Representation of Mental Illness in the Written Press

Abstract

Objective. Improve the focus on a dignified treatment for people with mental health problems provided by the community and the media. Material and methods. Two local morning newspapers from the most important newsgroups in Monterrey, Mexico, were selected. Experts judgments were used to estimate the presence of erroneous and stigmatizing information and labels in 2,160 information units published between August and November 2015 that included terms related to chronic mental illness. Results. An attempt is made to handle the information responsibly and without sensationalism, especially when the news objective is to talk about mental illness; however, 48% of the notes reflect labels, stigma or misinformation. Conclusions. It is necessary to increase collaboration between mental health professionals and media, in order to improve the quality and accuracy of the information that is published.