Informing Canadians about mental health: The media has a lot to answer for

Trying to understand how the Canadian media addresses mental health has been a concern of mine for many years now.  Many of my concerns have been about the negative perspectives of that those who live with mental illness that to me seemed over-represented in the pages and airwaves across Canada.   Another huge concern is how treatment for those with mental disorders is portrayed – particularly the use of medications. 

In most media reports addressing the use of medications, what is portrayed is the need to ensure that those who have various illnesses have access to the best care possible – including medicines.  The opposite seems to be true for mental disorders.  Here, highly effective medications for mental disorders are mostly painted by a negative brush.  If you have cancer and you don’t have access to a medicine that may have a minor positive impact of marginally increasing your life-span you are seen as a victim.  If you get terrible side effects, that is seen as an inconvenience. 

Comparatively, if you happen to have ADHD and medications may have a huge positive impact  on all aspects of your life, you are criticized for taking it and minor side effects are portrayed as horrific and terrifying.

There is some good Canadian data demonstrating that media in this country depict mental illness in a very negative light.  The National Post actually reported on this information – good for them.  You can find the information here.

Rob Whitley of McGill University provided the information based on his seminal work on addressing media bias in the  portrayal of mental illness.  Over a third of media reports portrayed violence and dangerousness related to mental illness.  Only about a sixth dealt with recovery or rehabilitation. 

It is interesting that the Harper Government is now committed to building more jails and not in addressing some of the obvious antecedents to crime.  As we well know, up to 60 percent or more of those in jails have mental disorders that are known to be associated with their involvement in crime.  Are our national policymakers getting their information from the media about understanding mental disorders?  Is this driving the building of jails agenda?  Does the Harper Government want to jail those with mental disorders instead of providing care?

As for me, I do not know the answers to those questions.  What I do know is that we need to make sure that this changes.  The stigma against those living with mental disorders and the stigma against not providing most effective treatment for mental illnesses has to stop.  The Carter Center in the USA has special programs for journalists.  Should we do the same here in Canada?  Why not?

-Stan