Media Portrayal of Mental Illness in America Essay -- Media American S

Media Portrayal of Mental Illness in America The media in American society has a major influential impact on the minds and beliefs of millions of people. Whether through the news, television shows, or film, the media acts as a huge database for knowledge and instruction. It is both an auditory and visual database that can press images and ideas into people's minds. Even if the individual has no prior exposure or knowledge to something, the media can project into people's minds and leave a lasting impression. Though obviously people are aware of what they are listening to or watching, thoughts and assumptions can drift into their minds without even realizing it. These thoughts that drift in are extremely influential. The massive impact it can leave on America's perception leads to generalizations, assumptions, and stigmas. The media influence is not always negative, however. In most cases it has beneficial and positive aspects. Without the media, people would be drastically less informed and conscientious about major issues in t he world around us. In some cases, however, the way the media portrays an issue can twist one's perception, leaving an assumption instead of a factual concept. Mental illness is one of the biggest concepts that the media has distorted due to the majority of portrayals the media presents. Mental health is extremely important and plays a key role in every individual's life. Yet it is also has millions of misconceptions. Mental illness is more common that one would like to believe. In reality, one in five Americans will suffer from a mental disorder in any given year. Though that ratio is about equivalent to more than fifty-four million people, mental illness still remains a shameful and stigmatized topic (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). The taboo of mental illness has an extensive and exhausting history, dating back to the beginning of American colonization. It has not been an easy road to say the least. Due to the endless efforts and research of certain foundations and in dividuals, the ideas and functions of mental health have improved significantly. The advancements made in the field are impressive and without them humankind would not be the same. Yet then why do only fewer than eight million people who are in need of help seek treatment? (National Mental Health Association, 2001). The history, stigmatization, and perce... ...on.(2000,May 15). Negative Media Images of People with Mental Illness Impact America’s Perception: NMHA Survey Focuses on Entertainment and News Media. Retrieved June,16,2002, from http://mhnet.org/articles/nmha3.htm National Mental Health Association.(2001). Did You Know? Retrieved June,16,2002, from http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/didyou.cfm Star,S.A.(1952). What the public thinks about mental health and mental illness. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Mental Health. Star,S.A.(1955). The public’s ideas about mental illness. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Mental Health. Swindle,R.,Heller,K.,& Pescosolido,B.(1997,August). Responses to â€Å"nervous breakdowns† in America over a 40-year period: Mental health policy implications. Paper presented at the meeting of American Sociological Association, Toronto, Ontario. U.S. Public Health Service.(1999). The Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health. Retrieved June,5,2000, from http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.html Veroff,J.,Douvan,E.,& Kulka,R.A.(1981). Mental Health in America: Patterns of help-seeking from 1957-1976. New York: Basic Books.