Is the British media a help or a hindrance in breaking down stereotypes about mental illness?

Mental illness and the way it is portrayed in the media has been a contentious issue for some time.   Charities, such as Mind, have criticised the industry for failing to give mental health the attention it needs. Others have condemned  journalists, especially tabloid writers, for using words such as ‘bonkers’ or ‘psycho’ - irresponsible reporting which they say exacerbates social stigmas and prejudices around mental illness.

The later point is a tough one to disagree with.  Sinead O’Connor, Gazza, Frank Bruno, Amy Winehouse, Demi Moore and Britney Spears (to name a few) have all been dealt their fair share of unsympathetic and derogatory headlines. 

But, how far are these complaints still a major cause for concern?  In my view, it is a mixed bag. 

Mental health in the media

There has been an increase in positive noise around mental illness on TV.  Soap story lines, such as Stacey Branning in Eastenders coming to terms with her bipolar disorder have raised awareness of the illness among a mainstream audience. Similarly, Ruby Wax has helped break down social taboos by talking openly about her battle with depression in her comedy sketches and in media interviews, including BBC Breakfast, The Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph.

Stephen Fry has been widely praised by mental health organisations for speaking candidly to the media about dealing with depression and living with bipolar. This November, Fry is hosting the Mind Media Awards, a ceremony which celebrates the very best portrayals of mental health in the media. But, the fact that there is a need for these awards in the first place surely sends out a clear message that there is still work to be done.

Mental Health Week 2012

Last week I followed the media coverage on Mental Health Week, an annual awareness campaign run by the Mental Health Foundation.

This year’s theme was ‘Doing Good Does You Good’, the idea that helping others has a positive impact on your mental well being  received limited pick up, at least in the national media.  But, the likelihood is that this is a reflection of the media’s appetite for grittier stories, rather than a lack of interest in covering the subject per se.

Indeed, both BBC Online and The Independent did publish mental health stories last week.  Both titles reported on a story put out by Mind, highlighting the huge increase in helpline calls, a hike the charity puts down to financial and recession related strain.

While it is doubtful that voyeuristic reports on the latest celebrity ‘mental breakdown’ will  disappear from our papers and magazines entirely , responsible reporting on the different types of mental illness and what people  can do to get help and advice is becoming more common . A quick Google, for example, will tell you that several national news websites have dedicated sections on mental health, and that most of them have covered the subject in the last six months. 

The picture is not yet perfect, and probably never will be, but the media’s portrayal of mental illness does look like it is getting better.   If it is true that one in four of us will experience some kind of mental health problem over the course of a year then surely it needs to.