Primary care concepts: Stigma & the media
Stigma surrounding mental illness is alive and well in today’s society, is closely linked with social attitudes and usually has an adverse affect on peoples lives. Stigma leads others to avoid living, socializing or working with, renting to, or employing people with mental disorders.
The media plays an important role in shaping societies attitudes, both positive and negative. We will look at the impact of stigma on the individual, families and communities and what role the media plays in influencing and changing attitudes.
Mental illness in the media
Learning Journal? Why is there so much stigma surround mental illness/disorders? What role does the media play in the community's perception of mental illness/disorders?
The stigma associated with mental illness is profoundly debilitating to the individual with the illness. Despite the education campaigns and health promotion activities people still consider people diagnosed with a mental illness to be unpredictable, dangerous, unintelligent and unreliable. People with mental illnesses are disadvantaged in a number of ways because of these commonly held misconceptions.
The media is a power tool for conveying information and influencing the general public’s attitudes and perceptions of social norms. The media reaches people through film, television, newspapers, magazines, posters and pamphlets. Unfortunately media coverage often reflects the widespread misunderstanding of mental health problems.
Over the last decade there has been a significant amount of work done by both government and non-government agencies to reduce the amount of stigma attached to mental health issues. Part of this work includes the education of journalists and the monitoring of the media for incorrect and offensive depiction of mental health issues.
Reading
Meadows G. and Singh B. (2001) Mental health in Australia. Collaborative Community Practice. Oxford University press Sydney Chapter 2.
This chapter discusses stigma, families and living with stigma.
Find out more by exploring some of these web sites
Stigma.org
This web site is beneficial because it talks about the stigma surrounding mental health and it gives a list of rights for all people living with mental illness. Once you click onto the home page follow the links until you reach the list of rights.
A fact sheet produced by the mental health information service. This fact sheet is comprehensive and will give you a very good understanding of the concept of stigma and the consequences it can cause for an individual.
The media is a very powerful tool in conveying information on mental health issues to the general public. SANE Australia is heavily involved in monitoring the media, educating journalists on how to report news in a manner that is accurate and sensitive when it comes to mental health issues. I suggest you spend some time exploring this web site. A lot of the information provided will be beneficial to your studies.
Media Interrupted: Mental Health and the Media
Mental Health Care - The detention of Cornelia Rau has helped highlight the plight of mentally ill Australians. Each year 800,000 of us suffer from mental illness. Can the lessons of the Cornelia Rau case help improve mental health services? Read more on this web site
Discussion Board: Mental illness in the movies
Pick a film that examines some aspect of mental illness (there are plenty to choose from) and discuss it on the discussion board using the following headings:
- Which film did you watch? What influenced your choice?
- When was the film made?
- In what era was the film set?
- What mental illnesses was portrayed in the films?
- Do you think this portrayal was positive or negative?
- Did the film approach issues of intervention, treatment or care?
- Did the film discuss issues of individual freedom versus social control?