Mental Illness And The Media - 1540 Words

In the media when you hear the word â€Å"mental illness† most of the time its associated with words like â€Å"dangerous,† â€Å"monster,† or better yet â€Å"psychopath†. Shawn M Phillips in â€Å"mental illness in popular culture† (p.64) states that at the end of the day, â€Å"mental illness and disabilities are all just clustered into one vague group of â€Å"deviants† by popular culture.† This is not to say it isn t ever associated with positive words like â€Å"beautiful,† â€Å"normal,† and â€Å"kind. The media should be flooded with more positive representations than there are negative, but this is not the case. In movies, Tv shows, and news media, they portray mental illness as a person, not a person with a mental illness. Whatever else embodies a person no longer matters,†¦show more content†¦The article failed to mention that research shows a decline in homicides by people with mental illnesses. The article also failed to stress that people with mental illnesses are more likely to be the victim of the crime than the other way around (U.S. Department of Health Human Services). Many news outlets can encourage people to think those dealing with mental health issues are violent and dangerous by exaggerating and focusing on violent aspects of certain instances that involve mental illness and violence. â€Å"Using graphic descriptions, emotional diction, and a jarring headline can turn a harmless story into a sensationalized violent crime.† Us news - Kirstin Fawcett (2015) . Less than 15% of news media includes the perspectives of psychiatric experts (heather stuart 2006). While news representations have gotten better, they are still commonly centralized around violence. Television is another powerful influential source for not only adults but children too. Images of mental illnesses are all over different types of TV shows, from soap operas, children programming, and even prime time programming. If a show has a character with a mental illness it is more likely for that character to be more violent than the other characters or to be the villain of the show. A study was done by (AMBER 2005) They watched 184 different programs and identified 127 characters as having a mental illness, 33.9% of these characters were portrayed as violent. Other significant findings showedShow MoreRelatedMental Illness And Its Effects On The Media Essay1324 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Mental illness is often wrongly portrayed in the United States’ media creating stigmatization and misrepresentation. Mental illness â€Å"refers to a wide range of mental disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior† (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2015). Examples of disorders include anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Any â€Å"negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are called stigma† (Wilson et al., 2016, p. 2) and stigma can contributeRead More False Portrayal of Mental Illness in the Media1110 Words   |  5 Pages False Portrayal of Mental Illness in the Media Protagonist The movie â€Å"The Roommate,† revolves around a young girl named Sarah (Minka Kelly) who is starting her freshman year of college. Little does she know that she has a roommate that is diagnosed with numerous mental disorders that she is not treating by taking her medication. When they are initially acquainted as roommates, Sara comes across as being innocent and depicts very normal behavior. However, as soon as Rebecca and Sarah become closerRead MoreMedia Portrayal of Mental Illness in America4048 Words   |  17 PagesMedia Portrayal of Mental Illness in America The media in American society has a major influential impact on the minds and beliefs of millions of people. 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This is an important issue to address as, society has been fed these wrongful depictions for decades and it can be challenging to overcome and shift these presentations (Uwujaren). The representation of mental ill health inRead MoreThe Effects Of Med ia On Mental Health Stigma1680 Words   |  7 Pagesyears, the media has developed dual, counterintuitive roles in regard to mental health stigma. While the media has been a major contributor to the negative attitudes surrounding mental illness, it has recently evolved to become one of the most effective means of ameliorating stigma. However, the media needs to continue to improve in order to promote a healthy environment for people with mental illness. Before narrowing our focus on the media, we must clarify the terms mental illness and stigma.Read MoreThe Media s Influence On Public Perception Essay1272 Words   |  6 PagesThese beliefs stem from the media and how Hollywood portrays fictional characters with mental illnesses. At which point there seems to be a common misunderstanding towards individuals suffering from a mental illness. When it comes to people suffering with mental health, doctors, schools, and everything in between seem to have either a positive or negative outlook on the subject. The stereotypes and misinformation of mental illnesses can lead to a delay in seeking medical help. The media’s influenceRead MoreMental Illness And Its Stigma1363 Words   |  6 PagesMental Illness and Its Stigma â€Å"One in five adults in America experience mental illness,† (Mental Health, n.d., para 1). Many people define mental illness as a characteristic that makes one irrational or delusional and derives a belief that those who have mental disorders are not suffering from a real disease, resulting in a negative view of those who suffer. There are three ways to defy this stigma that everyone, from media producers to the sufferers themselves, must participate in to break downRead MoreThe Stigma Of The Mentally Ill1498 Words   |  6 Pagespeople a burden on society simply because they don’t believe mental illnesses are actual diseases. For the people like myself who haven’t had any interactions with the mentally ill, we get our information about mental illness from mass media. The media is of no help to the mentally ill either, though the media may occasionally portray a mentally ill character as quirky or bighearted, they are usually portrayed as insane and coldhea rted. The media unintentionally perpetuates the institutionalized fear of