How to stop making a crisis out of a drama: towards better portrayal of mental ill health in television and film

Abstract

On-screen depictions of psychiatry are ubiquitous, but if inaccurate or unsympathetic they can lead to stigma. Rowena Carter considers a campaign that works with scriptwriters to help

Otras miradas, otras locuras. Un análisis del discurso fílmico de la “mujer loca”=Other gazes, other madness. A filmic discourse analysis of the mad woman

“…De hecho, es habitual que guionistas y/o directores/as de producciones audiovisuales contacten con expertos/as psiquiatras para obtener información "objetiva" sobre los comportamientos asociados a las etiquetas diagnósticas con el fin de aportar cierto halo de "verosimilitud" al desarrollo de las conductas de los personajes creados (Carter, 2015). Y es precisamente a través de la verosimilitud (biomédica) que los estereotipos cinematográficos sobre la enfermedad mental provocan su asunción como "hechos" por parte de la audiencia (Little, 2009).…”

Mental health-related stigma in movies: A call for action to the cinema industry

“…Cinema can play a significant role in advancing or hindering that journey. However, more often than not, cinema has played a negative role in portraying people with mental illness, being usually connotated by negative characteristics, and represented as not reliable or not-empathic (Carter, 2015; Damjanović et al, 2009; Hyler et al, 1991). People with mental health issues are often described as overly dramatic, homicidal maniacs, manipulative, or narcissistic not-empathic individuals, unwilling to seek help in most cases.…”