In the media today, there is a wealth words that stigmatize people coping with mental illness: crazy, psycho, nut, whacko. These words can be painful to all those affected.
Back in October, ABC chose to re-air a Halloween episode of Modern Family in which the main characters erect a mental hospital themed haunted house (including a sadistic nurse, a patient tied to a bed, and a child in a straight jacket). Many organizations, including the American Psychologist Association, wrote letters to the network asking them to remove the episode from tv (ABC declined). To find out more, check out this article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3295765/ABC-slammed-health-organizations-claims-Modern-Family-s-insane-asylum-themed-Halloween-episode-mocked-people-mental-illness.html
More than ever, school counselors encounter mental health issues in their students; it speaks to the changing nature of the profession. While media can more be very harmful, it can also prompt discussion and healthy depictions. Television shows, in particular, have the power to bring these issues right into your living room (see the articles below for more information). Below are some shows that portray characters dealing with mental health issues:
- Criminal Minds: FBI analysist Spencer Reid (Mathew Gray Gubler)’s mother has paranoid schizophrenia
- Law and Order: Criminal Intent: Detective Goren’s (Vincent D’Ononfrio) mother has schizophrenia
- Homeland: CIA agent Carrie (Claire Danes) suffers from bipolar disorder
- Girls: Hannah (Lena Dunham) has anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder
- Nashville: singer Juliette (Hayden Panettiere) experiences post partum depression
- Empire: Andre (Trai Byers) suffers from bipolar
I recently joined the board of my local branch of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). They have an excellent free program called “Breaking the Silence” for educators or counselors to use. It promotes a dialogue/awareness on mental health and stigma. It also achieve goals of better citizenship, less drug use, less absenteeism, and less bullying. There is one designed for upper elementary, middle, and high school. Here are is the website: http://www.btslessonplans.org Please email me if you have any questions about it.
Check out these articles to read more about TV and mental illness. Very informative!
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/04/16/how-mental-illness-is-misrepresented-in-the-media
http://healthland.time.com/2013/10/08/homeland-and-bipolar-disorder-how-tv-characters-are-changing-the-way-we-view-mental-illness/
http://www.vulture.com/2015/12/mental-illness-got-some-respect-on-tv-in-2015.html