The use of mass media in mental health

Mechanisms of mental illness anti-stigma messaging matter: Leveraging mental health communication inequities among Latinx populations to understand what works and what we can do better

BACKGROUND

Since 1950, public communication about the neurobiological-psychosocial basis of mental illness from the diathesis-stress model has promoted reception to treatment yet violent/dangerous stereotypes have increased during this period. Moreover, public mental health communication efforts have predominantly diffused in English-language media, excluding Spanish/Latinx media and its consumers from these efforts. To inform future mental health communication strategies, this study leverages high versus low diffusion of public mental health communication across English and Spanish/Latinx media to examine public mental health communication effects on stigma and treatment beliefs via neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs.

METHODS

A quota sample of 2058 U.S.-based Latinx residents ages 13-86 with diverse language/cultural media preferences was recruited to self-complete a survey about mental health information acquisition in 2021. Assessments ascertained frequency of Spanish/Latinx and English media use and mental health content scanning and seeking (α = 0.86-0.94); and items from the General Social Survey about mental illness neurobiological-psychosocial causal beliefs (α = 0.72)-genetics, brain chemistry, environment, stress; treatment beliefs-mental illness improves with treatment or on its own; and stigma beliefs-violent/dangerous and bad character stereotypes and unwillingness to socialize with a person with mental illness. Structural equation models estimated total, direct, and indirect effects of Spanish/Latinx and English media exposures on treatment and stigma beliefs via neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs, net individual/family factors.

RESULTS

Spanish/Latinx media reduced, while English media increased, neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs (p < 0.01). Neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs, in turn, increased treatment and stigma beliefs (p < 0.01), simultaneously. Indirect pathways were also significant (p < 0.05). Proportion mediated on treatment beliefs was one-third for Spanish/Latinx and two-thirds for English media. Proportion mediated on stigma beliefs for all media exposures averaged ≥1.

CONCLUSIONS

While consumers of Spanish/Latinx media report lower neurobiological-psychosocial knowledge that impedes treatment beliefs, consumers of English media report greater neurobiological-psychosocial and treatment knowledge and, consequently, more stigma. Innovation in public mental health communication is needed to counter stigma and health inequity.

Attitudes towards the mentally ill in Ireland

Objective: This survey attempts to ascertain the attitude of the general public towards the mentally ill and former psychiatric patients in Ireland. Method: A random selection of 155 adults were interviewed using Likert-type scales (29 items). Results: Factor analysis revealed four main attitude dimensions: fear, lack of sympathy, personal rejection and perceived community rejection. Overall, respondents express a low level of fear and a high level of sympathy towards the mentally ill. Lack of sympathy correlated highly with older age group, lower educational level and lower socio-economic class of respondent. Respondents with higher self-reported knowledge about mental illness were less fearful and more sympathetic towards the mentally ill. Conclusions: The findings are encouraging to the development of community psychiatric services and support the usefulness of public education in the area of mental health.

The public image of psychiatrists

The image of psychiatry is directly related to the knowledge that the public has of psychiatry and to the psychiatrists role as a "public informer". The time has come for psychiatrists to organize and have their opinions on all aspects of the mental health care system and mental illness heard in the media. After a review of different causes of the negative public image of psychiatrists, the reasons for which psychiatrists need to change their public image are outlined with some suggestions for increase public recognition. The importance of developing more research on the effect of mass media on the mental health care system is also outlined.