Abstract
Background: Recent years have seen a number of attempts to reduce the stigma related to mental illness; the media can play a significant role in perpetuating this stigma. This paper analyses trends in newspaper coverage of mental illness in the UK between 1992-2008 across a range of psychiatric diagnoses.
Methods: A content analysis was performed on a sample of articles (n = 1361) about mental illness in a range of UK newspapers in 1992, 2000, and 2008.
Results: There was a significant proportional reduction in negative articles about mental illness between 1992 and 2008, and a significant increase in articles explaining psychiatric disorders. Coverage improved for depression but remained largely negative for schizophrenia.
Conclusions: Newspaper coverage of mental illness became less stigmatising overall in the 1990s and 2000s, but this was not true for all diagnoses.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 796 |
| Pages (from-to) | - |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | BMC PUBLIC HEALTH |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | N/A |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 12 Oct 2011 |
Keywords
- Depressive Disorder
- Great Britain
- Health Communication
- Health Promotion
- Humans
- Mental Disorders
- Newspapers
- Public Opinion
- Stereotyping
