Mental Health in the Mainstream Media
Most people are first introduced to the concept of mental illness through some sort of media, whether it be a film, television series, novel, or news story. These images are often unrealistic and contribute to the stigma those who live with mental illness face every day.
I produced this timeline for Sunovion Pharmaceuticals to highlight the growing number of actors and filmmakers who are getting it right. The article was featured in Mediaplanet’s 2017 “Mental Health” issue, distributed within USA Today and online across Sunovion’s social media channels.
Rami Malek in USA Network’s series “Mr. Robot”
Bradley Cooper in “Silver Linings Playbook”
Whether it’s a film, news program, magazine, or TV show, the media perpetuates many myths about mental illness. These myths don’t just damage public perceptions; they also affect people with mental illness. In fact, the fear of stigma can prevent individuals from seeking treatment. One study even found that workers would rather say they committed a petty crime and spent time in jail than disclose that they stayed at a psychiatric hospital.
The tide is turning, however. Over the past decade, there has been an influx of narratives that present characters with mental illness in an accurate, responsible way.
2009
Showtime debuts the controversial series “United States of Tara,” with Steven Spielberg attached as executive producer. This comedy-drama depicts the life of a suburban housewife and mother coping with dissociative identity disorder, a condition which affects roughly 1 to 3 percent of the American population.
2010
In the second season of the legal-comedy-drama “Drop Dead Diva,” the main character’s mother is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
ABC airs an explosive episode of the medical drama “Private Practice.” In the episode, titled Did You Hear What Happened to Charlotte King?, writer Shonda Rhimes explores the long-term effects of sexual abuse.
2011
Everyone had “Glee” fever in 2011. The show navigates a wide variety of social issues related to sexuality, race, and relationships. In the episode Born This Way, Emma Pillsbury, the school’s guidance counselor, reveals she struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder, a disease impacting approximately 2.3 percent of working-age Americans.
Director Liza Johnson’s independent film “Return” showcases a soldier after a tour of duty as she struggles with her return to civilian life and finding a way to reconnect with others.
According to the National Institutes of Health, 70 percent of adults in the United States have experienced some type of traumatic event in their lives. In the crime drama “Castle,” one character comes face-to-face with her post-traumatic stress disorder.
2012
The award-winning Showtime series “Homeland” follows Carrie Mathison, a high-ranking CIA agent who lives with bipolar disorder. This portrayal of bipolar disorder challenges the stigmatizing depiction of people with this condition as unemployed social outliers.
The blockbuster film “Silver Linings Playbook,” based on a novel by Matthew Quick, opens to rave reviews. Starring Bradley Cooper, the film explores what happens when a former teacher returns to his family and friends after spending eight months in a psychiatric hospital.
2014
Crime drama “Perfect Sisters,” based on an infamous court case surrounding teenage sisters who were tried for murder, is released in theaters. Actress Mira Sorvino stars in her role as the mother who struggles with substance abuse.
2015
Lifetime miniseries “The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe” captures Hollywood’s most infamous icon in a new light and details the star’s experience growing up estranged from her mother, who suffered from severe paranoid schizophrenia.
USA Network’s “Mr. Robot” receives critical acclaim for the realistic depiction of mental illness surrounding its main character, who has dissociative identity disorder.
2017
The documentary “Beyond Silence” debuts. The film, directed by Shaul Schwarz and executive produced by Demi Lovato, follows three strangers who find the courage to speak up about their personal battles with mental illness. “Stories have the power to change hearts and minds, shape perceptions and inspire action for the greater good,” Schwarz says.