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Cited by 86Mental Health Treatment and AccessJournalism and Media StudiesMedia Studies and Communication

Changes in newspaper coverage of mental illness from 2008 to 2014 in England

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Rhydderch, D., Krooupa, A.‐M., Shefer, G., Goulden, R., Williams, P., Thornicroft, A., Rose, D., Thornicroft, G. +1 more·2016·Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
DOI 10.1111/acps.12606PMC PMC6680140
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates English newspaper coverage of mental health topics between 2008 and 2014 to provide context for the concomitant improvement in public attitudes and seek evidence for changes in coverage. METHOD: Articles in 27 newspapers were retrieved using keyword searches on two randomly chosen days each month in 2008-2014, excluding 2012 due to restricted resources. Content analysis used a structured coding framework. Univariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of each hypothesised element occurring each year compared to 2008. RESULTS: There was a substantial increase in the number of articles covering mental health between 2008 and 2014. We found an increase in the proportion of antistigmatising articles which approached significance at P < 0.05 (OR = 1.21, P = 0.056). The decrease in stigmatising articles was not statistically significant (OR = 0.90, P = 0.312). There was a significant decrease in the proportion of articles featuring the stigmatising elements 'danger to others' and 'personal responsibility', and an increase in 'hopeless victim'. There was a significant proportionate increase in articles featuring the antistigmatising elements 'injustice' and 'stigma', but a decrease in 'sympathetic portrayal of people with mental illness'. CONCLUSION: We found a decrease in articles promoting ideas about dangerousness or mental illness being self-inflicted, but an increase in articles portraying people as incapable. Yet, these findings were not consistent over time.

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  • Newspaper coverage of mental health issues improved substantially during England's Time to Change anti-stigma programme.

    “During the Time to Change antistigma programme in England, for example, coverage of mental health issues by newspapers has substantially improved.[260][261][262]”

    From The Lancet Commission on ending stigma and discrimination in mental health (2022) · cites this paper as [262]

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  1. [14]Thornton J, Wahl O. Impact of a newspaper article on attitudes toward mental illness. J Community Psychol 1996; 24: 17– 25.

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Authors
Rhydderch, D., Krooupa, A. ‐., Shefer, G., Goulden, R., Williams, P., Thornicroft, A., Rose, D., Thornicroft, G., & Henderson, C.
Affiliations
  • King's College London (GB)
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
Corresponding author
Henderson, C.
ORCID
Venue
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2016-07-17
Volume
134
Issue
S446
Pages
45-52
ISSN
  • 0001-690X (ISSN-L)
  • 1600-0447
DOI
10.1111/acps.12606
PMC
PMC6680140
OpenAlex
W2495051052
Cited by
85
References
32
Citations by year
2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1
FWCI
11.01
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
Funders
  • South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
  • National Institute for Health Research
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Journalism and Media Studies
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Media Studies and Communication
Keywords
media coverage, mental illness, media representation, stigma, public attitudes, dangerousness, personal responsibility, victimhood
MeSH terms
Attitude to Health, Mental Disorders, England, Female, Humans, Male, Newspapers as Topic, Stereotyping, Social Stigma

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