The Picture of Mental Health/Illness in the Printed Media in Three Central European Countries

Abstract

Even in the era of the internet, printed media are still among the most frequently identified sources of mental health information. Many studies have shown that this information is frequently negative and contributes to stigmatization of people with mental illness. This international comparative study describes the content of media messages about mental health/illness in terms of stigma in three central European countries. The study sample comprised all articles pertaining to the topic of mental health/illness (N=450) identified during five week-long periods in 2007 chosen from the six most widely read newspapers and magazines in each country. Content analysis methods were used to achieve quantitative as well as qualitative objectives. More than half of all articles contained negative statements reflecting stigma towards persons with mental illness. Substance abuse disorders are the most frequent mental conditions covered in all three countries (22%) and psychotic disorders are the most stigmatized. Countries significantly differ in length of articles, the association of aggressive behavior with persons with mental illness, and in the use of a sensationalized style of writing. Coverage of mental health/illness issues differs to some extent across countries, but is generally of poor quality. Based on our findings, practical recommendations for journalists can be tailored specifically for each country.

Media portrayal of psychosis in Sinhalese newspapers over two points (1986 and 2011) in time

“…They are more likely to be a victim of a crime, which was not reflected in the Sinhalese newspapers. Our findings are similar to research from United States (15), South Korea (6), the United Kingdom (12) and Central Europe (8). Unlike in Sri Lanka, in recent years these trends have improved in the United States and United Kingdom, with these positive changes being ascribed to extensive public…”

“…Out of 450 articles related to mental health issues identified from six daily newspapers and weekly periodicals from Croatia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, the opinion of a mental health professional was sought in one-third of published articles (8). This finding in our study may reflect a shortcoming on the part of psychiatrists in addressing the general Sinhalese society through the major newspapers.…”

“…While most of these studies considered mental illness in general (2)(3)(4), some studies have focused on specific illnesses such as schizophrenia and psychosis (5,6). General findings suggest that newspapers report on mental illness or schizophrenia in a negative manner, using pejorative terms and associating mental illness with dangerousness (5,(7)(8)(9). The term schizophrenia is commonly used as a metaphor (9).…”

Change in newspaper coverage of schizophrenia in Japan over 20-year period

“…Previous studies in Japan, Australia, and the United States have highlighted that a large part of the general population held stereotypes that individuals with schizophrenia were dangerous (Corrigan et al, 2002;Griffiths et al, 2006). In newspapers, 14-49% of articles on mental illness were linked to danger (Goulden et al, 2011;Magliano et al, 2011;Nawkova et al, 2012;Whitley and Berry, 2013). Furthermore, newspaper coverage of schizophrenia has been shown to be disproportionately negative compared with other psychiatric conditions in previous studies in the United Kingdom (Goulden et al, 2011;Thornicroft et al, 2013), Belgium (Thys et al, 2013), Czech Republic, Croatia, and Slovakia (Nawkova et al, 2012).…”

“…In newspapers, 14-49% of articles on mental illness were linked to danger (Goulden et al, 2011;Magliano et al, 2011;Nawkova et al, 2012;Whitley and Berry, 2013). Furthermore, newspaper coverage of schizophrenia has been shown to be disproportionately negative compared with other psychiatric conditions in previous studies in the United Kingdom (Goulden et al, 2011;Thornicroft et al, 2013), Belgium (Thys et al, 2013), Czech Republic, Croatia, and Slovakia (Nawkova et al, 2012). Media coverage and the attitudes of the general public toward mental illness influence each other (Goulden et al, 2011;Klin and Lemish, 2008;Stout et al, 2004).…”