The Goal Is For You to Get Better: Comparing the Representations of Biomedical and Mental Health Treatment in the Television Series Bates Motel

Abstract

The current study explored the representation of biomedical treatment and mental health treatment in the television series Bates Motel. We used a sample of episodes from the fourth season of the series to create a set of codes inductively. We did this to answer two research questions about the topics of conversation and verbal expressions with character dialogue. Results revealed the distinctions in topics of conversation and verbal expressions by examining dialogue between either the biomedical patient and mental health patient and a conversation partner. Appendix A shows a detailed listing of episodes coded. Results also showed that communication was more hopeful and agreeable in the biomedical settings, more procedural (or direct), worried, and urgent in the mental health setting. In both settings, we found communication was caring between provider and patient. Future research should expand on this small yet important sample, even considering smaller samples of episodes as case studies of media representations of health settings.