ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the prevalence of research on mental illness across the media landscape offering a brief historical overview of such representations. The chapter begins by chronicling how early perceptions and treatments of mental illnesses influenced depictions in the media. It then discusses the continuity and change in film representations, and the common trope of equating mental illness with violence. The chapter also considers the variety of representations on television over the past 20 years, including sitcoms and reality shows focusing on mental health conditions such as hoarding, OCD, and addiction. In addition, the chapter illuminates the increasing commodification of these disorders via TV and film. The introduction considers the pros and cons of representations of mental illness presented in popular culture, with an emphasis on the importance of relatable positive representations. It also includes a brief discussion of the shift that the authors see occurring in how mental illness is portrayed in entertainment media and how scholars/critics are reacting to this shift, particularly in terms of how they cover/discuss this shift. Finally, the introduction concludes with a preview of the chapters included in the anthology.
