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OVERCOMING THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND
HOW TO HELP MEDIA DO THE SAME

by
Gregory Hitchcock
11th Annual CMHP Statewide Training
March 7, 2005

Good evening everyone. I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Greg Hitchcock. I am a reporter for a weekly newspaper in Washington County. I am also a staff writer for the Journal of the Student National Medical Association and a content writer for a consumer web site. I also have been diagnosed with schizophrenia while I was in the Army in 1987.

I am here tonight to talk to you about the media: its effects on stigmatizing the mentally ill and the ways to talk to the press and promote a better understanding with the public about what mental health is.

Unfortunately, the media is responsible for many of the misconceptions which persist about people with mental illnesses. Newspapers, in particular, often stress a history of mental illness in the backgrounds of people who commit crimes of violence. Television news programs frequently sensationalize crimes where persons with mental illnesses are involved.

The impact of misinformation conveyed in both the print and electronic media is apparent from the results of a Massachusetts survey done for the Department of Mental Health. Half of those who responded said they got their mental health information from TV, newspapers, and magazines while only 10% got it from professionals. The media has a huge influence on how the public perceives people with mental illness.

In 1991, researchers Russell E. Shain and Julie Phillips, using the United Press International database from 1983, found that 86% of all print stories dealing with former mental patients focused on violent crime. A 1997 British study found similarly skewed stories, and a 1999 German study concludes that selective reporting about mental illness causes audiences to distort their view of the "real world."

We are surrounded by stereotypes, popular movies about mentally ill killers, news coverage of tragedies caused by mentally ill people, violence by mentally ill people, casual use of terms like "psycho" or "crazy", jokes about mental illness, the insanity defense and news coverage of homelessness which is typically associated with mental illness. Speaking of homelessness, I have something to relate of a personal experience. When I was in the Army, I used to walk the streets of Washington, DC on my off hours. I saw homeless people huddled over heating ducts trying to keep warm on a winter's day. I started having dreadful thoughts that I could wind up homeless myself if I didn't watch myself. The thought took possession over me and I think contributed to my schizophrenia. Homelessness is everywhere, but it can be particularly seen in large cities with a large population. Even today, I am still haunted by the images of homelessness.

People feel uncomfortable about mental illness; it is not seen like other illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. Due to inaccuracies and falsehoods, people have been led to believe that an individual with a mental illness has a weak character or is potentially dangerous. However mental illness only becomes visible when someone is in a crisis, the majority of the public are unaware of how many mentally ill people they know and encounter everyday.

Media stereotypes of persons with mental illness as villains, failures, buffoons - together with the misuse of terms like schizophrenia and psychotic in negative contexts - have far-reaching consequences. On the most deeply personal level, biased stereotypes damage the sense of self-worth of millions of persons diagnosed with serious psychiatric illnesses. I for one felt for a while that I couldn't contribute to society when I was diagnosed with schizophrenia due to my misconceptions of what a crazy person was like. It took me awhile to find out that I had skills that I could use regardless of my own personal dealings with my mental illness. On the social and economic levels, negative stereotyping may result in large-scale discrimination against an entire class of people in the areas of housing, employment, health insurance, and medical treatment.

Like members of the public, media professionals may have limited knowledge of mental illnesses. Stereotypes become self-perpetuating unless they are replaced by clear, credible alternatives. If mental health activists fail to speak out, we resign ourselves to the status quo thereby inadvertently sustaining the misconceptions of mental illness.

Mental health activists should educate the media, and through it, the community about their programs, the type of care and services they provide, and the type of people they serve. As Chuck Custer, News Director of WGY Radio in Albany, said, "Often people don't realize they have a good story in their daily activities that would appeal to our listeners. They should be more active in sending out the good word to the station."

Often times, mental health programs are so focused on caring for their consumers that they spend little time telling others of the good work they do. To be effective in public relations, advocates must create and certainly take advantage of opportunities to promote themselves. Staff should be mindful of events and projects which may be of interest to the general public, and, therefore, the media. Innovative projects, human interest stories, and special celebrations are all chances for you to show yourselves off.

There are various media avenues someone can take to have its voice heard in the community. Local weekly newspapers, like The Eagle which I work for, have space for a column about life and activities of a functioning and productive person with mental illness. Writing letters-to-the-editor or an opinion/editorial column offers other vehicles for sharing your perspective.

You don't necessarily have to be an experienced writer to get your story into a newspaper. Just follow the most basic rule of journalists which are applying the five Ws and the H in your first one or two paragraphs: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Most stories start out with who its about, what its about, when did it happen or is going to happen, why did it happen, where did it happen, and how did it happen. It's critical to include this information as soon as you can so the person reading will know if he or she is interested in reading more. Then the rest of the article builds from the basic building blocks of your first paragraph by filling in the details.

A key component of any public relations effort is getting to know the local news pros- editors, reporters, and news directors- who determine what will and will not make the newspapers and the 11 o'clock news. You shouldn't wait until a crisis to introduce yourself to the media. Instead, you need to make a special effort to establish an ongoing relationship with the reporters who specialize in the coverage of health care and other issues related to mental illness.

Journalists want news, which research and practical experience have shown to mean material germane to their reading, listening, and/or viewing public along with being timely, interesting, and usually local. When initiating a story for the media, you should follow these principles: Expect to wait, the idea may need to incubate for a reporter; always return a reporter's phone call promptly, if only to say you can't talk until later; and supply additional names and phone numbers, after getting permission, to increase the reporter's options and add depth to the story.

A word about conveying your message: if you initiated the story, you already have a clear idea of what is most important. When planning how to present these important points, keep in mind that a general audience is apt to be uninformed about mental illness. Aim for clarity, repetition, and emotional appeal. Use facts and figures supplied by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institutes of Health, or some other non-partisan research entities.

Your message points are crucial so that what you say won't be misconstrued by the reporter. For example, if a broadcast reporter approaches you for an interview, find out the reason for the story. Then decide upon your message points accordingly. Prepare your message points by deciding upon two or three key ideas and boiling down each to a key sentence. Practice several different ways to state the points, decide what anecdotes, facts, and figures you will use to amplify your points. Try trimming your points to 15 or 20-second "sound-bites". In most cases, you can ask that a fumbled answer be re-taped. Finally, restate your key points as often as you can. Use examples that relate to the audience. Appeal to the senses of the listeners by painting a picture in their minds.

Remember to make your message points memorable. REPEAT your message points. Weave them throughout the interview. RELATE your message points to your audience's experiences by using stories, examples, facts, and figures. EVOKE empathy by using visual images and words that arouse emotion.

John Gray, anchor for a local TV station, said, "People should make themselves available to answer any questions a reporter may have." For some, that's a difficult part, because distrust of the media can lead to the misconception that silence is the best policy. At times, "no comment" when speaking to a reporter will get you nowhere - or even worse, to a place you don't want to be. While there may be times when a mental health advocate should choose not to speak to the media, an ongoing strategy of silence will likely elicit suspicion and hinder future efforts.

There should be a plan in place in the event of breaking stories about violent crimes committed by people with a history of mental illness. For example, Ted Kaczynski, Michael Laudor, and Russell Weston, Jr. all had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia before the time of their alleged crimes. Kraczynski pleaded guilty to sending fatal mail bombs, Yale Law School graduate Laudor was charged with killing his pregnant girlfriend, Weston, Jr. was accused of shooting and killing two Capital Hill police officers.

For any journalists out there, if you decide to run a story on mental illnes, check for consistency with codes of practice, for example those relating to privacy, grief and trauma. Also consult experts on mental illness, encourage people to seek help, include telephone help lines in the story, and try to let the helpline know when the story runs in case they may get increased calls. Above all else, make sure medical terms are used correctly. Being down or unhappy is not the same as experiencing clinical depression. Using psychiatric and medical terminology out of context is inaccurate. Two examples of such inaccuracies include: "psychotic dog" or "schizophrenic city."

The media - in the interests of fairness and in recognition of their power to influence public opinion - have a responsibility to provide a broader perspective on the mentally ill. The media usually reflect the beliefs of the public. Thus, it follows that when a majority of Americans are convinced that there are benefits in helping to change beliefs about mental illness, these beliefs will be positively altered. And the media must be convinced that at least some of the credit for helping change beliefs would accrue to them.

It is important to spread the message to help people living with mental illness lead satisfying and productive lives at home, at work, and in the community. There is now more hope than ever for people who have mental illnesses, and there should be more acceptance of these individuals by society at large.

Future stories about the achievements of individuals diagnosed with mental illness may also help shatter stereotypes. Among the stories already published have been Newsweek's account of Tom Harrell, a jazz trumpet star, The San Diego Union-Tribune's account of pro golfer Muffin Spencer-Devlin, and a New York Times business section feature about John Forbes Nash, Jr, the winner of a Nobel Prize for economics that was eventually turned into a movie. A New York Times Magazine cover story brought new understanding to a highly publicized homicide when it chronicled a young man's search for help in a crumbling mental health system.

In conclusion, I would like to share a story published by the Toronto Star on December 27, 2004. After spending most of his 26th year in a psychiatric hospital being diagnosed and treated for bipolar disorder, Michael's next year didn't start off much better. He lost control of his business, his wife and family were keeping a safe distance, and his friends had practically disappeared. How life had changed, and continued changing, for the once vibrant and successful entrepreneur.

Before his hospitalization, Michael tempered his mood swings with alcohol; after, they were stabilized with Lithium. Before, his therapists were his drinking buddies; after, they were dedicated psychiatrists and nurses. While putting the pieces of his life back together he realized that there was life after hospitalization.

But it wasn't always easy. The flame of his marriage extinguished, and many of his friends flickered out too. Michael began to find new avenues of support, particularly from others who also had personal experience with mental illness.

He began sharing his experience with others, which led to a new, peer support program for people newly diagnosed with bipolar disorder - the first of many leadership initiatives Michael began in support of others who shared his journey.

That was almost 25 years ago. Since then, Michael has remarried, had two incredible kids and many successful business and volunteer endeavors. Love, family and social supports, and a caring community kept Michael from ever entering the hospital again.

Just as cancer is no longer a death sentence, a diagnosis of mental illness is no longer a life sentence.