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Abstract
Depression is the topic of this exploratory study that examined whether and how news content stigmatises the mentally ill. In their 16-month examination of depression coverage in the US, the authors found that violence and suicide were mentioned in the majority of stories, which may promote stigma. While the mentally ill were not necessarily denigrated with specific labels such as crazy or nutty, individuals did appear to shoulder the blame for their illnesses with very few attributions of blame aimed at community, society or culture. Solutions to mental illness were more likely be framed as prescription medicines rather than counselling therapy, thus supporting the interests of pharmaceutical companies.
Die tema van hierdie verkennende studie is om te bepaal hoe nuusinhoud mense met ‘n geestesongesteldheid stigmatiseer. Tydens :‘n ondersoek van mediadekking van depressie in die VSA oor ‘n tydperk van 16 maande is bevind dat geweld en selfmoord in die meerderheid stories genoem is – wat moontlik die stigma kan vergroot. Hoewel hierdie pasiënte nie noodwendig spesifiek geëttiketeer is as ‘mal’ nie, het dit voorgekom of individue (eerder as die samelewing, die gemeenskap of kultuur) aanspreeklik gehou word vir hul ongesteldhede. Oplossings is meer dikwels gevind in voorgeskrewe medisyne eerder as berading tot voordeel van farmaseutiese maatskappye.