ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an introduction to the theoretical background, an overview of the research on mental illness and the media, and a discussion of the policy and practice implications of this body of research. It focuses on the research and implications of news, entertainment, and social media representations of mental illness, defined as clinically diagnosable mental health disorders, opposed to mental wellness topics such as stress relief. The chapter summarizes the findings of descriptive studies assessing the content of news media coverage about mental illness in the US and reviews the knowledge base stemming from experimental studies testing the effects of media exposure on audiences' attitudes about mental illness. Key findings are: Overall Negative Portrayals of Mental Illness in the News Media, News Media Emphasis on Interpersonal Violence, and Mental Illness Diagnoses and Symptoms in News Stories. The stigmatizing effects of media portrayals of untreated mental illness may differ across conditions.
