Looking at HBO’s ‘Six Schizophrenic Brothers’: The Misrepresentation in Schizophrenia Portrayal

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We currently live in the age of entertainment, where content is available everywhere. And part of this comes a wave of documentaries, mostly in the true crime genre, that explores the lesser spoken part of society and the community. HBO’s ‘Six Schizophrenia Brothers’ can be one such example; where the viewers are introduced to an American family and the challenges they face due to several children being diagnosed with schizophrenia.

While a gritty, unflinching look at the true lives of a family overcoming their challenges, there has also been criticism against the series; about how it has misrepresented the experiences of the family, and may contribute to more misunderstanding around people suffering from this condition. This article will look at a few ways the docuseries misses the mark on representation, and why it may matter.

Understanding Schizophrenia

Before delving into the series, let’s first take a look at what schizophrenia is.

Schizophrenia is a mental health condition that affects how the individual perceives the world around them; influencing how they act, behave, and feel. Due to the condition, an individual with schizophrenia may experience hallucinations and delusions, believing things to be true or have had happened in reality, when they had not. This could manifest in them believing that they are being persecuted or targeted by others; or could also contribute to delusions of grandeur.

While a serious mental health condition, schizophrenia can be treated through medication, psychotherapy, and counseling.

What is the ‘Six Schizophrenic Brothers’?

The ‘Six Schizophrenic Brothers’ is a documentary series that’s produced by HBO, following the lives of an American family with 12 children, 6 of whom had schizophrenia. The events of the family are also chronicled in the non-fiction book, ‘Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family’, written by Robert Kolker.

The intent of the docuseries was to shed light on schizophrenia, and bring into public conversation. However, as with every piece of media, entertainment may often prevail over facts alone – and this can result in misrepresentation of events, simply for the sake of drama and viewer ratings.

Misrepresentation and Inaccuracies in ‘Six Schizophrenic Brothers’

Since the airing of ‘Six Schizophrenic Brothers’, members of the Galvin family have come forward to cite misrepresentations in the docuseries. One vocal member is Lindsay Galvin Rauch, who is the youngest of the 12 children, and who has been active in mental health advocacy efforts; speaking up about the importance of raising awareness around mental health conditions, and providing support for those who suffer from these conditions, and their caregivers.

Regarding her criticism of the docuseries, she highlighted the following:

Omission of Anosognosia

Anosognosia is a condition where the individual is unable to recognise that they’re suffering from a health condition, whether it’s a mental or a physical one. This tends to be common amongst individuals with schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease; and usually results in the individual being more resistant (or forgetting) their treatment, as they do not remember that they are unwell.

‘Six Schizophrenic Brothers’ makes no mention of anosognosia afflicting the brothers; however, according to Lindsay, a few of her siblings suffered from anosognosia, making it challenging for them to adhere to their treatment. Without explaining anosognosia, the docuseries thus made it seem as if her brothers were deliberately ignoring the treatment they required; when, in fact, they were physically incapable of recognising that they needed this care in the first place.

In an interview with Gazette, Lindsay highlighted, “People are noncompliant because they don’t think anything is wrong with them. When we see people on the streets and wonder why don’t they get care? They don’t think anything is wrong with them. That’s the biggest message I want to get out.”

Sensationalisation of Events

As with any entertainment series, viewership is an important metric of success… and what sells better than high-stakes drama or intense personal strife? While this may be fine for a fictionalised series – where the writers can deliberately cause mischief and mayhem to their imaginary characters – it’s not as straight-forward in a docuseries.

While indeed less than savoury things had happened in the Galvin household, these events were also played up and magnified for the sake of drama; at the expense of quieter, gentler moments within the family. The over-senastionsalistion of negative events can create greater stigma against individuals with schizophrenia; as it wrongly pushes forward the perception of them being dangerous or wilfully ignorant of their treatment.

As Lindsay shared in an interview, “I’m embarrassed by the series. “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.”

Misrepresentation of Family Members

Lastly – once again, for the sake of drama – the docuseries may have ended up misrepresenting or villanising certain family members, to advance the narrative of the show. Contrary to what was depicted on screen, Lindsay has shared that, “The film made it look like my family life was all violence, 24/7. That’s not true – there was a lot of joy.”

Due to the nature of editing, her parents have also been cast in negative light – with much criticism online about how they did not do enough to protect the rest of their family. Yet, Lindsay has said in interviews, “My parents were remarkable human beings who did everything they could to help my brothers and the siblings that were not affected.”

While it is true that docuseries such as ‘Six Schizophrenic Brothers’ do help to raise awareness around mental health conditions that are not as commonly discussed, they can also inadvertently propagate stigma and myths around the same conditions. This may end up making it more challenging for individuals who are suffering to want to seek help.

If you find that you — or your loved ones — need support, we’re here for you. Reach out to any of our counsellors and psychologists, and start your journey with us.

References

Written by Em Tang

An experienced health & wellness writer, I am a story-teller at heart. For me, writing is a way of weaving together the little details that make our existence meaningful and significant into a beautiful, larger story.

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Looking at HBO’s ‘Six Schizophrenic Brothers’: The Misrepresentation in Schizophrenia Portrayal

Understanding Schizophrenia

What is the ‘Six Schizophrenic Brothers’?