episodes of the Six Schizophrenic Brothers documentary are now available to stream on Discovery+ and Max.
The series dropped earlier in June 2024, meaning all episodes can be binged right now.
If you’re not signed up to either of the streaming services, you can also buy the series on Apple TV+ or Amazon Prime Video.
Is the Galvin Family documentary on Netflix?
No, Six Schizophrenic Brothers isn’t available on Netflix right now, but we’ll update this space if it’s added to the streaming platform.
What’s it about?
Six Schizophrenic Brothers is a documentary about the Galvins, an American family in which six out of their 12 children were diagnosed with schizophrenia.
They’ve been described in the official logline as America’s “most mentally ill family.” In 2020, a book titled Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family was published about the Galvins, accounting how they became the subject of investigations for the genetic origin of schizophrenia.
Most notably, all six children who were diagnosed were boys. Part of the story is about research into mental illness, and the family’s struggle to get answers about their condition.
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The Galvins became an important part of research into schizophrenia, with their DNA forming the backbone of major disease research in the mid-1900s.
The documentary includes interviews from members of the family, but also turns the spotlight onto some of the darker elements of their story, including murder, psychosis, and suicide.
Backlash explained
Some of the subjects highlighted in the documentary – including the suggestion that the two daughters Lindsay and Margaret were both sexually abused – has led to a defensive response from Lindsay Mary Galvin Rauch, the youngest Galvin sister.
Speaking to The Gazette in July 2024, Rauch refuted the documentary, claiming that the series “misrepresents” her childhood and what really happened.
“It has criminalized and stigmatized what is already an uphill battle for all families,” she explained. “It’s contributed to the problem and not alleviated it. It’s embarrassing for our family in the world of mental health awareness for us to have that happen.”
Rauch alleges that she was happy with the edit she had been shown, only to find another edit entirely had been placed on Max – one that exploited elements of violence, abuse, and incest.
“I’m embarrassed by the series,” she continued. “Families who have children or brothers and sisters who are affected, I understand why they’re mad. If someone suffers from schizophrenia it doesn’t mean they’re violent.
“The percentage of people with it who are violent is far lower than the general public. It’s just the way the media depicts it. Movies like Joker and Shutter Island — that’s what they did with our series and made it another horror story around mental illness.”
For more of the best docs around, check out our guides to The Menendez Brothers, Netflix’s Mr McMahon, and how to watch the new Diddy doc.
