Media And Schizophrenia Case Study

Media portrayal of the mental illnesses schizophrenia are damaging not only to individuals with schizophrenia, but also ‘normal’ people such as the families of those who are schizophrenic. The media portrays schizophrenia sufferers as violent peoples who will harm given the opportunity, and as such, should not be trusted and should be approached with caution. These portrayals are incorrect,

Often times in society, mental illness takes on a negative stigma. Society does not fully understand mental illness therefore they do not understand those that are affected by mental illness. Schizophrenia is often called a psychotic disorder, which means that people with schizophrenia have periods when they lose touch with reality and exhibit various kinds of psychotic symptoms.

There are three things that can be used to define stigma: stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination (Corrigan 16). One type of stigma is called public-stigma, which is “the reaction the general population has to people with mental illness” (Corrigan 16). The media plays a large role in creating stereotypes and misconceptions. People tend to believe whatever they see on television, in movies, on the Internet, etc. Three of the common misconceptions created by the media are, “ people with mental illness are homicidal maniacs who need to be feared; they have childlike perceptions of the world that should be marveled; or they are responsible for their illness because they have weak character.” (Corrigan 29-32). These are traits most frequently used to describe those with mental illness and almost all of them are inaccurate. While, yes, there are people who do possess one or more of those traits, they are almost never seen out and about in daily life. The media has an unfortunate responsibility in properly portraying any sort of minority, but yet they still continue to misrepresent these groups. The only reason public-stigma really exists is because people are not fully educated on what it is actually like to have a mental illness. The media’s poor representation is all they know. If the media were to either stop misrepresenting mental illness victims, or portray them in a way that is

The stigma label could increase his perception of hopelessness, which, in turn, perpetuates or magnifies the cycle of the illness. His family may feel the effects of the stigma since many people mistakenly consider all mental disorders to be either genetic or the result of an unfavorable upbringing. This, in turn, can erroneously create the family’s feelings of unfounded guilt or embarrassment. His friends and others in his support system can also be negatively impacted by the stigma simply from an association standpoint, possibly resulting in them distancing themselves from an already somewhat isolated patient. So the stigma exasperates the patient’s internal negative perceptions and can externally create conflict between him and those closest to him.

While the treatment methodology for mental illness has improved over the last few decades, the negative stigma surrounding those who seek care is still a major roadblock. (Corrigan, 2004) To better understand the term stigma, the definition must first be examined. According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary Stigma is defined as “a set of negative often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something; a mark of shame or discredit.” (Stigma, 2015). These views are often

Within the past two decades there’s been a revival in efforts to reduce stigmatization attached to mental illnesses. It was concluded that if mental illnesses were perceived better as ‘real’ diseases by the public that stigma would go down greatly. Reports proposed the idea that better scientific understanding of mental illnesses by the general public could greatly reduce stigma. Stigma is intensely rooted in social and cultural norms it’s patterns devalue and dehumanize groups of individuals within society (in this case mentally ill people). Stigma constructs barriers for individuals, barriers that limit a person’s abilities to have equal opportunities for employment, safe housing, health care and social relationships.Efforts to reduce stigma in recent years have

A stigma can simply be defined as a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality or person. In the world of mental health the presence of a stigma is astronomical. As Bill Clinton once said, “Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of but stigma and bias shame us all.” (Clinton) False beliefs about mental illness can cause significant dilemma. People may face discrimination at work or school and endure bullying or harassment. Such discrimination and harassment can have a profound effect on individuals. “It can cause embarrassment and shame, leading those with illnesses to try to conceal their problems and avoid help.” (Toyoshiba) But what exactly is mental illness?

The majority of people that have a severe mental illness are object to challenges in double measure. From one point of view, they wrestle with the symptoms and disablement that result from the illness. From another point, they are tested by the stereotypes and preconceived ideas that stem from the misunderstandings about mental illness. As a culmination of both, people with a mental illness are stripped of the chances that define a quality life such as a good job, safe housing, adequate health care, and a connection with a varied group of people. Although research has gone a long way to understand the affect of the disease, it only recently has begun to explain the stigma of mental illness (Corrigan). The lives of people who are living with a mental illness are many times drastically adjusted by the symptoms of the illness and everyone’s response to them. While symptoms can normally be diminished by a number of actions, the intrinsic stigma and prejudice that comes with mental illness may continue on for a lifetime and can manifest themselves in a number of understated and non-understated ways. Normally, when one thinks of a stigma, they think of disgrace that is associated with a particular event, circumstance, or occasion. People with a mental illness are most often branded as an effect of their behavior, appearance, therapy, their economic status, and also the negative depictions in the media of the mental illnesses. People with a mental illness often have a “stereotype

The media has a very bad tendency to show schizophrenia as something violent and evil, lying to the public making it look much worse, this is shown by, “It is certainly alarming that many media representations of schizophrenia are sensationalized, suggesting the risk is far greater than in reality” (Ms.Hocking, Schizophrenia vs. The Media). Furthermore, the reason behind these deluded thoughts is due to the media’s influence on people. People rely so much on the media in this time period that anything in the media is instantly seen as true even if there is a false reality around it. After all it is these harsh lies that hurt ones with schizophrenia, making them all look like evil, violent, villains and make others treat them as so due to the corruption placed in the minds of the people through media. A good example of this falsification is horror movie villains, they are sometimes seen with signs of schizophrenia but are completely portrayed as evil due to this illness. The only thing that comes to mind to fix this problem is to do research on the illness so those with it do not get misjudged and mistreated, they need to learn how to help the problem not make it

In the past, extensive research has been documented on the relationship between mental illness and stigma. Decades of research have also been done on stereotypes of men and women. However, studies done on mental illness and stigma rarely have an emphasis on gender differences, which hugely contributes to the way stigma is perceived (Chandra & Minkovitz, 2006, p. 19). Mental illness stigma is a belief that individuals with mental illnesses are different; individuals dealing with mental illness are commonly labeled as weird, attention seeking, crazy, incompetent, and other negatively biased connotations. The attitude of stigma towards mental illness leads to discrimination and discouragement and is a barrier to living a life of full potential.

In 1968 the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) updated the definition of schizophrenia to include hostility, aggressiveness, and lack of acceptance of oneself. The next social, or cultural influence is that of stigma against mental illness in our daily lives. These attitudes play on decisions made in our lives that affect the larger world. In a recent poll released by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) finds misconceptions to be prominent by American society. “Slightly more than 70 percent of those surveyed would be afraid for their own safety around a person who has not received treatment for schizophrenia, and 21 percent would be afraid for their own safety around a person who had been treated for the disorder, according to the results” (American Psychiatric Association, 2011).

The mental health of individuals living with schizophrenia not only depends on the severity of their mental illness, it also depends on their inclusion within their community (Michael, 2012). Despite recent advances and treatment, individuals suffering from schizophrenia encounter a considerable stigma that creates barriers to them receiving adequate treatment which in turn hinders their full integration into society (Morgan, 2003). The conceptualization of stigma was explored (Goffman, 1963) as an attribute which is deeply socially discrediting and makes the person carrying the stigma different from others and of a less desirable kind (Goffman, 1963 pg 13). However, the individual experiencing schizophrenia is not solely the person affected by stigmatization. Stigma is also believed to affect the individual’s social network, including family, friends and mental health and social care professionals. However (Sayce, 2000), building on the work of Goffman’s theory, saw stigma as driving stereotypes or negative views, attributed to a person, marginalising the person from receiving adequate treatment. Much research has been conducted to aid understanding of stigma, through studying public attitudes and beliefs.

Stigma has been said to be “a feeling of being negatively differentiated owing to a particular condition, group membership or state in life”(Arboleda-Florez & Stuart, 2012, p. 458). There are typically two types of mental illness stigma that are discussed. Public stigma, also known as societal stigma, is the stigma associated with the prejudicial attitudes the public holds towards those people who suffer from mental illness (Arboleda-Florez & Stuart, 2012; Corrigan, Markowitz, Watson, Rowan & Kubiak, 2003). Self-stigma, also known as internalized stigma, is the loss of self-esteem, withdrawal, and personal shame that some with mental illness will experience. Self-stigma is usually developed when those who suffer from mental illness associate the negative stereotypes the public holds with themselves (Chronister, Chou, & Lieo, 2013; Corrigan et al., 2003).

There are many stigmas, or misconceptions and misperceptions in our society which need to be shattered. I believe that one of the worse possible effects of stigma is that it causes those affected by psychological disorders, or mental illness, to crawl more deeply into themselves because it provokes a sense of shame. Stigma thrusts those suffering with mental illness into a sense of isolation, social exclusion, and discrimination. “Stigma can lead to discrimination … It may be obvious or direct … Or it may be unintentional or subtle…” (Staff). Stigma is often as big as the illness itself and I confess to having been a perpetuator of this dreaded thing, although not consciously aware and without the intent of furthering the harm of someone.

Individuals with serious mental illness are doubly affected by their disease; not only do they experience the often debilitating symptoms of their condition, but they must also endure mundane mental health stigmas and prejudices. Stigmatized attitudes are perceived to be one of the greatest impediments to living a complete and fulfilling life. Stigma has been defined as a combination of three related problems: ignorance, prejudice and discrimination (Rose, Thornicroft, Pinfold, & Kassam, 2007). Ignorance implies a lack of knowledge, prejudice entails negative attitudes, and discrimination involves exclusionary actions against people deemed to be different. Two forms of stigma are commonly distinguished in literature. Public stigma describes the attitudes of society towards people with mental illness, while self-stigma results from the internalization of prejudice by people who suffer from mental health conditions (Corrigan, Powell, & Rüsch, 2012). The World Health Organization announced that stigma was the most crucial obstacle to overcome for a community to functioning effectively and efficiently (Ontario Hospital Association, 2013).