"The Definition of Mental Health " by Aaron P

For the common person, the definition of mental illness may only come from how they

are represented by forms of media, ever since the introduction of newspapers all the way up to

recent films and tv shows. Doctors and psychologists are seldom at the forefront of

Media, therefore, the topic of mental health is usually driven by what would cause the most 

Reaction from the viewers. With this, the media often falsely portrays the concept of mental health 

and initiates debates centered around the idea of fear over certain treatments that may be 

beneficial. Now, the question presents itself, and that is what forms of media are responsible for 

these false depictions? Through personal experience and research, movies and books tend to 

portray mental health through crazy and over dramatic scenes meant to encapsulate the audience, 

creating a false stigma, whereas the news and radio shows tend to create argument over the 

legitimacy of certain solutions, further leaving the trust in these solutions up in the air. 

Ever since the beginning of film and media, mental health has been defined or portrayed in a way that produces the best intrigue or effect. It is a common process in the film industry to bend the truth and realism of events in order to create a story that is different and unique. In pursuit of this creativity, the truths of Mental health have been bent and overaggerated to give readers or 

watchers a show. To quantify this effect, researchers and professors from USC’s Annenberg 

initiative record that close to 50% of mental health portrayals in film and television are within 

the context of humor or disparagement. The significance of these findings proves the intent of the

industry’s usage of mental health and perfectly aligns with the common stigma around those who 

suffer from mental illness. Many, including myself, look to forms of media as a guide, looking for 

life lessons and situations I can learn from and take home, therefore it isn’t a surprise that when 

Mental health is looked down upon, or treated in the most severe context, that people would make 

a note to avoid the behavior depicted. 

Media has also made it difficult for many to establish an understanding of various mental 

health issues, by confusing and over exaggerating their conditions. Psychologist Dr. Danny Wedding to the BBC had this to say about books and film, “movies such as The Exorcist (1973) suggest to the public that mental illness is the equivalent of possession by the devil; and movies such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) make the case that psychiatric hospitals are simply prisons in which there is little or no regard for patient rights or welfare.” To someone who may suffer from certain conditions, being referred to as similar to the “possession by the devil,” can have a serious effect on the way they are able to interact with the public, thereby reversing the plans of many who want to fight against mental illness. It is my hope that in the future mental health is treated as more of a serious issue in film and media rather than the way it has in the past.

How we as a society define mental health has a ton of influence from the novel, One Flew 

Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, in which one of the main characters, Randle McMurphy, consistently condemns the treatment and relates it to something similar to an evil scheme. Oftentimes, conflicting viewpoints such as these can cause the audience to lose their trust in what could possibly make a huge impact in their life. Psychiatric hospitals have also been wrongly portrayed and have turned people away from their potential help. An article by U.S today explains, “Those mental institutions resemble a prison more than a place of healing – an image that’s still perpetuated by cinema.” With this in mind, it shows a consistent theme of the media to portray mental health and illness in a dark and controlling manner. Instead of creating confusing and fearful stigmas around treatments, I would hope the media can start more conversations over possible solutions.

    To conclude, there is no denial that media has the strongest influence on culture and 

Society, which is why with certain situations it is important for us to break out of that bubble and 

think for once whether or not there is any truth or credibility to what we see. Defining Mental 

health in a cruel and pessimistic manner as our society has is detrimental to the future of our world, 

and coming together is what we need most. In my experience it has been easy to understand the 

falsehoods in the media's portrayal of mental health, because my siblings have dealt with it their

whole lives. My brother has autism and I can’t even begin to describe the pain I felt when he

would come home with bruises and tears in his eyes thanks to bullies and teachers who wouldn’t 

bat an eye. Because of this I have a first hand experience of the effects that media has had on their 

mental healths, a lot of which coming from a simple misunderstanding and misrepresentation by

the media. A true definition of someone who is mentally ill should not be influenced by outside 

parties, unfortunately stigmas last. If people are given a reason to fear something, they will. If

people are given a reason to be disgusted by something, they will. The world doesn’t operate by 

chance, it is human nature to trust society’s determining authority Figures. Media has choice to 

make with regards to their portrayals, if enough people passionate enough to stand up to stigma

make a change, the media would likely follow the trend and work towards an ideal path to

humanize the definition of mental health.

   

Work Cited

Fawcett, Kirstin. “How Mental Illness Is Misrepresented in the Media.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 16 Apr. 2015, 10:51 a.m., health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/04/16/how-mental-illness-is-misrepresented-in-the-media. 

Haider, Arwa. “How Cinema Stigmatises Mental Illness.” BBC Culture, BBC, 27 Aug. 2018, www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180828-how-cinema-stigmatises-mental-illness. 

Kesey, Ken. One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Penguin Putnam, 1992.

USC Annenberg. “Characters with Mental Health Conditions Rarely Seen on TV and in Film.” USC News, 4 June 2019, news.usc.edu/157768/mental-health-conditions-tv-film/.