The Evolving Portrayal of Mental Illness in our Media
My first memory of witnessing someone with a mental illness was from a 1970’s Bollywood film called ‘Khilona’ (translating to toy).
Still from the film Khilona featuring Sanjeev Kumar.
The movie was a super hit and while it challenged people’s perception of mental illness because the main protagonist role was played by the legendary Bollywood actor Sanjeev Kumar, the film only added to the fear and previous perceptions of dangerousness, as the actor suffered from violent and aggressive outbursts, and therefore was kept locked away from his family.
I remember for a long time I also believed people with mental illnesses were unpredictable, violent, and dangerous. It took many years of working in the profession, witnessing my brother’s illness as a carer, and then my own experience of mental ill health, that I realised how different a mental health problem actually is, than what is portrayed in the media.
We know that the media pervades every aspect of our lives; from the TV we watch, to the movies we see, to the music we listen to, and the opinions we observe from social media. It is also fair to say that our media, over the years and generations, has been on its own journey, from being a medium used to stigmatise and discriminate, to becoming the medium to raise awareness of a whole range of topics including race and inequalities, gender biases, LGBTQ+ issues, and mental health.
A history of negative portrayals
In the past, our media frequently showed a stigmatised view of mental illness, with ill health being used to create drama, fear, suspense and even horror. It was common for mentally ill people to be portrayed negatively – as murderers, oddballs, deviant and so on. This observation on the Mind website really resonated with me:
“There was a time when you could tell which character in a soap or TV drama was the one with a mental health problem. They’d usually be the strange outsider who’d appear in an episode, hurt or kill a much-loved character, and end up being dragged away to be locked up in a mental institution for life.”
The net effect of all this was that the public, for so long, was not informed of the humanity of people suffering mental ill-health.
An improving picture over the years
As the years have progressed, we have gradually seen a more nuanced and relatively more realistic portrayal of mental health. There has been a gradual shift with mental health being dealt with in a more humane and normal light, and as once imagined, this has done a lot to challenge stigma in our societies.
A recent highlight for me has been Channel 4s decision to sign the ‘Time to Change pledge’ as a signal of their commitment to mental health, becoming the first broadcaster in England to do so. This is the first time a major broadcaster has committed to tackle the stigma that people with mental health problems experience.
Unfortunately, not all conditions are treated equally in the media and there is some evidence to suggest that while conditions such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder are starting to be treated with sympathy and understanding on screen, other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and personality disorders are still frequently characterised by violence and fear.
It goes without saying that there is a lot more to do to challenge negative portrayals of mental illnesses. This raises the question of why all this is so important, and the answer is simple – because it helps break stigma, allowing people to come forward and seek help. It also helps carers to reach out for support from their network and professionals.
Resources
This is a campaign which aims to change the way people think and act about mental health. problems.
Mind
Mind offer information and support for all aspects of mental health. Details for local branches can be found online or by calling the MindinfoLine.
Helpline: 0300 123 3393 (lines open Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm)
Email: info@mind.org.uk
SANE
SANE offer emotional support to anyone affected by a mental health problem.
Email: support@sane.org.uk
Rethink Mental Illness
Rethink provide advice about recovery for anyone affected by severe mental illness.
Adviceline: 0300 5000 927 (lines open Monday – Friday 9.30am – 4pm)
Email: info@rethink.org