The Impact of Mental Health in Media Reports

Just imagine reading this story excerpt online or in a newspaper.

"A man was arrested at the scene of the incident. Police sources have told us that he is known to them and has drug problems, is a catholic and drives a red car."

You might reasonably ask what on earth him being a catholic or driving a red car has to do with the crime and the answer is absolutley nothing. However, if you read a similar piece for the next five years, perhaps less, sooner or later you will start thinking that catholics who drive red cars seem to commit a lot of crimes and are violent people.

Now let's change the excerpt slightly to read; ""A man was arrested at the scene of the incident. Police sources have told us that he is known to them and has drug problems and mental health issues."

All of a sudden the information makes perfect sense as this is common in our newspapers when reporting crimes. Naturally we believe that people with mental health issues commit these sorts of crimes all the time.

What a load of rubbish! The man's mental health with regard to the crime has about as much bearing as his catholicism or his choice of car colour!

The evidence shows very clearly that people with mental health issues are more likely to be the victims of crime than they are the perpetrators. Yet the media continues to portray people with mental health problems as effectively dangerous people. The only circumstances where people with mental health issues might be likely to engage in violent behaviour is where they feel threatened which could be the result of some sort of hallucination or delusion.

So why can this continuance of reporting be a dangerous thing to society? Let's consider these possibilities.

1. First of all and most importantly it continues to send a message to society that people with mental health issues are all dangerous.
2. The stigma around mental health continues within our communities. People with mental health issues are intimidating and not to be trusted.
3. People who may have a mental health issue won't seek treatment because they are afraid of the perception of others if they actually do have an issue.
4. People who are newly diagnosed with mental health issues are afraid to share this information with family, friends, workmates or anyone for that matter for fear of what they might think of them.
5. The public jump to conclusions as soon as there is a major incident and assume the person must have had mental health problems.
6. Particular interest groups play the "mental health card" to deflect attention away from other issues.
7. Media immediately look for and ask about any mental health issues to link to the story.

Have a look at the SANE Australia page on the myth of Mental Health and Violence. It provides clear evidence that it is just a myth. https://www.sane.org/mental-health-and-illness/facts-and-guides/fvm-mental-illness-and-violence

The reality is that linking mental health to crime in such a way is just a beat up by the media. We really need to get beyond this separation of mental health and physical health to the point we talk about health problems in general. This will be the sign of a mature society that is caring and compassionate about any health issue.

Until then, please keep a look out for catholics and people who drive red cars. You might just be in extreme danger.