Communication Research

Representation of mental illnesses and mentally-ill people in media

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Mohammad Reza Rezayee Bayandor
https://doi.org/10.22082/cr.2007.24305
Abstract

Nowadays, media, particularly television, have a key role in people’s understanding of the world. Media representation of the world using stereotypical and cliché images will shape individuals’ understanding of different phenomena in the world. Such an understanding will be considered sometimes as a pillar against which people judge and treat world’s phenomena which, in turn, brings about bad consequences at both social and individual levels. In this article the role of media in representing the image of mental illness and the mentally-ill people is studied. Reviewing the literature of the subject shows that most of the media productions, particularly those of cinema and TV, present a distorted image of mental illnesses and the mentally- ill people. Depicting such an image will not only form negative attitudes towards these patients and even the professionals working in the field, but also will have a negative effect on the process of curing such patients and on the mental security of the society.

Keywords

Media Representation
Mental illness
Mentally – ill People
Stereotypical Images
Media Effects

 

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  • Receive Date 21 March 2007

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