Research Paper on The Negative Portrayal of Mental Illness in Film

False portrayals of mental illness in film are both frequent and impactful. It's a common observation that viewers' perceptions of reality are influenced by their exposure to television. (Gerbner, 1998;Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, & Signorielli, 1986, 1994; Morgan & Shanahan, 2010; Shrum,1995, 1996). Mental illness is a key component of today's plot lines in movies and television; characters with mental diseases are frequently dangerous and violent, and these representations are growing more widespread. The majority of mental illness deceptions in both adult and children's films are negative. Teenagers are badly affected by mental illness deceptions in cinema and television because they represent individuals with mental diseases with harmful preconceptions.

Throughout history, films featuring themes of murder and assault have inspired a swarm of new films with similar themes after they proved profitable and popular. When portraying characters with schizophrenia, filmmakers frequently use violence, traumatic situations, and hallucinations. According to Diefenbach's 1997 study, 2.2 percent of primetime television characters were represented as mentally ill, with 34 percent of those depicted committing murder, rape, or violent attacks. In actuality, only about 3% of mentally ill people in the United States engage in overtly violent behavior (Kimmerle). Showing content with mentally ill characters who are excessively aggressive to young children and teenagers who are still growing and learning can give them false information and a negative attitude about mental health issues. Research showed that participants who viewed a film with a violent, mentally ill character had a more negative perception of mental disorders than those who watched a film in which the violent character was not mentally sick (Kimmerle). It was argued that these false depictions were dehumanizing to people actually suffering with schizophrenia as these symptoms were not at all accurate. While violence and gifted individuals may be genuine depictions of schizophrenia, they are frequently exaggerated in movies (Beachum).While some may argue that films educate viewers about mental disorders such as schizophrenia by depicting incorrect representations of mental illness, there is more damage than good done. 

When considering how negative films contribute to the ongoing stigma around mental illness, it may be argued that stigma is one of the reasons why so few individuals suffering from mental illness seek assistance. This stigma can make viewers feel ashamed of even asking for help and can lead to self isolation (Mayoclinic). These judgments usually are created from a lack of understanding. These stigmas can have a number of negative consequences, including a lack of understanding from family and coworkers, less job possibilities, social activities, and even health insurance that does not cover mental illness (Mayoclinic). Many teenagers who watch film and television alot will refrain from asking for help which will create a more negative impact on their mental health. Because of false representations online, they may downplay their own condition and believe they are unworthy of mental treatment. More self-stigma was linked to poorer recovery from mental illness after one and two years, according to a 2017 study including more than 200 people with mental illness over a two-year period (Borenstein). This study shows that self-stigma can be highly detrimental, especially to teenagers, who are still growing and developing their brains, resulting in long-term mental health consequences.

In most films and television shows, characters with mental health illnesses are regularly mocked and called pejorative names which might teach children harmful habits. Granello, Pauley, and Carmichael found that individuals who got most of their information on mental diseases from the media were less tolerant of mentally ill people than those who had direct experience with them (Kimmerle). Many people all around the world are educated about other people through film, and when they see people with mental illnesses humiliated for something they can't control, they believe they have the right to use derogatory language against others who are suffering. Schizophrenic characters are also called "crazy," "loony," and "deranged" (Pirkis, Blood, Francis, & McCallum, 2006, p. 523) by mentally healthy or "sane" characters—reinforcing the stigma. When younger children and teenagers who are still maturing are viewing this content they will believe that this is the correct way to act to people who are suffering. Scientists discovered that the more hours people watched television, the more strongly they believed that mental health programs in their communities would be harmful to the community (Kimmerle). Every year, as more adolescents obtain phones and laptops, more of them are being misinformed, and more people who are suffering are not getting access to treatment.

The current deceptions of mental illnesses in film and television have a negative impact on teenagers because of the false stereotypes that are shown. People watch television all throughout the world, and it's often how they learn about parts of the world they can't see. The majority of the time, we see characters with mental problems being extremely violent in movies and television shows which can cause a false representation of mental illness. Many people are generally misinformed about the challenges of mental diseases, and the media tends to be very powerful in affecting opinion in situations where strong opinions are held, films can be especially crucial in influencing the public's impression of mental illness. While some may argue that cinema and television are helping to educate people all around the world about mental illness, cinema and television are doing more harm than good by reinforcing stereotypes. We can help more individuals get the help they need while they are being entertained with film and television by using more realistic depictions of mental illness in cinema and television.

Works Cited 

Borenstein, J. B. (2020, August). Stigma, Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness. Psychiatry. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination#:~:text=A%202017%20study%20involving%20more,after%20one%20and%20two%20years.

DeMare, N. (2016). "Exaggerations and Stereotypes of Schizophrenia in Contemporary Films." Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, 7(1). Retrieved from http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=1474

Kimmerle, J., & Cress, U. (2013). The Effects of Tv and Film Exposure on Knowledge about and Attitudes toward Mental Disorders. Journal of Community Psychology, 41(8), 931–943. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21581

Mental health: Overcoming the stigma of mental illness. (2017, May 24). Mayoclinic. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/in-depth/mental-health/art-20046477

Saleh, Naveed. “How the Stigma of Mental Health Is Spread by Mass Media.” Verywellmind, dotdash, 2 June 2020, www.verywellmind.com/mental-health-stigmas-in-mass-media-4153888.