Stigma Watch

As a society, we are bombarded with negative images of people with mental illnesses. The media and entertainment industries overwhelmingly present people with mental illnesses as dangerous, violent and unpredictable individuals. These inaccurate and unfair portrayals shape the public’s perception of those who suffer from mental disorders as people to be feared and avoided.

This stigma has tragic consequences. Many people with mental health problems fail to seek treatment because of the shame associated with their illness. And most will experience some form of discrimination, whether in the workplace, health insurance plans or social settings.

The National Mental Health Association’s Stigma Watch program tracks news and entertainment coverage of mental health issues for fairness and accuracy. Our goal is to correct and prevent stigmatizing advertising, television and radio programming, and print features.

More information regarding the stigmatizing of mental illness is available by linking to Stigma on the National Mental Health Association website.

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