Stigma: Content analysis of the representation of people with personality disorder in the UK popular press, 2001–2012

Abstract

There is evidence that people with personality disorder are stigmatized within healthcare settings; however, little is known about the role that the media has played in the wider processes of stigmatization. This research examines the degree to which the popular press in the UK have established a link between personality disorder and homicide, and the impact this may have had on the processes of stigmatization. Using a content analysis approach, it was identified that there were 552 articles in the popular press, between 2001 and 2012, that made reference to personality disorder and 42% of those articles established a link with homicide. Comparison between two time periods, 2001-2006 and 2007-2012, identified that there was a significant reduction in the proportion of homicide articles (Pearson χ (5, n = 552) = 5.64, P > .05), however, the effect size of this change was only small. These findings suggest that the press may have contributed to the processes of stigmatization, and may have encouraged the general public to hold prejudicial attitudes towards people with a diagnosis of personality disorder.

Effects of diagnostic disclosure and varying diagnostic terminology on social attitudes to personality disorder: An experimental vignette study.

“…Negative attitudes to PDs have also been identified in criminal justice contexts (Martin & Thomas, 2015; Smith, Edens, Clark, & Rulseh, 2014). Stigmatizing portrayals of PDs are common in mass media (Bowen, 2016). However, extremely little research has directly studied attitudes to PDs in the general population (Sheehan et al, 2016).…”

Stigma: a linguistic analysis of the UK red-top tabloids press’ representation of schizophrenia

“…However, these references to fictional characters were counted separately, as it is understood that in the context of press outputs readers would treat them differently from accounts relating to real people. 46 There were 13 instances of what we termed ‘informal’ usage, that is, where it is clear that the term does not refer to an ‘official’ or formal diagnosis. The most common news story referred to the US President Donald Trump’s former Communications Officer Anthony Scaramucci.…”

“…However, these references to fictional characters were counted separately as it is understood that in the context of press outputs readers would treat them differently from accounts relating to real people. 46 ." Finally, there were seven instances of 'metaphorical' use of the term schizophrenic to denote things or people being split or contradictory, examples included: "Jurgen Klopp's schizophrenic side" 48 .…”

Reducing Stigma in Media Professionals: Is there Room for Improvement? Results from a Systematic Review

“…Matthews et al 43 assessed scenes regarding electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in English-language movies and Low television shows and found that the media still portray ECT in ways that do reflect current practice. Moreover, Bowen et al 44 observed that in the period 2001-2012, articles dealing with personality disorders emphasised the relationship between personality disorder and violent behaviours, encouraging negative stereotypes.…”