Negative reports of mental health deter people from seeking help

Negative reporting in the media of mental health problems stigmatises people who are most severely ill and prevents them seeking medical help, says a new survey of press coverage in England.

The survey concludes that, although common problems such as premenstrual tension receive sympathetic coverage, stories involving severe mental illness focus on the issue of public safety.

The survey, published by Shift, a five year government programme to reduce the stigma and discrimination that people with mental health problems experience, scrutinised media coverage in March 2005, looking at national newspapers, regional press, broadcast media, and consumer magazines.

The project also ran focus groups, including a group of people with mental health problems, and one to one interviews with journalists responsible for some of the items.

Figure 1.

The health minister Rosie Winterton said the government was working to reduce discrimination against people with mental health problems

Credit: SHIFT

The most common stories during the sample period covered homicides and crime— accounting for 27% of the coverage. The stories focused on the perceived links between violence, dangerousness, and mental illness.

At the report's launch several former patients said the negative coverage of mental health issues had initially made them reluctant to seek medical help. The writer and journalist Tim Lott said: “I was hugely reluctant to see a doctor. My reluctance must to a certain extent be due to the media representation of mental illness.”

Launching the report, the health minister Rosie Winterton said: “We all need to work to make change happen. We in the government are trying to do our part: we are working with young people in schools, with public services like the NHS, and with employers to reduce discrimination.”