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Sittner M, Rechenberg T, Speerforck S, Angermeyer MC, Schomerus G. 'Broken souls' vs. 'mad ax man' - changes in the portrayal of depression and schizophrenia in the German media over 10 years. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci 2024; 33:e37. [PMID: 39291371 DOI: 10.1017/s204579602400043x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS Population studies show the stigma of depression to diminish, while the stigma of schizophrenia increases. To find out whether this widening gap is reflected in the media portrayal of both disorders, this study compares the portrayal of depression and schizophrenia in German print media in 2010 vs. 2020. METHODS We conducted a qualitative content analysis using a mixed deductive-inductive approach to establish a category system. In total, we analyzed 854 articles with the summative approach by Mayring. RESULTS The study found a widening gap in the portrayal of schizophrenia and depression in German media between 2010 and 2020. Schizophrenia was depicted increasingly negative between 2010 and 2020, covering more negative stereotypes and focusing on its biological causes. Depression received increased attention and more neutral and professional coverage, with a greater emphasis on psychosocial causes and discussion of treatment options. CONCLUSIONS By showing a widening gap the study highlights how media may shape public views on mental illnesses and reflects public attitudes at the same time. Media analyses from other nations have shown similar trends. This emphasizes the need for responsible reporting to combat stigma and promote understanding worldwide. Therefore, the authors recommend a balanced coverage that includes accurate professional information about all mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sittner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany
| | - T Rechenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany
| | - S Speerforck
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany
| | - M C Angermeyer
- Center for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Gösing, Austria
| | - G Schomerus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany
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Grohmann E, Al-Addous A, Sander C, Dogan-Sander E, Baumann E, Angermeyer MC, Schomerus G. Changes in the ability to correctly identify schizophrenia and depression: results from general population surveys in Germany over 30 years. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2024:10.1007/s00127-024-02660-y. [PMID: 38583103 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-024-02660-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aims to examine time trends in the ability to correctly identify schizophrenia and major depression within the German general population from 1990 to 2020, as an indicator of changing mental health literacy (MHL). Additionally, we investigated shifts in the use of stigmatizing language. METHODS Our analysis is based on four waves of representative population surveys in Germany in 1990/1993 (West Germany: N = 2044, East Germany: N = 1563), 2001 (N = 5025), 2011 (N = 2455), and 2020 (N = 3042) using identical methodology. Respondents were presented with an unlabelled case vignette describing a person who exhibited symptoms of either schizophrenia or major depression. Participants were then asked to name the problem described in the vignette using an open-ended question. RESULTS From 1990/1993 to 2020, correct identification of schizophrenia increased from 18% to 34% and from 27% to 46% for major depression. However, derogatory labels remained constant throughout all survey waves, particularly for schizophrenia (19% in 1990/1993 and 18% in 2020). For depression, more trivializing and potentially devaluing statements were recorded. CONCLUSION Despite the increasing use of psychiatric terminology among the general population, the persistence of derogatory labels suggests that improved MHL, reflected in higher recognition rates, may not automatically translate into a reduction in stigmatizing language. With depression, a normalization and trivialization of a severe illness could pose new challenges to people with major depression. Dedicated efforts to combat the stigma of severe mental illness are still needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Grohmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Amani Al-Addous
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian Sander
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ezgi Dogan-Sander
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Eva Baumann
- Department of Journalism and Communication Research, Hannover University of Music, Drama, and Media, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Georg Schomerus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany
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Graham M, Morgan A, Paton E, Ross A. Examining the quality of news media reporting of complex mental illness in relation to violent crime in Australia. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2023; 69:2110-2120. [PMID: 37644701 PMCID: PMC10685681 DOI: 10.1177/00207640231194481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE News reporting on mental illness can perpetuate stigma. An understanding of the current picture of such reporting is important to identify areas for improvement. This study investigated the quality of Australian news media coverage of complex mental illness in the context of crime and violence over a 2-year period, prior to the release of new media guidelines. METHODS This research utilised a systematic search of Australian news articles that were published between July 2018 and July 2020 and reported on mental illness in relation to violent crime. Researchers developed a Mental Illness and Crime Reporting Quality Framework to determine quality scores for news articles according to 11 relevant factors in media guidelines. An additional 11 characteristics of articles were extracted for further descriptive analysis. RESULTS One-hundred and twenty-eight Australian news articles met inclusion criteria. The average quality score was 50 (SD = 13.91) out of a possible maximum score of 100 (range 11-78). Strengths and weaknesses were identified as some criteria were consistently met, and other criteria were met rarely or not at all. There were emerging trends between quality scores and article characteristics, including publication source, though these analyses were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION The findings indicate that Australian news coverage of complex mental illness and violent crime met half of the criteria of reporting guidelines that minimises risk of perpetuating or reinforcing stigma. This demonstrates significant opportunity to improve the overall quality of media reporting on crime and mental illness. Future research should evaluate the impact of the guidelines on the quality of news reporting after their implementation by utilising a similar methodology, using these findings as a baseline measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline Graham
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Amy Morgan
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Paton
- Everymind, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Anna Ross
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Henderson C. Challenges in improving mental health literacy at population level. World Psychiatry 2023; 22:392-393. [PMID: 37713552 PMCID: PMC10503903 DOI: 10.1002/wps.21115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Henderson
- Health Service and Population Research Department P029, David Goldberg Centre, King's College London Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
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Carrasco JP, Saucier AM, Whitley R. Spanish media coverage of youth mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:579. [PMID: 37563600 PMCID: PMC10413772 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05054-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The media portrayal of mental health is relevant in shaping the population's attitudes towards mental disorders. However, there is little information about the representation of young mental health issues in the Spanish-language press, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The general objective of this study was to analyse the tone and content of Spanish newspaper articles about mental disorders in youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We collected media articles from the 10 most read news sources over a 6 month period (January-June 2021). These articles were coded for content using a standardised codebook, followed by an inductive thematic analysis. A total of 205 news items were evaluated. RESULTS Results showed that the majority of the news items had an overall positive tone (68.3%), only 5.4% were stigmatising and only 7.3% were related to violence. However, few articles offered help seeking information (6%), adolescents were rarely quoted (14%) and children were never quoted. Substantial differences are described in terms of age, gender and disorder. The thematic analysis led to three emergent themes: (i) violence and victimisation; (ii) the COVID-19 pandemic; and (iii) technology and social media. CONCLUSIONS The percentage of news in the Spanish media that refer to young people's mental health in a stigmatising way or in a way associated with violence is very low. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic may have promoted more positive discussion about youth mental health. However, major challenges remain to be addressed, as patients are seldom quoted, very few articles offer help-seeking information, and a narrative of victimisation without appropriate discussion of resilience regularly occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Pablo Carrasco
- Deparment of Psychiatry, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico de Valencia (INCLIVA), Valencia, Spain.
| | | | - Rob Whitley
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Gagné T, Henderson C, McMunn A. Is the self-reporting of mental health problems sensitive to public stigma towards mental illness? A comparison of time trends across English regions (2009-19). Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2023; 58:671-680. [PMID: 36473961 PMCID: PMC9735159 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-022-02388-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The prevalence of mental health problems has rapidly increased over time. The extent to which this captures changes in self-reporting due to decreasing stigma is unclear. We explore this by comparing time trends in mental health and stigma-related indicators across English regions. METHODS We produced annual estimates of self-reported mental disorders (SRMDs) across waves of the Health Survey for England (2009-18, n = 78,226) and three stigma-related indicators (knowledge, attitudes, and intended behaviour) across waves of the Attitudes Towards Mental Illness survey (2009-19, n = 17,287). Differences in trends were tested across nine Government Office Regions using linear models, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, marital status, and social class. RESULTS In 2009, SRMDs did not vary by region (p = 0.916), whereas stigma-related indicators did (p < 0.001), with London having the highest level of stigma and the North East having lowest level of stigma. Between 2009 and 2018, the prevalence of SRMDs increased from 4.3 to 9.1%. SRMDs increased and stigma-related indicators improved at different rates across regions over time (SRMDs p = 0.024; stigma-related indicators p < 0.001). London reported the lowest increase in SRMDs (+ 0.3 percentage point per year) yet among the largest improvements in attitudes and intended behaviour across regions. CONCLUSIONS Improvements in attitudes towards mental illness did not mirror changes in self-reported mental health problems across English regions over the past decade. The findings do not support the argument that changes in public stigma, at least when defined at this regional scale, have been driving the increase in self-reported mental health indicators in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Gagné
- Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, Office 346, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
- International Centre for Lifecourse Studies in Society and Health, London, UK.
| | - Claire Henderson
- Health Service and Population Research Department, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anne McMunn
- Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, Office 346, London, WC1E 7HB, UK
- International Centre for Lifecourse Studies in Society and Health, London, UK
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Gallagher M, O'Leary C, McGreal-Ballone A, Duffy R. The portrayal of mental health in Irish mainstream news media. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2023; 69:467-475. [PMID: 35959545 DOI: 10.1177/00207640221111756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The portrayal of mental health in the mainstream news media is an important topic for discussion. Concerns about stigmatisation of those suffering from mental ill-health have been expressed for many years, leading to numerous anti-stigma campaigns. Previous Irish studies demonstrated an improvement in the tone and content of articles over time. This study aims to re-evaluate this topic, 19 years after it was last studied. METHODS Four Irish papers including the tabloid, broadsheet, online and compact paper with the highest readership were analysed daily for a 12-week period. Using pre-determined definitions based on previous studies, all articles or headlines incorporating psychiatry-related material were examined for tone, content, utilisation of terminology, reference to self-harm, suicide and violence. RESULTS In total, 735 articles (2.19/paper/day) were identified and analysed. The majority of articles were found to have a supportive or factual tone. A higher proportion of judgemental or sensationalist articles were found in the tabloid newspaper. An improvement was noted compared to previous Irish studies. A decrease in articles written by mental health professionals was noted. Only 5% of articles portrayed psychotic disorders, with many of these referring to violence. Compliance with relevant guidelines for reporting of suicide was good overall. CONCLUSION There has continued to be an improvement in the tone and content of articles since previous Irish studies. The introduction of guidelines within this time may have played a significant role. Psychotic illness received limited coverage and was more likely to be portrayed in a stigmatising manner, guidelines relating to this could be of benefit. Engagement between psychiatrists and the media is important to improve the portrayal of psychotic illness and enhance awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Richard Duffy
- Mater Misercordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
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Favre S, Aubry JM, Richard-Lepouriel H. Perceived public stigma and perceived public exposure by persons living with bipolar disorder: A qualitative study. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2023; 69:378-387. [PMID: 35506642 PMCID: PMC9983048 DOI: 10.1177/00207640221093495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stigma impact the lives of persons living with bipolar disorder. AIM The aim of this study was to explore how perceived public stigma is described by people living with bipolar disorder and examine the links between perceived public stigma and perceived public exposure. METHOD Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted in a purposive sample of euthymic people living with bipolar disorder recruited in a mood disorder ambulatory unit. RESULTS Thematic analysis of the transcript yielded five independent themes that were related to perceived public stigma. Perceived public stigma of bipolar disorder was modeled as comprising the three elements of public stigmas (stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination), with the addition of public exposure as a core component. CONCLUSION The representation of bipolar disorder in society via newspapers, films/TV series, conferences, and celebrity self-disclosures is considered to have multiple impacts. People living with bipolar disorder have also reported a perceived public stigma of bipolar disorder that has both specific features and characteristics of general mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Favre
- Mood Disorder Unit, Psychiatric
Specialties Service, Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland
| | | | - Hélène Richard-Lepouriel
- Mood Disorder Unit, Psychiatric
Specialties Service, Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of
Geneva, Switzerland
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Maletta RM, Vass V. A 20-year review comparing the use of 'schizophrenia' and 'psychosis' in UK newspapers from 2000 to 2019: Implications for stigma reduction. Schizophr Res 2023; 251:66-73. [PMID: 36586355 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There have been increasing calls for schizophrenia to be renamed to reduce negative associations with the diagnosis. 'Psychosis' is one proposed alternative, yet some research suggests this has greater negative connotations. This study compared the use of both terms within UK newspapers longitudinally to assess which is more negatively portrayed in the media. STUDY DESIGN Using LexisLibrary News, six UK newspaper archives were searched for the terms 'schizophrenia' and 'psychosis' in articles published between 2000 and 2019; the included article total was n = 9802. Articles were analysed using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software. STUDY RESULTS A two-level multilevel model was created of newspaper articles nested within newspapers. Adding predictors revealed that diagnostic term was a significant predictor of the emotional tone of articles (β = -2.30, SE = 0.51, p < .001, 95 % CI -3.30 to -1.30), with 'psychosis' having a more negative tone than 'schizophrenia.' Tabloids were shown to have a significantly more negative tone than broadsheets (β = -9.32, SE = 1.04, p < .001, 95 % CI -11.36 to -7.28), and emotional tone of writing had become more negative over time (β = -0.26, SE = 0.04, p < .001, 95 % CI -0.34 to -0.18). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest 'psychosis' is associated with greater negativity than 'schizophrenia' within UK newspapers, and may be a poor substitute term to reduce stigma. As article tone worsened for both diagnoses over time, increased stigma reduction campaigns are required to target negativity within the media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanna May Maletta
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool L69 7ZA, United Kingdom.
| | - Victoria Vass
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool L69 7ZA, United Kingdom.
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Walsh D, Foster J. Charting an Alternative Course for Mental Health-Related Anti-Stigma Social and Behaviour Change Programmes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10618. [PMID: 36078334 PMCID: PMC9518073 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Mental health-related anti-stigma strategies are premised on the assumption that stigma is sustained by the public's deficiencies in abstract professional knowledge. In this paper, we critically assess this proposition and suggest new directions for research. Our analysis draws on three data sets: news reports (N = 529); focus groups (N = 20); interviews (N = 19). In each social context, we explored representations of mental health and illness in relation to students' shared living arrangements, a key group indicated for mental health-related anti-stigma efforts. We analysed the data using term-frequency inverse-document frequency (TF-IDF) models. Possible meanings indicated by TF-IDF modelling were interpreted using deep qualitative readings of verbatim quotations, as is standard in corpus-based research approaches to health and illness. These results evidence the flawed basis of dominant mental health-related anti-stigma campaigns. In contrast to deficiency models, we found that the public made sense of mental health and illness using dynamic and static epistemologies and often referenced professionalised understandings. Furthermore, rather than holding knowledge in the abstract, we also found public understanding to be functional to the social context. In addition, rather than being agnostic about mental health-related knowledge, we found public understandings are motivated by group-based identity-related concerns. We will argue that we need to develop alternative anti-stigma strategies rooted in the public's multiple contextualised sense-making strategies and highlight the potential of engaging with ecological approaches to stigma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Walsh
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AB, UK
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Ghosh A, Naskar C, Sharma N, Choudhury S, Basu A, Pillai RR, Basu D, Mattoo SK. Does Online Newsmedia Portrayal of Substance Use and Persons with Substance Misuse Endorse Stigma? A Qualitative Study from India. Int J Ment Health Addict 2022; 20:3460-3478. [PMID: 35789814 PMCID: PMC9243953 DOI: 10.1007/s11469-022-00859-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Media provides and shapes public knowledge, perceptions, and attitude towards people with substance misuse. We aimed to explore the content and specific themes of Indian online news articles on substance use or persons with substance misuse. We followed an exploratory qualitative design to analyze online news media reports published between July 1 2020 and June 30 2021. Hundred articles met the selection criteria. Our content analysis was based on a checklist. Thematic analysis was done by the coding, categorization, and theme generation after meticulous data immersion and triangulation. Sixty percent of articles had pessimistic headlines and portrayed substance use or persons with substance use negatively. Fifty-one percent articles were on alcohol. Twenty-seven percent articles focussed supply reduction, whereas only 5% positively discussed the role of treatment. We identified seven themes. Most frequent themes were legal-criminal aspects of substance use (n = 39), psychosocial and health hazards of substance use (n = 30), and propagation of public stigma (n = 25). Two other prevalent themes were the business and marketing of alcohol (n = 20) and sociocultural aspects of substance use (n = 9). The theme, treatment strategy, appeared in only five articles. There is an urgent need for media guidelines for responsible reporting of substance misuse. We suggested a set of recommendations for media reporting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Ghosh
- Drug Deaddiction and Treatment Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Chandrima Naskar
- Drug Deaddiction and Treatment Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Nidhi Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh India
| | - Shinjini Choudhury
- Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand India
| | - Aniruddha Basu
- Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalyani, West Bengal India
| | - Renjith R. Pillai
- Drug Deaddiction and Treatment Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Debasish Basu
- Drug Deaddiction and Treatment Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - S. K. Mattoo
- Community Mental Health Clinic, Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear Foundation NHS Trust, Molineux NHS Centre, Molineux Street, Byker, , Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
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12
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Almeida OFX, Sousa N. Leveraging Neuroscience to Fight Stigma Around Mental Health. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:812184. [PMID: 35295248 PMCID: PMC8919064 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.812184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Labels serve as identifiers and convenient descriptors of inanimate and animate objects. In humans, given labels can easily become part of an individual's self-perceived identity. Negative labels ascribed to a person can result in internalized stigma, a state that will shape the subject's biography. This can ultimately impact the person's mental and physical health since perceived and/or anticipated stigma discourages the use of social and health services. Per definition, stigma involves labeling of persons with physical, mental, or social characteristics that do not match the observer's arbitrarily conditioned and calibrated sense of norms (public stigma); such labeling may eventually become embedded in rules, regulations, and laws (structural stigma). Internalized stigma projects onto a person's emotions and actions. Public (enacted) stigma results from stereotyping (collectively agreed-upon notions about a group of persons that are used to categorize these people) and devaluation, which subsequently leads to social distancing, discrimination, and blatant abuse of human rights. Much of what we know about stigma results from research in the psychosocial sciences and, more recently, from social neuroscience. The stigma around mental health has generated much attention in the field of psychiatry where, to date, most research has focussed on epidemiology and anti-stigma interventions. This essay intends to stimulate thought, debate, and research within the behavioral neuroscience community and, therefore, to inform evidence-based design and implementation of neuroscience-based approaches by other professionals working towards the elimination of the stigma attached to mental illness. The article starts by considering the concept of stigma and the psychological processes that give rise to the phenomenon; it also considers how projected and perceived stigma are multiplied. Finally, after a brief review of the few existing neuroscientific explorations of stigma, gaps in our knowledge of the neurobiological basis of stigma are identified and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osborne F. X. Almeida
- School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Nuno Sousa
- School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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13
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Ross AM, Morgan AJ, Wake A, Jorm AF, Reavley NJ. Pilot trial of a media intervention with journalism students on news reporting of mental illness in the context of violence and crime. Health Promot J Austr 2021; 33:602-613. [PMID: 34490675 DOI: 10.1002/hpja.537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
ISSUE ADDRESSED News reports linking mental illness to violent crime are among the most stigmatising portrayals. These portrayals can perpetuate stereotypes of dangerousness, negatively influencing public attitudes and having a harmful impact on people with lived experience of mental illness. With the aim of improving the quality of news portrayals and mitigating harm, best-practice guidelines for media reporting on mental illness, violence and crime have been developed. To increase understanding of the guidelines' content, a 1-hour workshop based on the main principles was developed for journalism students. METHODS In this study, the workshop was piloted with a pre and 3-week follow-up evaluation with a cohort of journalism students (n = 29). RESULTS Three weeks after the workshop, there were significant improvements in attitudes towards severe mental illness, knowledge of best-practice reporting, intentions and confidence to report consistently with the best-practice guidelines and performance on an editing task designed to assess adherence to the guidelines. Belief in dangerousness/unpredictability reduced markedly, demonstrating that the workshop effectively addressed misinformation about people with severe mental illness being a risk to the public. CONCLUSIONS This pilot trial provides promising initial results and provides a basis for wider implementation and evaluation of media training on this topic. SO WHAT Improved understanding of best-practice media guidelines, as generated through this workshop, has potential to reduce stigmatising news reporting on people with mental illness, and consequently reduce public stigma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Ross
- Melbourne School of Global and Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Amy J Morgan
- Melbourne School of Global and Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alexandra Wake
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Anthony F Jorm
- Melbourne School of Global and Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nicola J Reavley
- Melbourne School of Global and Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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