The Role of Mass Media in Mental Health Stigma
“Aren’t they dangerous?!” asked my Aunt Liz when I told her that I was working with individuals with schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses. These types of remarks are all too common among the average individual who has not received formal education or training in mental illness or general psychology. So, where do most people learn about mental illness? Furthermore, how accurate is the information that they receive? And importantly, what do they do with that information? These questions encompass the purpose of this post, which is to delve into the role of mass media in mental health stigma.
Mental health stigma is a serious public health concern. In 2021, less than half (47.2%) of adults aged 18 or older with any mental illness received mental health services (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2022). Despite the upward trend in treatment for mental health disorders over recent years, the underuse of services continues to be serious issue (Olfson & Marcus, 2010). Researchers have identified three common reasons for not seeking mental health services:
perceived stigma
lack of knowledge about mental health
negative perceptions of mental health providers
—All of these barriers can lead to unmet needs, treatment gaps, and delays in help-seeking (Picco et al., 2016; Gulliver, Griffiths, & Christensen, 2010). Taken together, the negative consequences of mental health stigma have provoked researchers to examine why stigma exists and how misperceptions of mental illness are maintained. One answer may lie within media portrayals of mental illness.
In Western societies, especially the United States, people are often consumed by the media. Older individuals get most of their news from newspapers and watching news on television, whereas younger generations obtain most of their news from social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat). Whether the source of information is news, movies, or magazine articles, people generally trust what they see and hear in the media. Consequently, holding the media in such high authority can be problematic when the information one consumes is inaccurate, especially when mental illness is concerned.
Decades of research speak to the powerful influence of the media on the public’s perception of mental illness. As it turns out, mass media outlets (e.g., television and cinema, internet, newspapers, radio) are the public’s primary sources of information regarding mental illness (Anderson, 2003). Furthermore, most people report that their knowledge about mental illness comes largely from movies (Orchowski, Spickard, & McNamara, 2006). Sadly, the media is overrun with negative portrayals of mental illness.
In movies, people with mental illness are most often portrayed as aggressive, dangerous, and unpredictable, while mental health professionals are most often depicted as unethical, cold, apathetic, and manipulative (Damjanović et al., 2009). Television characters with mental disorders are 10 times more likely to play a violent character role, and one in four characters with mental illness murder someone (Diefenbach & West, 2007; Stuart, 2006). In print media, depictions of mental illness are predominantly negative, with 61% involving danger to others, 41% involving criminality, and only 27% involving positive themes (Coverdale, Nairn, & Claasen, 2002). Additionally, less than 15% contain input from mental health professionals, and 0.8% include actual quotes from the person with the mental disorder (Stuart, 2006). As we can see, across various media outlets, mental illness is most often portrayed in a negative light.
However, according to research outlined by Richard Friedman, MD (2006), “most people who are violent are not mentally ill, and most people who are mentally ill are not violent.” Furthermore, people with severe mental illness are actually 11 times more likely to be victims of a violent crime (Teplin et al., 2005). Given the seemingly tight grip that the media has on our minds, the misrepresentation of mental illness influences the public’s perception of mental illness. In turn, faulty or misguided perceptions of mental illness held by the general population can have detrimental impacts on individuals who suffer from mental illness.
Public misperceptions about mental illness and associated attitudes toward those with mental health difficulties can be categorized into three themes (Corrigan & Watson, 2002):
Fear and exclusion: People with mental illness are violent and dangerous.
Therefore, they should be isolated from society.
Authoritarianism: People with mental illness can control their illnesses if they want to, but they lack the will and responsibility to do so.
Therefore, they should not be allowed to make decisions for themselves.
Benevolence: People with mental illness are incompetent and incapable of functioning independently in society.
Therefore, they are unable to take care of themselves and should be taken care of.
Those who identify television as their primary source of information regarding mental illness are found to have less tolerance toward people with mental illness (Granello & Pauley, 2000). Additionally, people who believe that individuals are responsible for their mental illnesses are less likely to seek services for themselves (Cooper, Corrigan, & Watson, 2003).
Research also shows that people with mental health difficulties find negative media depictions distressing. In fact, 75% of those who receive mental health services believe that media coverage of mental health is negatively biased. Half report being negatively impacted by media representations. About 33% report being treated differently by family and friends because of their mental illness. And 25% report experiencing hostility within their local community because of media coverage (Stuart, 2006).
Why are negative representations of mental illness so salient in the media? Most people are drawn to the abnormality of mental illness. Humans have a natural tendency to pay more attention to negative things in the environment and focus less on positive occurrences. This is a defense mechanism that has been shaped by thousands of years of evolution. Today, we see this process manifest in the media; everywhere we look we are sure to see some form of violence, destruction, or various misfortunes. On a similar note, humans are quick to notice and point out the unusual traits of others. As a result, people are discerned as different, dangerous, and untrustworthy.
Because mass media industries are driven by capitalistic principles, they have a lot to lose if they portray mental illness in a more realistic and less entertaining light. However, we should consider the benefits of accurately portraying mental illness. For instance, people may gain a better understanding and be more compassionate. Additionally, accurate depictions of the hardships endured by family members may lead to a sense of validation and increased support.
It is worth noting that not all media representations of mental illness are inaccurate. Accurate portrayals of mental illness alert the public of the true impediments that are brought on by psychopathology. Therefore, it seems that one way we can educate the public about mental illness is by incorporating accurate and comprehensive depictions within the media. Media plays an immense role in our culture, and media industries bare a large burden of responsibility for the content that they disseminate to the public.
Unfortunately, most people appear to forget that movies, television, or news stories would not be as entertaining if the details of mental illness were not exaggerated. We as a society need to remember that the goal of entertainment is to sensationalize content and make it stand out; content on mental illness is not an exception. Therefore, we should be wary of accepting what we see as the truth, and instead educate ourselves by other means.
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