Louth Mental Health Services, HSE Dublin Northeast, Drogheda, Ireland.
St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2023 Mar;69(2):467-475. doi: 10.1177/00207640221111756. Epub 2022 Aug 12.
The portrayal of mental health in the mainstream news media is an important topic for discussion. Concerns about stigmatisation of those suffering from mental ill-health have been expressed for many years, leading to numerous anti-stigma campaigns. Previous Irish studies demonstrated an improvement in the tone and content of articles over time. This study aims to re-evaluate this topic, 19 years after it was last studied.
Four Irish papers including the tabloid, broadsheet, online and compact paper with the highest readership were analysed daily for a 12-week period. Using pre-determined definitions based on previous studies, all articles or headlines incorporating psychiatry-related material were examined for tone, content, utilisation of terminology, reference to self-harm, suicide and violence.
In total, 735 articles (2.19/paper/day) were identified and analysed. The majority of articles were found to have a supportive or factual tone. A higher proportion of judgemental or sensationalist articles were found in the tabloid newspaper. An improvement was noted compared to previous Irish studies. A decrease in articles written by mental health professionals was noted. Only 5% of articles portrayed psychotic disorders, with many of these referring to violence. Compliance with relevant guidelines for reporting of suicide was good overall.
There has continued to be an improvement in the tone and content of articles since previous Irish studies. The introduction of guidelines within this time may have played a significant role. Psychotic illness received limited coverage and was more likely to be portrayed in a stigmatising manner, guidelines relating to this could be of benefit. Engagement between psychiatrists and the media is important to improve the portrayal of psychotic illness and enhance awareness.
主流新闻媒体对心理健康的描绘是一个值得讨论的重要话题。多年来，人们一直对那些患有精神健康问题的人受到污名化表示担忧，这导致了许多反污名化运动。以前的爱尔兰研究表明，随着时间的推移，文章的语气和内容有所改善。这项研究旨在 19 年后重新评估这一主题。
分析了四份爱尔兰报纸，包括最受读者欢迎的小报、大报、在线报纸和紧凑型报纸。在为期 12 周的时间里，每天对报纸进行分析。根据以前的研究预先确定的定义，检查所有包含精神病学相关材料的文章或标题的语气、内容、术语使用、自残、自杀和暴力的提及。
共确定并分析了 735 篇文章（每份报纸每天 2.19 篇）。大多数文章的语气是支持性或事实性的。在小报中发现了更多判断性或耸人听闻的文章。与以前的爱尔兰研究相比，这一结果有所改善。报道心理健康专业人员撰写的文章数量有所减少。只有 5%的文章描述了精神病性障碍，其中许多文章提到了暴力。总体而言，报道自杀的相关准则执行情况良好。
自以前的爱尔兰研究以来，文章的语气和内容继续得到改善。在此期间引入的准则可能发挥了重要作用。精神疾病的报道有限，而且更有可能被污名化，关于这方面的准则可能会有所帮助。精神病医生与媒体之间的互动对于改善对精神病的描述和提高认识非常重要。
