The prime time media uses negative stereotypes to depict mental illness almost 4 times more than it does blacks.
The numbers are from a study, Liz Sayce cites in her book From Psychiatric Patient to Citizen: Overcoming Discrimination and Social Exclusion
The research found that films and tv shows run during prime time depicted the mentally ill characters as villians 73% of the time, blacks 20% of the time and the disabled 12% of the time.
This means the media discriminates against the mentally ill almost 4 times more than blacks and 6 times more than the disabled.
The book also noted a second study published in the The British Journal of Psychiatry found programming for children under 10, showed the mentally ill as “crazy” , out of control and without positive qualities.
No one is suggesting that changes in content be imposed on the media however the studies show that the popular media exploits and perpetuates the stigma of the mental ill.
