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What we see on our screens affects our perception of the world, even if we may initially treat it as mindless entertainment. That’s why it’s important that we’re critical of the media that we’re consuming, so that we’re conscious of potential biases or misrepresentations that may be present in the shows.
One of the topics that we should be mindful of would be the depiction of mental health and mental illness in popular media. This could be in fictional works such as ‘Shutter Island’ or ‘Split’ or documentaries like ‘The Six Schizophrenic Brothers’; where characters (and actual, living individuals) with mental health conditions are depicted in a less-than-flattering light. This article explores the issues that misrepresentation of mental illness poses; and what we can do to help address the problems this causes.
The Problems with Misrepresentation
With content being so easily in reach nowadays, it’s more important than ever that we’re savvy about what we’re consuming and how it affects our relation with the world. Understanding the problems of misrepresentation helps us become more critical as viewers.
Trivialising a Person’s Lived Experiences
One of the goals of a content creator is to reach a large audience and to entertain – and nothing sells (or entertains) better than high drama. We should always keep this in mind when we’re consuming any type of content, much less media around mental health and illness, which can be easily twisted into something more dramatic and exaggerated than it may be.
Because of this, it’s common that content around mental health ends up trivialising an individual’s experience of living with the mental health condition; flattening the deep nuances of their experience, and re-packaging it into something easily consumed by the end watcher.
Propagating Harmful Stereotypes and Stigmatisation
Next, while media content about mental illness may have good intentions about raising awareness and starting conversations, how mental health is portrayed is more important. Content that misrepresents mental health and mental illness may lead to greater stigma against these individuals; especially if misrepresentation leads to gross misinformation about how individuals with mental health think, behave, and live.
For example: ‘The Six Schizophrenic Brothers’ does a wonderful job of raising awareness around the experiences of a caregiver looking after loved ones with schizophrenia; however, it falls short in fully depicting what schizophrenia may be like, and why this may impede an individual from fully complying with their treatment. This may end up propagating the harmful impression that individuals suffering from mental illness refuse to seek help; further cultivating negative sentiment against those that are trying their best to manage their condition.
Increase Barriers to Treatment
Lastly, due to the negative stigma that these content types may create, an individual who could be suffering from a mental health condition may be more reluctant to seek help; or even admit that they may have an issue they need support with. After all, why would we want to associate ourselves with something that’s depicted so negatively or cruelly on our screens?
Yet, early treatment and intervention is often crucial to prevent an individual’s condition from worsening. As such, misrepresentation ends up harming the individuals that they so-called wanted to help by raising awareness about; and can have terrible knock-on effects for the person and the loved ones around them.
What can we do about Misrepresentation?
With the way social media picks up and amplifies discussions, we, as individual consumers, have more sway over media outlets and media producers than we think. There are a few things we can do to combat the problems of misrepresentation; to ultimately create a safe and supportive space for all.
Be Vocal
As more individuals (and their loved ones and allies) speak up about their own experiences, conversations around mental health continue to evolve. Speak out about a piece of media: whether it’s sharing it on social media or just if it comes up in conversation with your friends or colleagues.
Being vocal doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be negative and critical of every piece. You can also highlight works that depict mental health in a holistic, accurate, and responsible way; so that more people are able to appreciate such content as well. The more voices there are calling for the importance of responsible mental health depiction, the more likely it is that media companies and production houses will listen and act accordingly.
As it is, there is a Mental Health Media Guide that has been developed, by mental health experts and organisations, that are committed to provide support and guidance to the creative community, when it comes to positive mental health portrayals. With open conversations, we bring more attention to the importance of proper representation, and hold media producers and content creators responsible for the creative choices they’re making.
Advocate for Education
We can also be advocates in our own community, be it within our circle of friends or in the workplace. This could be something as simple as reminding our friends to use inclusive language (such as not using ‘crazy’ or ‘mad’ as a negative slur), or suggesting that our office holds a mental health awareness workshop as part of a wellness week.
By being an active advocate in our communities, we contribute to raising the literacy around mental health; and this can help individuals to be more critical of the depictions that they see in popular media, so that they, too, can voice out if they see anything amiss.
Support our Loved Ones
Lastly – but most importantly – we can help by creating a safe space for our loved ones, and any individuals who are living with mental health conditions. This means active and empathetic listening if they need someone to talk to; encouraging open dialogue, with a non-judgmental attitude, and being mindful of not dismissing their experiences.
Depending on the conversation, you may also want to encourage them to talk to a mental health professional; to ensure that they receive the right type of support they need for their journey towards better mental health.
Reach out to any of the counsellors or therapists at A Space Between if you think your loved one is ready to start this journey; or if you, personally, would like professional support as well.
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16478286/
- https://www.verywellmind.com/mental-health-stigmas-in-mass-media-4153888
- https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/stigma-and-discrimination
- https://annenberg.usc.edu/news/research-and-impact/distorted-depictions-popular-movies-misrepresent-reality-mental-health
- https://www.icanotes.com/2018/04/11/ways-mental-illness-is-commonly-misrepresented-in-the-media/
- https://www.jcmh.org/how-you-can-help-fight-stigma-in-mental-health/
- https://mentalhealthmediaguide.com/
- https://improvinglivescounseling.com/sensationalism-and-misrepresentation-of-mental-illness-by-todays-media/
- https://www.nami.org/advocate/stigmatizing-media-portrayals-what-can-we-do/
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.
