The media has a key role in the portrayal of mental health; this may be through TV soaps, movies and programmes which contribute towards affecting the public’s belief systems. Mentally ill characters are depicted as the most dangerous of all as majority of the news stories regarding mental illness either focus on negative characteristics related to people with the disorder e.g. unpredictability. However positive stories which highlight recovery of many people with even the most serious illnesses are absent as expressed by Wahl et al (2002).
Media representations combine to make the mass media one of the most significant influences in developed societies. If public perceptions of mental illness are based on negative and false images which are
Media representations combine to make the mass media one of the most significant influences in developed societies. If public perceptions of mental illness are based on negative and false images which are