Effects of Media Framing on Perceptions of Mental Illness

Abstract

Stigmas about individuals with mental illness are pervasive and harmful. The way the media portrays mental illness – such as focusing on violent incidents – can lead to incorrect assumptions about people with mental illness (Chan & Yanos, 2017). This study investigates how exposure to positively and negatively framed media stories about mental illness influence perceptions of the individuals in the story regarding: blameworthiness, unpredictability, dangerousness, untrustworthiness, dependency on others, and irrationality. Participants were assigned to 1 of 3 framing conditions (positive, negative, neutral) and rated stories about Britney Spears and Simone Biles – two celebrities who have been public about their mental health – on those six variables. Results showed that participants in the negative condition rated Britney Spears as more blameworthy than participants in the positive condition, but no other comparisons were significant. Understanding where stigmas about mental illness come from is necessary to reduce these harmful stigmas that present barriers for individuals seeking treatment.