Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
by
Rebecca Danielle Pfister
A Capstone Project
Presented to the Faculty of the School of Communication in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts in Strategic Communication
Supervisor: Dr. Joseph Erba
American University
April, 2014
Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
COPYRIGHT
Rebecca Danielle Pfister
2014
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
“The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about” –
Wayne Dyer
My mother, Karstin Pfister, for believing and supporting me on every adventure that my mind
wondered and the strength to become a better person. I am appreciative of my family and
support system. The positivity taught me that when personal struggles arise it is okay to seek
help and tomorrow the sun will be brighter. It was a true passion to complete research on
mental illness and help decrease stigmatization about mental illness. It could not have been
completed without my professor’s, Joseph Erba, guidance and encouragement.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
ABSTRACT
The research attempted to provide an understanding of the impact of the portrayal of mental
illness by the media on teenagers’ perceptions of people with mental illness. The method to
collect the data was face-to-face, semi-structured, and audio-recorded interviews with twelve
American University college students aged 18 to 19 years old. The research sought to enhance
participants’ media literacy skills and improve their ability to think critically, analyze, and
evaluate media. The findings showed that participants were more inclined to believe the
negative images portrayed in the media without any clear understanding of mental illness.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
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Perception and stigma surrounding mental illness………………………………………………………………….
o Stigma………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
o Perception………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
o Children and teenagers……………………………………………………………………...........................
Media portrayal of mental illness……………………………………………………………………………………………
Celebrity influence on teenagers……………………………………………………………………………………………
o Celebrity activism…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Theoretical framework………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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METHODS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…… 31
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Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Participants…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Recruitment…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
Interviews……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Measurement…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Consent………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Privacy and data storage…………………………………………………………………………………………………….....
Ethical concerns……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Credibility……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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FINDINGS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...................... 38
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Media diet……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Definition of mental illness…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Seeking treatment………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
Likelihood of friend to seek help…………………………………………………………………………………………...
Known celebrities with a mental illness…………………………………………………………………………………
Frequently watched TV shows……………………………………………………………………………………………….
Portrayal of mental illness in TV…………………………………………………………………………………………...
Mental illness seen more in TV or movies……………………………………………………………………………..
Labels used for mental illness in the media…………………………………………………………………………..
Portrayal of celebrities failures and accomplishments…………………………………………………………..
Demi Lovato, Amanda Bynes, Catherine Zeta Jones……………………………………………………………..
Changes in mental illness perception……………………………………………………………………………………
Others general perception change………………………………………………………………………………………..
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CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 56
INTERVEIW GUIDE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 59
APPENDIX…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 62
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Table I: Demographic……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Table II: Participants’ Responses…………………………………………………………………………………………..
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REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
INTRODUCTION
Children and teens are less likely to seek treatment and acknowledge a mental illness
because of a hostile environment and peers’ negative reactions toward mental health disorders
(Chandra & Minkovitz, 2007; Wahl, 2003). “46.4 percent of American adults and 25% of college
students live with mental illness” (Living With, 2013). The stigma and perception surrounding
mental illness impacts teenagers’ willingness to talk with their peers, parents and school staff
(Wahl, 2002, 2003). Research has shown that media depicts mental illness with negative
stereotypes which creates inaccurate beliefs about those with mental illness as dangerous
(Wahl, 2002, 2003).
There are organizations that lead the effort in mental illness awareness among youth.
Active Minds is a nonprofit organization that helps young adults speak openly about mental
illness (Active Minds, 2014). The organization has more than 400 campus chapters (Active
Minds, 2014). Started on a college campus, Active Minds works with students to de-stigmatize
and change the perception of mental illness. It is important for students to know that they are
not alone (Active Minds, 2014). Active Minds has partnered with another nonprofit
organization regarding mental illness. Living With is an organization that was started by a
college student. Mental illness continues to be a very relevant topic that presents the need to
conduct additional research on college students’ current views and understanding on the topic.
President Obama has made efforts to decrease the stigmatization of mental illness. He
spoke at the National Conference on Mental Health in 2013 and addressed the efforts to
increase understanding and awareness about mental illness (Obama, 2013). President Obama
openly spoke about knowing people with mental illness “My great friend, Patrick Kennedy,
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
when he was running for reelection back in 2006, he could have avoided talking about his
struggles with bipolar disorder and addiction” (Obama, 2013, para. 16). “Patrick Kennedy used
his experience as a way to connect and to lift up these issues, not hide from them” (Obama,
2013, para. 16). Patrick Kennedy’s ability to talk about his mental illness allows others to
acknowledge that mental illness can affect anyone.
President Obama said that, “There should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for
treatable illnesses that affect too many people that we love” (President Obama, 2013, para 9).
“We’ve got to get rid of that embarrassment, we’ve got to get rid of that stigma. Too many
Americans who struggle with illnesses are still suffering in silence rather than seeking help”
(President Obama, 2013, para 9). With public personalities, politicians and celebrities speaking
out on their own mental illness more people may be willing to acknowledge their own struggles
with mental illness and seek treatment.
Teenagers are especially vulnerable to the influence of celebrities due to their heavy
viewing of television, movies, and social media. “Celebrities are a special breed in that their
lives and struggles can influence many opinions on controversial subjects such as mental
health” (Jayanthikumar & Muller, 2013, para. 17).Celebrities have the ability to reach large
audiences through the media. Celebrities choosing to share their personal struggles and serve
as advocates can have a strong influence on mental health awareness (Jayanthikumar & Muller,
2013). Their experiences and struggles shown in the media help to normalize the perception of
people with mental illness (Alonso, 2006).
Using Gerbner’s cultivation theory, the research seeks to uncover how teenagers
interpret messages in the media regarding mental illness. Teenagers were born during the
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
technology era and therefore, have a greater understanding of technology and the various
mechanisms. The majority of teenagers access social media daily and are susceptible to what
they view. Their brains are still developing and are malleable to different messages in the media
(Taylor, 2012). The cultivation theory states that those who spend more time watching
television are more likely to perceive the real world in ways that reflect the recurrent messages
on television (Morgan & Shanahan, 2010).
The method to collect the data was face-to-face, semi-structured, and audio-recorded
interviews with teenagers. The participants were American University college students aged 18
to 19 years old. The interviews were taken on campus at American University in Washington,
DC. Mental illness is not a topic normally discussed among teenagers and negative attitudes
are normally associated toward people with mental illness. It is important that participants can
speak openly about the topic and not feel ridiculed or ashamed for their feelings. Participants
will have the opportunity to enhance their media literacy skills and improve their ability to think
critically, analyze, and evaluate media.
The majority of research that exists on mental refers to the stigmatization of adults
with mental illness (Hinshaw, 2005). Limited research has been conducted on teenagers’
perception of mental illness and stigmatization surrounding mental illness (Chandra &
Minkovitz, 2006; Hinshaw, 2005; Watson, Miller & Lyons, 2005). It is important to conduct
additional research on this relevant topic that has increasingly become a topic of discussion in
the mainstream media. Mental illness seems to affect more teenagers as they become aware
of mental illness in others as well as acknowledging their own struggles and their need for
personal help.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
The following section will define stigma and perception, discuss the theoretical
framework of cultivation theory, and focus on relevant articles regarding (a) media portrayals of
mental illness (b) perception and stigma surrounding mental illness and (c) celebrities influence
on teenagers. All the areas focus on media involvement and the impact on representation,
perception and teenagers responses to mental illness. The research attempts to provide an
understanding of the relationship between media coverage of celebrities with mental illness
and teenagers’ perceptions of people with mental illness. The research concludes with the
limitations found in this study, suggestions for future research and communication strategies
for reaching teenagers regarding mental illness.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
LITERATURE REVIEW
PERCEPTION AND STIGMA SURROUNDING MENTAL ILLNESS
Stigma: The mental health field faces a negative stigma against mental illness from the
public (Hinshaw, 2005). Public stigma is defined as, “negative social behavior reactions,
attitudes, and beliefs directed toward people with mental illness and among people with
mental illness” (Kranke, Floersch, Kranke, & Munson, 2011, p. 893). Mental illness suffers
stigmatization when people associate mental illness behaviors as dangerous and violent
(Hinshaw, 2005). Stigma harms people with mental illness, diminishes their self-esteem, and
robs them of social opportunities (Corrigan, 2004). Not only do individuals with a mental illness
face stigmatization from the public, they also face stigmatization from their family and friends.
People place importance on the opinions of their family and friends regarding mental
illness (Eisenberg, Downs, Golberstein & Zivin, 2009). Teenagers are less likely to ask for help or
actively engage in treatment for mental illness because of the negative stereotypes and hostile
environment (Corrigan, 2004; Wahl, 2003). Teenagers keep their mental illness and medications
a secret to protect themselves from social teasing, labeling and taunting (Kranke D., Floersch,
Kranke B. & Munson, 2011; Corrigan, 2004). Teenagers believe that parents will not
acknowledge if their child needs help nor seek treatment for them (Chandra & Minkovitz,
2007). Parents are often blamed and criticized for their teenager’s mental illness, which limits
teens effectively getting help (Chandra & Minkovitz, 2007; Hinshaw, 2005). Therefore, family
stigma prevents discussion with their children about mental illness and limits important
preventive benefits (Hinshaw, 2005; Chandra & Minkovitz, 2007). Encouraging family
discussions about mental illness early in life can create a supportive atmosphere for children
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
and teenagers to ask for help. (Gladstone & Beardslee, 2001). Media’s negative portrayal of
mental illness strengthens this stigmatization. Concurrently, as more celebrities discuss their
own struggles with mental illness in the media, the stigma lessens and it may become more
acceptable for teenagers to discuss their own struggles with mental illness.
Perception: A person’s perception of mental illness develops based on the images
portrayed in the media (Caputo & Rouner, 2011). Teenagers learn from those images and then
respond to people with mental illness in disparaging ways (Caputo & Rouner, 2011; Wahl,
2003). Teenagers tend to avoid and seek to distance themselves from people diagnosed with a
mental illness (Wahl, 2002, 2003).
Media images encourage insensitivity and lack of empathy (Wahl, 2003). Teenagers
perceive characters with mental illness as unattractive and more negatively than characters
without a mental illness (Wahl, 2003). They also labeled them as crazy and distanced
themselves from those individuals. (Wahl, 2002, p. 147). Teenagers use labels that were
developed by their peers and refer to those labels as socially acceptable (Wahl, 2002).
Understanding the different labels used to define mental illness will determine if media
messaging speaks to teenagers that is relatable and understandable (Wahl, 2002). Teenagers
might not know the definition of mental illness but they have an established negative idea and
description of people with mental illness (Wahl, 2002).
Chandra and Minkovitz (2007) found that students who had a negative perception of
mental illness provided images that referenced “psychos” or “straitjackets.” Teenagers’ said
they would probably avoid a peer with a mental illness (Chandra & Minkovitz, 2007). Teenagers
gain insight about mental health service through their community such as school staff and
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
parents (Chandra & Minkovitz, 2007). Chandra and Minkovitz’s (2007) in-depth interviews with
eighth grade students determined their attitude toward mental illness and how those views
were shape. It was suggested that more research needs to be conducted on how teenagers
interpret the message and then communicate their thoughts with their parents, school staff
and peers (Chandra & Minkovitz, 2007). Changing the images and messages regarding mental
illness can help reduce teenager’s perception on mental illness.
Children and teenagers: Teenagers are more vulnerable to the influence of mass media
because their perception of the world is still developing (Wahl, 2003). “The depictions in
children’s media also lay the groundwork for the persistent adult fears, avoidance, and
disrespect that are central to continued stigma and discrimination toward people with mental
illnesses” (Wahl, 2003, p. 256). Teenagers learn disparaging behavior and offensive slang from
the media (Wahl, 2003). Labels often used are “crazy” and “emotionally disturbed” (Wahl,
2003).
Research shows that negative attitudes about mental illness are established early but
knowledge may increase with age (Fox, Buchanan-Barrow & Barrett, 2008; Wahl, 2002, 2003).
Negative attitudes are established in childhood (Wahl, 2002, 2003). Teenager’s knowledge and
awareness of mental illness increase with age (Fox, Buchanan-Barrow & Barrett, 2008; Wahl,
2002, 2003). Fox, Buchanan-Barrow & Barrett (2008) found that “younger children tended to
respond that anorexia nervosa was caused by drugs, whereas older children were more likely to
respond that it was caused by not eating properly” (p.16). Younger children often confuse
mental illness with physical illness while older children understand mental illness and the
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
causes and treatments of the various disorders (Chandra & Minkovitz, 2007; Fox, BuchananBarrow & Barrett, 2008, 2010; Wahl, 2002).
In addition, men and women perceive and treat people with mental illness differently.
Women tend to have greater compassion and acceptance for people with mental illness,
whereas men are less sympathetic (Fox, Buchanan-Barrow & Barrett, 2007; Wahl, 2002, 2003).
Men continue to maintain more negative attitudes towards mental illness than women and are
less likely to care if individuals receive help for their mental illness (Watson, Miller & Lyon,
2005).
In terms of racial and ethnic differences, “white students tended to have less concern
than their nonwhite peers about getting a mental illness and the use of mental illness labels to
control people who are different” (Watson, Miller & Lyon, 2005, p.771). White students were
more to believe that people with mental illness could get better (Watson, Miller & Lyon, 2005).
They believed that individuals with mental illness could get better if they just tried hard
enough, had enough love, or were prescribed medication (Watson, Miller & Lyon, 2005).
However, non-white parents were less likely to seek mental health assistance for their children
(Chandra & Minkovitz, 2007, p.770). “African-American parents are generally less accepting
than white parents and would prefer if their child sought help from church rather than from a
mental health professional” (Chandra & Minkovitz, 2007, p.770). Asian participants also
responded that their parents would react negatively if they needed mental health assistance
(Chandra & Minkovitz, 2007). Watson, Miller and Lyons (2005) findings were similar to other
research on gender and teenagers view on mental illness. Research has shown that mental
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
illness was not restricted to any particular race or color. They reported any celebrity that
appeared to display behaviors of mental illness were then labeled as mentally ill.
MEDIA PORTRAYAL OF MENTAL ILLNESS
The media does not portray individuals with a mental illness in a positive manner or as
productive, functioning members of society. People learn about mental illness and the success
of treatment through the media’s depictions of mental health disorders (Jamieson P., Romer &
Jamieson K., 2006). Television does little to convince the public that people can recover or
become productive members of society (Stuart, 2006). Entertainment and news media provide
overwhelmingly dramatic and distorted images of mental illness that emphasize
dangerousness, criminality and unpredictability (Stuart, 2006; Wahl, 2003). Characters with
mental illnesses tend to be unattractive, typically fail in life, are ridiculed by others and seldom
benefit from treatment and are someone to fear (Wahl, 2003). In addition, characters with
mental disorders are filmed differently showing their isolation from others (Stuart H, 2006).
Isolating characters with mental illness sends a message that they are abnormal and should be
excluded from society (Stuart, 2006). People are very uncomfortable with psychiatric
treatment that involve involuntary confinement, electroshock therapy, and psychosurgery
based on the negative images portrayed in the past (Stuart H, 2006). The message about
mental illness has not changed much over the years. More television shows now include
characters with a mental illness. However, they are still primarily portrayed in a negative
context and as having difficulty functioning.
Lang, Nadorff, Shin, Gantz and Angelini (2006) conducted a content analysis from a
week of television programming from the top ten broadcasting channels and cable networks
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
regarding mental illness content. The top ten channels and networks examined were; ABC,
NBC, CBS, FOX, TNT, ESPN, CNN, Nickelodeon, MTV and Univision (Lang, Nadorff, Shin, Gantz &
Angelini, 2006). Characters with mental illness are seen before and during the primetime hours
of 8:00 to 11:00 pm (Lang, Nadorff, Shin, Gantz & Angelini, 2006). Because of this, both
younger children and teenagers watch television shows which negatively portray characters
with a mental illness as bad, failures and who are likely to commit violent acts (Lang, Nadorff,
Shin, Gantz and Angelini, 2006). Most are not able to discern between fact and fiction; what is
accurate and what is dramatized for television.
Lang, Nadorff, Shin, Gantz and Angelini (2006) study found the following:
The network whose programming featured the most slang terms (crazy, idiot, moron,
etc.) was MTV. That network had 144 mentions out of 220 programs (65.5%). The next
highest number of slang uses was found on TNT with 84 uses out of 151 programs
(55.6%). FOX also had slang in over fifty percent of its programming with 132 uses out
of 247 programs (53.4%) (p.11).
MTV is the leading entertainment brand providing innovative programming for youth in
the United States (MTV Press, para.1). MTVs primary viewers are 13 to 17 years old and are
eager to watch shows that entertain and inform them on the latest fashion trends, music video,
and social media (Viacom, 2013). MTVs target audience has an established voice on social
media such as Twitter, Tumbler and Instagram (Viacom, 2013). Most youth-oriented
programming show little representation of mental illness. However, some of the shows geared
to teenagers use derogatory slag terms such as “crazy,” “idiot,” and “moron” regarding mental
illness (Lang, Nadorff, Shin, Gantz & Angelini, 2006). Social media connects teenagers to the
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
world. Spreading the message about mental illness is quicker using social media. MTVs choice
of words has a powerful influence on how teenagers perceive the world and their own place
within that world (Jevtic, 2011).
Better depictions of mental illness in the entertainment industry can help viewers
understand mental illness and that treatment is possible. Several popular television shows such
as “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and “Criminal Minds” regularly depict
characters with mental illness. The NBC syndicated television show “Law & Order” deals with
crime, mental illness and the law. The beginning of the show focuses on the crime, news
coverage and the investigation (Gans & Wardle, 2003). The second part of the show analyzes
the motivation behind the person who committed the crime (Gans & Wardle, 2003). The
plotlines for the show are created from current events covered in mainstream media (Gans &
Wardle, 2003). It helps viewer’s keep an open mind about media messaging and engages
conversation regarding current topic. “Law & Order” makes a point not to label characters with
a mental illness (Gans & Wardle, 2003). The show has recurring psychiatric advisors who
interact with the criminals and officers (Gans & Wardle, 2003). The psychiatric advisors help
inform viewers the thought process behind the crime instead of directly labeling the character
with a mental illness (Gans & Wardle, 2003). The show also exposes the weaknesses and flaws
in the justice system regarding the ability to handle mentally ill criminals (Gans & Wardle,
2003). In addition, “episodes explore the concern that psychologists may be duped by a
defendant who is able to present a convincing display of mental illness” (Gans & Wardle, 2003).
The depictions shows mental illness does not always equate to a violent or criminal action.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
The same writers and producers who wrote “Law & Order” developed the spin off series
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” However, the show also focuses on the detectives’
personal lives as they solve crimes surrounding sexually based offenses. Like their counterpart,
they do not directly label characters with a mental illness and they confer with psychiatric
advisors. One of the main characters has both a mother and a daughter with bipolar disorder.
The show highlights the loving, supportive relationship between family members and their
interactions with them. Throughout the seasons, the show discusses the daughter’s initial
struggle with the disorder, diagnosis, effective treatment, and then life as a functioning,
independent member of society. The detective’s co-workers are shown as supportive and
understanding. Thus, emphasizing the importance of a support system when having a family
member with a mental illness.
Another show, “Criminal Minds,” focuses on a group of FBI profilers that consult on
cases involving the most sadistic serial killers (Cyman, 2011). Based on the show’s popularity,
they have the ability to reach a large audience regarding mental illness. During each episode, a
majority of the criminals are labeled with a mental health disorder (Clyman, 2011).
Unfortunately, its message is that people who commit such violent crimes must have a mental
illness. The show also attempts to inform their audience about mental illness through one of
the main characters, Dr. Reid, who has a schizophrenic mother (Clyman, 2011). In early
episodes, he is compassionate and visits his mother who has been committed to a mental
health institution (Clyman, 2011). However later on, he distances himself because he is fearful
that he will become schizophrenic like his mother (Clyman, 2011). Shows like “Criminal Minds”
may put individuals at an increased risk of not seeking treatment and/or using inappropriate
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
behaviors to cope with mental illness based on the media's characterization of mental illness
and the ineffectiveness of treatment (Jamieson P., Romer & Jamieson K., 2006).
The television show “Perception” on TNT depicts a schizophrenic professor of
neuroscience and FBI consultant as a functioning member of society without taking
medications. The main character, “has chosen to go off his medication, maintain a job, educate
his students, reason with his hallucinations and even have hot students throw themselves as
him” (Kaye, 2012, para. 4). The show’s creator and leading actor talked with law professor, Dr.
Elyn Saks, about her experience being diagnosed with schizophrenia as a student and her book
titled, “The Center Cannot Hold” (Huffington Post, 2012). “Perception” tries to develop a
character that is highly successful due to his diagnosis (Kaye, 2012). However, the portrayal
does little to educate realistically about the diagnosis (Kaye, 2012). The National Institute of
Mental Health reported that 1.1 percent of United States adult population is diagnosed with
schizophrenia (Regier, Narrow, Manderscheid, Locke & Goodwin, 1993). Among the diagnosed,
60 percent have used some sort of a healthcare service (Regier, Narrow, Manderscheid, Locke
& Goodwin, 1993). Developing a hero/character with a mental illness is encouraging but in this
case very unrealistic. A more helpful portrayal would have been to have the character receive
proper medication and treatment and function as a professor rather than solving crimes based
on his hallucinations. While media uses television actors to portray mental illness, media also
publicizes the personal diagnosis of the mental illness of many famous and talented people.
Famous singer, Amy Winehouse had a drug and alcohol addiction until her death in
2009. College-aged students described their perception of her increased popularity at the time
of her death and the media coverage regarding her additions (Shaw, Whitehead & Giles, 2010).
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
The participants described Winehouse as unable to cope with a rock-and-roll lifestyle (Shaw,
Whitehead & Giles, 2010). However, Winehouse’s behavior might have earned her press
coverage and contributed to her ability to become a music legend with the current teenage
population (Shaw, Whitehead & Giles, 2010). She did not shy away from her drug and alcohol
addiction even writing a song titled “I Don’t Want to Go to Rehab” (Shaw, Whitehead & Giles,
2010). Some celebrities are not willing to talk to the media about their diagnosis. Their ability
to speak out could in fact include fear that media and fans will reject them and no longer willing
to support their career. Many other celebrities keep quiet about their diagnosis much as the
ordinary public for the similar reasons of ridicule, rejection, and loss of livelihood.
In August 2013, Lee Thompson Young most recognized for his work as the lead character
in Disney’s “The Famous Jett Jackson” committed suicide at 29 years old. When Young did not
show up for work, coworkers called the landlord who found Young dead of a self-inflicted gun
shoot wound to the head (US Weekly, 2013). It is natural to feel sympathy and great sorrow for
someone who died and suffered alone. According to US Weekly, Young had a history with
bipolar disorder (US Weekly, 2013). “Lithium capsules and Quetiapine Fumarte tablets were
found both at his residence and detected in his blood” (US Weekly, 2013, para.3). Both of these
medications are used to treat bipolar and depression (US Weekly, 2013). Young did not speak
publicly about his mental illness nor did the media know about his condition until his passing
(US Weekly, 2013). Had the media’s portrayal of mental illness over the years not been so
negative Young might have chosen to educate his young viewers about mental illness more
accurately and more positively. Perhaps he could have increased his viewer’s compassion and
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
acceptance of people with mental illness. However, he chose to suffer alone and not face
public ridicule.
The media, celebrities, and fans seemed sympathetic toward Young’s passing when the
Los Angeles County Coroner reported that no traces of drugs or alcohol were found in his
system. Unlike Young, mixed media messages surrounded the death of Academy Award
winner, Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman spoke openly about his drug and alcohol abuse and
was sober for 23 years before he died of a heroin overdose in January 2014 (New York Daily
Times, 2014). Famous actor, Jared Padalecki commented on Hoffman’s death via twitter.
Padelecki wrote, “Sad isn't the word I'd use to describe a 46-year-old man throwing his life
away to drugs…senseless' is more like it…Stupid” (New York Daily Times, 2014, para. 2-3)
Padalecki quickly deleted the commented after people criticized his reaction as too soon and
not sympathetic (New York Daily Times, 2014). Padalecki was not alone. Singer Sara Barillas
also used Twitter to express her feelings saying, “Drugs are f--king lame and false and take
beauty away from the world... and anyone who tells you different is just plain wrong” (New
York Daily Times, 2014, para 7). Celebrities that received criticism for their belief might have
seen this as an opportunity to discuss the disease and prevention. It was known that Hoffman
was diagnosed with depression and instead of receiving ongoing treatment, he self-medicated.
Again, how media report celebrities’ mental illness and their life impacts celebrities ability to
seek treatment and speak publicly about mental illness.
Media outlets such as MSN and TMZ reported that the famous singer, Chris Brown, was
diagnosed with bipolar disorder, severe insomnia, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Brown
began his public display of aggression in 2009 when he assaulted then girlfriend Rihanna (TMZ,
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
2014). He continued to gain public attention for violent outbursts towards his mother and
others, drug abuse, hospitalization and court appearance regarding his probation (TMZ, 2014).
With his recent diagnoses, celebrity gossip blog TMZ stated that bipolar, severe insomnia and
PTSD triggering his anger issues (TMZ, 2014). Thus, implying that he would have not committed
such violent actions if he was diagnosed and treated earlier.
In 2012, famous actress and former Nickelodeon star, Amanda Bynes made media
headlines for her erratic behavior. Amanda Bynes did not speak publicly about her problems.
Thus, leaving the media to speculate and spread rumors as to why she was acting out of
character. “When celebrities deny treatment or live self-destructive lifestyles, the public is
impacted differently” (Jayanthikumar & Muller, 2013, para. 8). Media outlets such as People,
ABC News, and Huffington Post reported on her behavior saying that Bynes was another child
star gone bad. The media began displaying signs of sympathy after Bynes was, “forced to
undergo a 5150, an involuntary psychiatric hold, after she allegedly started a small fire on an
elderly woman’s driveway” (Page Six, 2013, para. 1). She was diagnosed with a mental health
disorder and now receives effective medication and treatment to reintegrate her into society as
an independent, functioning member (Page Six, 2013). There have been many famous actors,
politicians, artists, musicians, and people in society with mental illness that have made
tremendous contributions to our society. Yet with the overall negative message by the media
about mental illness, most choose to remain silent and hope that the public never knows about
their condition. Overall, the public continues to remain uninformed and uneducated about
mental illness.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
CELEBRITIES INFLUENCE ON TEENAGERS
Parasocial relationships are growing between teenagers and celebrities due to the
increase of social media platforms (Find a Psychologist, 2014). Parasocial relationship is
defined as, “one-sided relationships, where one person extends emotional energy, interest and
time and the other party, the persona, is completely unaware of the other’s existence” (Find a
Psychologist, 2014, para. 1). Teenagers’ perceived relationships with celebrities could grow
even though interaction is non-reciprocal (Chia & Poo, 2008). “The more teenagers consumed
media content on their celebrity idol the more likely they will build a relationship with their
idol” (Chia & Poo, 2008). This means that the consumption of celebrity-related media can
increase teenagers' intense-personal feelings regarding celebrity idols and that their intensepersonal feelings drives them to consume more celebrity-related media content (Chia & Poo,
2008).
Media’s influence on people with mental illness depends on how people perceive the
person affected with a mental illness, independent from themselves (Hoffner and Cohen, 2012).
Hoffner and Cohen (2012) looked at parasocial relationships regarding obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD) and the television show “Monk.” The television show focused on a detective
who has an obsessive-compulsive disorder (Hoffner and Cohen, 2012). ““Monk” affected
mental illness stigma through parasocial attachment, perceived influence of the program on
others, as well as the self may be equally important” (Hoffner and Cohen, 2012, p.623).
Hoffner and Cohen conducted an online survey with series fans and found the following:
A stronger parasocial relationship to Monk was associated with lower OCD stereotypes
and less desired social distance from people with OCD. Perceived influence of Monk on
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
respondents' own and others' attitudes toward OCD was related to behavioral and
psychological outcomes, including willingness to seek and disclose mental health
treatment and perceived self-esteem benefit. (p.650)
Thus showing a parasocial relationship might reduce mental illness stigma in media (Hoffner
and Cohen, 2012).
Social media has created a platform for celebrities to connect with their fans and engage
in conversation. Twitter is a social media platform that allows celebrities to talk with people
without giving access to their personal information (Stever & Lawson, 2011). Celebrities do not
have to reply to a tweet that a fan has posted and can delete information that is not
appropriate (Stever & Lawson, 2011). The majority of celebrities that use social media such as
Twitter use the platform to discuss serious and meaningful topics (Stever & Lawson, 2011).
These topics can have an impact on fans that wish to participant in conversation (Stever &
Lawson, 2011). “Twitter appears to be a new forum for parasocial interaction that allows for
the possibility that fans, both individually and as a group might become better known to the
celebrities whom they follow” (Stever & Lawson, 2011, p.2). Twitter and other social media
sites allow fans to feel that they are engaged in an intimate conversation with the celebrity
(Stever & Lawson, 2011). “Twitter is used to communicate about serious matters of some
concern to them” (Stever & Lawson, 2011, p. 8).
An increase in social media has also shown a decrease in personal interactions.
“Adolescents who watch more television, spend more time playing on a computer, and spend
less time reading and doing homework are more likely to report poor attachment to parents”
(Richards, McGee, Williams, Welch & Hancox, 2010, p. 262). Therefore, celebrities take more of
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
an important role in adolescents’ lives and fulfill the parental role (Giles & Maltby, 2004).
Celebrities have become a main influence on how teenagers perceive and interpret media
messages.
Adults are also more likely to seek advice from a television and/or a social media
personality rather than seeking professional treatment (Rasmussen & Ewoldsen, 2013). Dr. Phil
and Psychology Today have become popular media sources on mental health issues among 18
to 54 year olds (Rasmussen & Ewoldsen, 2013). Information on mental health is made
accessible and understandable through both venues. Unfortunately, with the different terms
and images overlapping to define different mental illnesses, people are self-diagnosing,
diagnosing improperly or are left questioning if they have a mental illness rather than paying for
professional treatment (Rasmussen & Ewoldsen, 2013).
Even though these venues attempt to educate and provide information about mental illness
there are still mixed messages about how the information is perceived when celebrities admit
seeking treatment.
Fauteux, McKelvie, and De Man (2008) investigated the perception of the general public
and college students on the perception of celebrities who sought treatment for mental health
issues. “Contrary to expectation, their attitudes were not more positive after exposure”
(Fauteux, McKelvie & De Man, 2008, p. 385). Unlike, women who displayed more sympathy,
men did not respond positively to celebrities seeking treatment (Fauteux, McKelvie & De Man,
2008). Men felt celebrities should not get help due to the negative stigma (Fauteux, McKelvie &
De Man, 2008). In addition, the research speculated that, “men might find it inappropriate for
successful sport performers to seek psychological assistance to further develop their skill, and
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
then generalized this negative attitude to stigmatize seeking help for mental health” (Fauteux,
McKelvie & De Man, 2008, p.393). Therefore, celebrity influence is not always interpreted
positively and providing the public with general information about mental illness can be
ineffective (Fauteux, McKelvie & De Man, 2008). It appears that the media must be strategic
about which celebrities speak out about their mental illness. Based on their popularity they can
educate the public and gain support and acceptance for individuals with mental illness.
Chico and Rifon (2012) support the claim that celebrity endorsements are popular and
sell products due to their stardom and visible presence (2012). Celebrities are good endorsers
when they are perceived as credible based on their attractiveness, expertise and
trustworthiness (Spry, Pappu & Cornwell, 2011). These celebrities are easily recognized and
attract attention from consumers in advertisements (Choi & Rifon, 2012). Celebrities produce
positive attitudes and behavioral responses toward advertisements and brands (Choi & Rifon,
2012). People are more likely to become attached to a brand based on levels of satisfaction,
trust and commitment (Thompson, 2006). It is harder for people to engage and listen to a
celebrity speaker when negative attitudes surround the brand or celebrity (Thompson, 2006).
Therefore, the media and organizations must carefully select a celebrity that fits their brand’s
position and is relevant to the target audience (Thompson, 2006).
Celebrity activism: MTV is a leading entertainment brand that partnered with the
famous actress, Brittany Snow, for the “Love is Louder” project (Love is Louder, 2013). The
“Love is Louder” project targets 13 to 17 year-olds and its mission is to raise awareness that,
“love and support are louder than any internal or external voice that bring us down” (Love is
Louder, 2013, para. 1). Famous pop-singer, Kesha, joined the “Love is Louder” movement to
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
draw attention toward the effects of bullying. Celebrities such as Pete Wentz, Danielle Fishel
and Sophia Bush all work with “Love is Louder” using social media to address issues like
bullying, negative self-image, discrimination, loneliness and depression (Love is Louder 2013).
In addition, several other celebrities helped garner media attention regarding mental health
issues.
Famous singer, Demi Lovato revealed that she was diagnosed with both bipolar and an
eating disorder. Lovato partnered with CAST Recovery to create, “The Lovato Treatment
Scholarship in honor of her dad, Patrick Lovato, who passed away in part due to untreated
mental health and addiction issues” (CAST Recovery Services, 2013, para. 1). In addition, she
speaks openly about her three months in a treatment center in 2010-2011. She spoke on the
Ellen DeGeneres show about her eating disorder stating, “There was nobody out there for me
to look at and say maybe this is unhealthy. I want to be there for a 13-year-old girl at home
deciding whether or not to eat dinner, or an 18-year-old girl deciding whether or not to keep
her breakfast down” (DeGeneres, 2011). Lovato helps create a positive platform for Bipolar.
Other celebrities have openly spoken about living with a mental illness. Jean-Claude
Van Damme, known for his action film “Kickboxer” and a sexy symbol, revealed his struggles
with bipolar disorder (Today News Gazette, 2013). Before he was diagnosed with bipolar, Van
Damme self-medicated and exercised excessively in order to control his moods (Today News
Gazette, 2013). Van Damme struggled with cocaine addiction, rehab, divorce and charges of
spousal abuse and conflicted with the idea of suicide (Today News Gazette, 2013). Van Damme
has faced the difficult times and confronted his mental illness seeking help and spreading
awareness, so people feel comfortable seek treatment. In addition to the above mentioned
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
celebrities many other celebrities have struggled with mental illness and have been highlighted
in the media.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The framework for this research is based on Gerber’s cultivation theory. This theory
does not believe that television viewers have a choice in whether they are affected by media
(Gerbner & Gross, 1976). It states that the more time people spend watching television the
more their concept of reality will reflect what they see on television (Lett, DiPietro, & Johnson,
2004).
Gerbner’s idea is direct and asserts that “long-term, ritualistic exposure to fixed stories
with consistent lessons would be expected to mean something to those who consumed them”
(Morgan & Shanhan, 2010, p. 349). He defines heavy viewing as watching four or more hour a
day (Gerbner & Gross, 1976). Similarly, Morgan and Shanahan (2010) state that those who
spend more time watching television are more likely to perceive the real world in ways that
reflect the most common and recurrent messages of the world of fictional television (Morgan &
Shanahan, 2010). Gerbner and Gross enhanced the cultivation theory by focusing on stabilized
audience beliefs and conceptions rather than attitudes or behavior change (Morgan &
Shanahan, 2010). Their theory did not look at behavior change like many other theories but
rather evaluated beliefs and perceptions.
Cultivation theory has three distinct areas of analysis: institutions, messages and the
public (Morgan & Shanahan, 2010). First, the research explores organizations and the decision
making process of the institutions that produce mass-mediated celebrities’ messages on mental
illness (Morgan & Shanahan, 2010). Second, a holistic understanding of the different mental
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
illness messages celebrities cover (Morgan & Shanahan, 2010). Last, the third area of analysis
focuses on how the public perceives and interprets the messages and images that the
institution (celebrities) relay to the public (Morgan & Shanahan, 2010). The media acts as an
outlet where they can gather their thoughts and create their own ideas about mental illness.
Cultivation Theory explores the independent contribution of television viewing to audiences’
conceptions of social reality (Morgan & Shanahan, 2010). Based on message system analysis,
cultivation researchers develop hypotheses about what people would think about various
aspects of ‘‘reality’’ if everything they knew about some issue or phenomenon were derived
from television’s dominant portrayals (Morgan & Shanahan, 2010). Television establishes order
and stabilizes social roles and behaviors (Gerbner & Gross, 1976). According to Gerbner and
Gross (1976, p.181), “the system of messages, with its story-telling functions, makes people
perceive as real and normal and right that which fits the established social order.” It does not
alter, threaten, or weaken conventional conceptions, beliefs, and behaviors nor change
(Gerbner & Gross, 1976). Moreover, television will remain the chief source of repetitive and
ritualized symbol systems cultivating the common consciousness of the most widespread and
diverse mass publics in history (Gerbner & Gross, 1976).
Cultivation theory can have two possible outcomes based on a person’s life experience:
mainstreaming and resonance (Good, 2009). Mainstreaming indicates that an individual with
very different life experiences than television will be more influenced by heavy television
viewing (Good, 2009). If they watch television less, they will be more likely to retain their
different beliefs from the television messages (Good, 2009). Resonance indicates that those
whose life experiences are more similar to the world of television are more susceptible to
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
television messages (Good, 2009). For example, if they have a mental illness or know someone
with a mental illness they may relate to what they see on television.
Television is a very powerful tool. It is a very important and effective means of
electronic communication and is used for entertainment and delivering the latest news and
information (Osman, 2010). Some cultivation theorists have proposed that heavy viewers rely
on television to answer questions about the real world because it is easily accessible to them
((Shrum, Burroughs & Rindfleisch, 2005). Shrum, Burroughs and Rindfleisch (2005) concluded
that audiences use information from television to interpret and construct their perception of
reality. “Current research suggests that values judgment may in fact be influenced by television
viewing during the encoding process” (Shrum, Burroughs & Rindfleisch, 2005, p. 15).
Individuals receive subliminal messages about particular issues or individuals without realizing
that their perception and judgments have been influenced. For example, people that pay
attention while watching television will be more influenced by the messages than people who
are distracted (i.e. talking on their phone or using the television as background noise) who will
be less influenced and informed by the media than others (Shrum, Burroughs & Rindfleisch,
2005).
Cultivation theory is the most applicable to collecting information about teenagers’
perception of mental illness in the media. It uses different methods of data collection; face-toface surveys, telephone surveys, and self-administered surveys (Shrum, 2007). Processing
information in order to provide a satisfactory response is a type of heuristic process (cognitive
shortcuts) (Shrum, 2007). Respondents with lower education were found to be more satisfied
with their responses than respondents with higher education who wanted to process
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
information more thoroughly (Shrum, 2007). Time pressure increases the use of heuristic
processing (Shrum, 2007). Data collected during face-to-face interviews is found to be more
accurate than data collected under time pressure using heuristic processing (Shrum, 2007).
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
METHODS
Overview: The method to collect the data was face-to-face, semi-structured and audiorecorded interviews with teenagers. In order to capture the participants’ body language and
the environment, handwritten notes were taken both during and after the interview. There
were twelve participants, six men and six women, who were American University college
students 18 to 19 years old. Face-to-face interviews were conducted asking participants their
thoughts on celebrities influence on teenagers, media portrayal of mental illness, perception
and stigma surrounding mental illness. The interviews took place at American University in
private study rooms.
Face-to-face interviews create a camaraderie between the interviewer and participants
(Irvine, 2011). Teenagers are more courageous and willing to share information in person
(Vogl, 2013). Face-to-face interviews make it easier to gain consent and verify their age (Vogl,
2013). The interviewer is able to interpret and record the participants’ body language toward a
question, understand their perception of mental illness and if they misinterpreted the question
(Vogl, 2013).
Participants: Participants attend American University located in Washington, DC.
American University is a private, co-educational, liberal arts curriculum, doctoral institution and
Methodist affiliate (American University, 2013). Roughly, 6,700 undergraduate and 3,500
graduate students are currently enrolled (American University, 2013). The participants included
six women and six men. The participants were freshman and sophomore students’ and were 18
to 19 years-old. Five women and four men self-identified as white/Caucasian. One women and
one men self-identified as black/African American. One men self-identified as Hispanic/Latino.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
Recruitment: The recruitment process took two days. Students were asked to
participate in the research between 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the American University campus at
both the Bender Library and Mary Graydon Center. The Mary Graydon Center has several
campus life departments, meeting rooms and food service locations (American University,
2013). It was an ideal location to recruit participants because it welcomed students from
various departmental backgrounds. The interviewer approached potential participants and
asked their age and if they would like to take part in the research study. Potential participants
were given a general overview of the research. The potential participants and interviewers
exchanged phone numbers. Interviews were arranged via text message on personal cell
phones. Participants signed a consent form the day of the interview. Once the consent form
was signed, it was stored in a secure folder.
Interviews: The interviews took place in an academic setting during regular school
hours. Participants’ interviews were arranged according to their academic and work schedules.
Interviews took place in a study room located in the Bender Library. The study room was
located on the first floor of the library and was easily accessible to participants. The study room
was not located near classrooms so students in the library or hallways did not distract the
participants. During the interview, the door remained closed so participants’ answers were
private. A sign was placed on the door saying, “Interview in session, please remain quite.”
Measurement: Participants took part in one 30-mintue, face-to- face, audio-recorded,
semi-structured interview. It was important that the interviews did not conflict with their
academic schoolwork. Therefore, the interviews occurred during participants’ free period. The
interviews discussed participants’ thoughts on celebrities’ influence on teenagers, media
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
portrayal of mental illness, perception and stigma surrounding mental illness. Participants were
asked to complete a demographic questionnaire after the interview.
The items used for the interview were derived from previous studies regarding mental
illness and teenagers’ perception. Questions regarding celebrities seeking treatment, attitudes
regarding purchasing and interacting with celebrities were asked. The following questions
about mental illness were from Moses’ (2010) research on teenagers diagnosed with mental
illness and stigmatization by the American public. “Most teens would not want to hang out
with somebody that has emotional/ behavioral issues,” “Did some friends reject you after they
found out you were in treatment,” and “There is no reason for a person to hide the fact that he
or she is receiving treatment for emotional or behavioral issues.”
In addition, questions involving media, celebrities and fans were developed based on
Chia and Poo’s (2009) research on teenagers’ involvement with celebrities, entertainmentsocial values, intense-personal feelings and borderline-pathological tendencies. The following
questions about mental illness were from Chia and Poo’s (2009) research. “I enjoy watching,
reading or listening to my favorite celebrity” and “Learning the life story of my favorite celebrity
is a lot of fun.”
Data analysis: It was expected that new categories and themes would emerge from the
data and fulfill new communication approaches on mental illness. Thematic analysis was used
to understand participates’ knowledge of mental illness regarding their perception, interactions
and relationships with mental health disorders. Themes were determined based on:
recurrence, repetition and forcefulness (Keyton, 2010). Recurrence focused on the meaning of
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
the messages, not similar words, or phrases. (Keyton, 2010). Repetition explored the key
words, phrases or sentences (Keyton, 2010).
Hand-written notes were taken after each interview. This helped identify if the research
questions needed to be changed. Hand-written notes included main ideas that the participants
discussed in the interview and their body language. After the interviews were completed the
audio-recordings were transcribed and analyzed using color-coding and Nvivo. Participants’
answers were coded by themes.
Consent: The interviewer gave the consent form to the participants to sign just prior to
the interview when they entered the study room. It was determined that the participants
understood the information presented based on the conversation and questions prior to the
interview. The interviewer informed the participant that, “I would be happy to read the
consent form to you or you can read it quietly to yourself.” Prior to starting the interview, the
interviewer asked the participants if they had any questions. If the participant had additional
questions, the interviewer’s contact information was listed on the bottom of form. One women
participant, Lucy, and one man participant, Nick, requested to read the final report. Both were
interested in their peer’s perception of mental illness and wanted to know more about mental
illness.
All students spoke English and the interview was similar to a discussion that the
participants would have in class about media representation of celebrities with mental illness.
Literacy and language problems did not affect the consent form. The students were at college
level reading and had the ability to understand the process.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
Privacy and data storage: The participants were assigned pseudonym names when the
interviews were transcribed. The interviewer’s computer was password protected and was the
only one that had access to the files. Hand-written notes were shredded after they were
transcribed to a computer file. In addition, the data was stored on a thumb drive for safety
measures and was stored in a secure location. The thumb drive was only used for this research
and was not accidentally confused for another class or work assignment. Consent forms were
stored in a secure folder also.
Ethical concerns: The research focused on the relationship between media coverage of
celebrities with mental illness and teenagers’ perceptions of people with mental illness. The
interview presented minimal risk and participants were made aware they could stop the
interview at any time. There was no penalty for not completing the interview.
Mental illness is a sensitive topic and can evoke emotions that are not previously
present. Mental illness is not a topic normally discussed among teenagers. Negative attitudes
are normally associated towards people with mental illness. It is important that teenagers can
speak openly about the topic and not feel ridiculed or ashamed for their feelings.
The interviewer was prepared to handle any possible strong emotional reactions to the
interview questions. However, no participant showed a strong response other than an interest
in the research results. The interviewer remained calm, professional, and gave no indication of
expression or comment whether the interviewer agreed or disagreed with their responses. The
interviewer taught special education in Prince William County during the 2012-2013 academic
school year. The class the interviewer taught consisted of students with intellectual disabilities
who had physical, emotional, and intellectual needs outside the realm of the regular education
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
setting. If a participant self-identified as having a mental illness the interviewer was prepared
to refer him/her to the “Academic Support and Access Center.” Participants had access to
Master’s learning specialists and academic support counselors at American University
(American University, 2013).
Credibility: The participants in this study represented both genders and the major
ethnicities of the general population (African American, Latino, and Caucasian) to ensure that
transferability was achieved. To ensure that credibility was achieved the interviewer asked
some questions in two different formats (i.e. “When you hear the term mental illness what
does that mean to you?” and “How would you define mental illness?”). Hand-written notes
were taken after each interview to determine if changes were necessary to make the question
more clear. However, no changes were needed by the participants. All questions were clearly
understood.
In addition, participant were asked questions in the same order. Open-ended questions
were used to avoid interviewer bias and allowed participants to provide candid responses. The
questions were generic and gathered from previous studies on mental illness. The questions
could be asked to the same participants at different times (i.e. prior to Spring break and after
Spring break) and their responses would be the same. The interviewer understood that a
participant could be having a bad day (i.e. not feeling well, problems at home, etc.) which might
impact his/her responses to the questions.
The interviewer took notes during the interview regarding the participants’ body
language, willingness to participate in the study, eye contact, etc. The interviewers were audio-
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
recorded in order to avoid the need to interrupt the participant to repeat his/her response and
to accurately record responses.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
FINDINGS
MEDIA DIET
Participants were asked their main source of gathering news and entertainment
information. Participants responded that social media, on-demand, and/or bulletin board sites
were their primary sources. Twitter was the primary social media site for gathering news
information in addition to Facebook and Instagram. Participants favored hard news stations
such as CNN and BBC. On-demand was primarily used by men in order to watch sports and play
videogames. Men reported using bulletin board sites such as Reddit, Dig.com and Buzzfeed.
Both men and women reported spending 1-2 hours daily on social media and television.
An 18 year-old woman, Lucy, stated that she did so in order to procrastinate working on her
homework, “When I don’t want to do homework I go on social media.” Kate stated that in one
class her professors created a Facebook account in order for the students to interact and work
on their class assignments. Encouraging students to interact on a social media site limited them
from personal interaction and hindered their face-to-face communication skills.
The majority of the participants lived on campus and did not have televisions in their
dormitory rooms. Their viewing was restricted to what was already being viewed on the
common television in the lounge. Many participants would then choose to go on-line and watch
what they personally wanted on their Netflix and Hulu accounts. They stated that they would
then binge watch their favorite television shows for several hours. Janice stated that she spent
5-6 hours on social media and television daily.
Bulletin Board sites allowed participants to interact with others and create their own
posts. Participants connected with their friends and family members on Facebook. They found
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
that it was important to keep in touch with friends from their hometown and connect with
other American University students.
DEFINITION OF MENTAL ILLNESS
The American Psychiatric Association is the largest psychiatric organization that
effectively treats people with mental disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
According to the American Psychiatric Association:
A mental disorder is a syndrome characterized by clinically significant
disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that
reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental
processes underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders are usually
associated with significant distress or disability in social, occupational, or other
important activities (2013, p. 20).
During the interviews seven of twelve participants described a person with a mental
illness with phrases such as “did not have a clear mind” Janice, “pestering thoughts” Mark and
“not right with the connection in the brain” Bill. Some of the participants were hesitant to
define mental illness and reiterated that they did not know the exact definition. Both women
and men described mental illness as “the ability to handle a task” Brad, “the effects on
cognitive thinking” Jessica and “the societal impact” Tim. Men reported that prior to the
interview they had not thought about the topic of mental illness. When asked, men defined
mental illness as “someone’s ability to handle a task “Brad, “the inability to perform daily
activities due to a mental illness,” Janice or “if something blocked his/her mental process from
conducting daily tasks” Bill.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
Brad stated, “I don’t know much about the subject. When you do not have a clear mind
and there is something always pestering you and your capabilities are restrained.” Brad
defined mental illness as something that affected the mind and body that was out of the
person’s control. Tim described mental illness in terms of biological and environmental
problems. He stated that, “A person is born with a mental illness or can obtain mental illness”
and “It is the way someone is mentally programmed or raised.” Tim not only believed that a
person could be born with mental illness; he also believed that a person could become mentally
ill based on their life experiences and environment.
Men acknowledged that a person with a mental illness thinks differently but that society
today is more accepting of a person with mental illness. Mark defined mental illness as “The
way a person with mental illness perceives something that does not coincide with the normal in
a culture. I would not consider mental illness as it was perceived in the past and vice versa.” In
other words, Mark believed that a person with a mental illness is now able to function in
society with fewer stigmas. This is accurate to some degree. People with mental illness are
more apt to seek treatment in today’s society. More medications have been developed to treat
mental illness. More people in society are open-minded, compassionate, and accepting of
people with differences. However, the vast majority of people are misinformed based on the
portrayal of mentally ill individuals in the media.
Women more often used the phrases “cognitive thinking” and “societal impact” in their
definitions. Women also defined mental illness as having biological influences. Emily and
Jessica gave clinical definitions using the terms “chemical imbalance” and “chemical signals” in
the brain. This indicated that they had prior experience with mental illness or perhaps knew
40
Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
someone with a mental illness. Jessica stated that she was currently enrolled in a psychology
class so was more knowledgeable on the subject than other students. This could explain her use
of clinical terms to define mental illness.
However, the four women who did not use clinical terms were not aware of the
negative stereotypes and labeling that they used to describe mental illness. They expressed
negative reactions towards people with a mental illness and empathized that public stigma of
mental illness and associated mental illness with disease, disability, and crazy. Lucy and Kate
defined mental illness as what, “makes a person do something out of the norm or what our
society considers the norm,” and as “a disability somebody has that does not allow them to
function like most people do in society” respectively. This indicated that the media and the
societal stigma influenced their belief. Previous research showed that use of such derogatory
terms would limit people with mental illness from acknowledging their problems and
willingness to seek treatment (Corrigan, 2004).
SEEKING TREATMENT
Both men and women stated that they would be more likely to seek treatment if a
celebrity spoke out about mental illness and had actually been in treatment. Sincerity and
honesty of the celebrity was an important factor. Celebrities, without a mental illness, that
spoke out to destigmatize mental illness had a lesser impact.
Tim said:
I think if it is sincere and if it something they actually care about and not something they
look they want to care about. I would be more inclined to listen and do something
about it then if they sound like they are reading off a script and just something today.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
Previous research also reported that the willingness for the participants to speak out
and their reluctance to express opinions seemed to depend on media coverage and the honesty
of a celebrity with the mental illness (Jamieson P., Romer & Jamieson K., 2006).
Agenda setting often linked to cultivation theory suggests that greater media coverage
of an issue the more it resonates with its audience (Jamieson P., Romer & Jamieson K., 2006).
If the media would provide more positive coverage of mental illness needs then there would be
more favorable public acceptance.
Men more often than women did not respond positively to celebrities seeking
treatment. The men were hesitant to believe that the celebrity was correctly informing the
public about their mental illness rather than just using it to gain popularity. Tim and Bill stated
that, “many celebrities that seek treatment often ends badly,” and “they end up in a downward
spiral” respectively. This indicated that men did not have strong notions about mental illness
before the research. Similar to previous research, women show greater compassion and
acceptance for people with mental illness (Watson, Miller & Lyon, 2005). Women were more
influenced by the public and the media about mental illness stigma and labels because they
watched more of the drama shows that portrayed mentally ill characters. From what
participants have said, men were less influenced because they tended to watch more smart
dialogue and sport shows.
LIKELIHOOD OF FRIENDS TO SEEK HELP
In terms of the extent teenagers felt that their friends would seek help if diagnosed with
a mental illness, the majority reported that only some of their friends would make their illness
known. Men and women reported that the primary reason for friends not seeking treatment
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
was public stigma. Teenagers tended to agree that their friends would feel embarrassed,
ashamed, scared to admit their illness and talking to someone would make it worse. Nick
stated, “I would not doubt that if a couple of my friends had a mental illness they would be
scared to admit it and being scared to admit it would be detrimental to them.” Despite
teenagers’ belief that friends would not seek treatment, they also said that they would keep
their own personal diagnosis private and would only tell immediate family or close friends.
Similar to previous research, teenagers believed that if they talked openly about mental illness
they would endure public ridicule and that not all family and/or friends would be supportive
(Hinshaw, 2005; Chandra & Minkovitz, 2007). Two women statements confirmed that belief.
Lucy and Janice agreed that their friends would not seek help if diagnosed with a mental illness.
Lucy stated:
I think they would hide it. Mental illness gets seeded with being crazy like you’re weird,
crazy or dangerous. You might have a mental illness that is not dangerous and because
what is behind the name and has a negative image you would not want to say anything
about it.
Janice stated:
They do not want professional help. They want familiarity. It is almost a sense of defeat
and admitting there is a problem or admitting you/something is different. It isolates you
from hat everyone strives for sub-conscionably or conscionably.
As reported in the literature review, teenagers label mental illness as crazy, weird and
dangerous have started distancing themselves from people with mental illness (Wahl, 2003).
Continued use of these negative terms affects an individual’s willingness to admit their problem
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
and seek treatment. Some men and women stated that they would seek mental help treatment
if they needed it without the influence of the media. However, they felt that their friends
would be more influenced by the media and social stigma and would be less likely to seek
treatment. Perhaps they wanted to appear more informed about the subject to the
interviewer.
Overall, teenagers responded that they would hang out with a person with a mental
illness. Teenagers frequently felt that hanging out with someone with a mental illness was not
part of the friend making process. Men responded more than women that they believed it
would be difficult to hang out with a person diagnosed with a mental illness but did not dismiss
it completely. Brad stated, “I would be hesitant to be friends with someone with a mental
illness. I know there would be some kind of commitment to the friendship, more than an
average friendship. I feel like I am not always 100 percent with friendships.” Clearly
participants wanted to be supportive of their friends but were honest enough to admit that
they would feel uncomfortable to provide the support that they needed.
KNOWN CELEBRITIES WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS
Participates were asked to indicate if they knew a celebrity with a mental illness. In
order to obtain a better understanding of the data participants that named a celebrity were
coded into knowing 1 to 3 celebrities with a mental illness. Some participants stated that they
were unable to name a celebrity with a mental illness. Participants were equally divided
between the two categories. Men reported a higher level of awareness of a celebrity diagnosis,
while women were less likely to report a celebrity with a mental illness. Frequently mentioned
celebrities recalled were Amanda Bynes, Lindsey Lohan, and Gary Busey.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
Brad stated:
The reason we find out about people’s mental illness is because it has been
sensationalized. I could say Lindsey Lohan. Like, People Magazine blow shit out of the
water. Those who have hit their train wreak phase. I feel like the quiet people are more
the mental ill.
Additional celebrities with mental illness do not speak out. They keep it private so that the
media does not exaggerate their illness in order to sell a story. Celebrities are very concerned
about their public image in order to have a successful career.
Some men referred to Gary Busey’s mental status as “erratic behavior” Brad, “speech
impaired” Bill and “actions do not seem normal” Tim. The findings indicated that the
participants were unable to diagnose Gary Busey’s mental illness but account for his unstable
behavior due to media depictions. In 2008, Gary Busey was on Celebrity Rehab in which he
openly discussed his cocaine addiction on “Celebrity Rehab” on VH1. In addition, Busey
suffered extensive head trauma from a motorcycle accident while not wearing a helmet, which
affected his speech (Wahl, 2003). This could explain why participants subconsciously
recognized Busey’s mental status. Busey’s has not been shy speaking out about mental illness
and joined the popular comedy show “Two and a Half Men” as a mental patient. No women
mentioned Gary Busey. Perhaps this was because he is not an attractive celebrity from their
younger generation and is not in a television show that they watched.
Participants that were unable to name a specific celebrity used negative labels such as
“crazy” and “gone crazy.” The term “crazy” was used 24 times during the interviews. Only one
of 23 times was it used by a man. Men and women utilize the same number of social media
45
Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
accounts and spend almost the same amount of time on social media and television. This
indicates that women are selecting television programming that influence their thinking and
exposer to mental illness. Of the 23 times, Janice, used crazy 10 times.
Janice stated:
I do not know of a specific celebrity with a mental disorder that is said in psychology.
Some of them act kind of crazy or have gone crazy. I have heard certain drugs can
trigger or make you have a mental illness.
Half of the participants believed celebrities would make strong spokespeople regarding
mental illness and raising awareness. Teenagers agreed that celebrities are good spokespeople
because of their status and followers. Participants reported that celebrities could raise
awareness, gain attention and inform people. Emily and Jessica were in favor of celebrities
raising awareness of mental illness. Emily stated, “a lot of kids look up to celebrities or public
figures and it can get them more informed about the issue or make them realize it is
important.”
Jessica stated:
I suppose celebrities speaking out about anything even mental illness can be a powerful
thing. They have the opportunity to use their fans. I will use a quote from Spiderman,
‘With great power, comes great responsibility.’ If they can show, they, themselves have
been able to handle things like that then it shows that anybody can.
The participants felt that celebrities had the power to affect individual’s willingness to seek
treatment.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
On the other hand, three men and two women noted that it depends what the celebrity
would say regarding mental illness. Janice said, “It would depend on what they say. I think
they are in the lime light so they should say something important about the issue. I think they
could make an important impact, if they want to.” One of twelve participants reported that the
public would view a celebrity speaking out about mental illness as an excuse for his/her
behavior while performing.
Teenagers’ perception of mental illness depends on media influence on a celebrity with
mental illness. If teenagers are unable to relate to the celebrity with a mental illness than
teenagers start distancing themselves from the celebrity. However, if teenagers were already a
fan of the celebrity before their diagnoses and consume regular media content on their
celebrity than it is likely teenager relationship and understanding of the celebrity will grow.
From what participants have said they build their relationship with a celebrity through social
media and television programming.
FREQUENTLY WATCHED TV SHOWS
Participants listed which television programs that they watched regularly. The common
themes that emerged were animation, drama, smart dialogue and sports. Women reported
watching more drama based television shows than men participants; examples were Bones and
Sherlock. Jessica explained that she and her roommate watched Vampire Diaries because it was
an interesting supernatural show with a dramatic plot. It had a very compelling love triangle
and the characters were very attractive.
Men watched shows with a variety of themes. One 18 year-old man, Nick, watched a
drama titled the “Walking Dead” because he stated that he always loved zombie movies. “It
47
Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
dived into the human nature and that was fascinating. It was such a deep examination of
human nature.” Men were interested in character development and what caused their
behavior vice women that watch drama because of “the drama” and attractive characters.
Other men reported watching smart dialogue and sports. Smart dialogue was reported as witty
and clever. Mark said, “I really like John Stewart’s ability to make you laugh and not think. He
can spend 5-mintues making an obscene joke and keep it rated G. Then, have a 40-mintue
conversation with a congressman that raises important questions. The blend between funny
and smart.”
PORTRAYAL OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN TELEVISION
Participants were asked to name television shows that had a character with mental
illness. Three men reported that they did not see a character with mental illness often in
television. Bill said that, “I do not know any television show that portrayed mental illness or
mentioned mental illness as a gift.” The remaining three men reported that mental illness was
portrayed positive in television.
Tim stated:
The main character in the television show “Sherlock” had a mental illness but
that it was a gift. Sherlock was held in high regard because of his mental illness. He had
little feelings and was able to be objective and solve crimes. He was also terrible friend.
Tim further stated that the main character’s mental illness prevented him from relating
to normal people. This gave the main character power to accomplish tasks that others would
find difficult. Tim regarded the character with mental illness as a genius with a gift.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
Women referred to shows that had characters with mental illness negatively. Lucy and
Kate stated that the television show “Bones” portrayed the criminal characters as having a
mental illness. Lucy stated, “Bones mentioned people who were mentally disabled but a lot of
times it was a crazy disease that caused them to kill or they heard voices in their head that told
them to kill.” Kate is an anthropology major, similar to the main character in Bones. She
watched the show from the perspective of investigating the crime rather than the character
who committed the crime. As stated in the literature review, television shows such as “Criminal
Minds” portrayed criminals as having a mental illness. “Criminal Minds” and “Bones” are
categorized as drama television. Such television shows display negative imagery and teenagers
learn to respond to people with mental illness in disparaging ways (Caputo & Rouner, 2011).
Therefore, women responded watching more drama television shows and are likely to use
negative terminology.
MENTAL ILLNESS SEEN MORE IN TELEVISION OR MOVIES
Women stated that they saw mental illness more in movies than in television. When
asked this question they forgot that they had previously responded that the mentally ill
characters on television were criminals. When asked if they could name movies they had seen
characters with mental illness one women listed three movies; “Silver Lining Playbook,” “Girl
Interrupted” and “It’s Kind of a Funny Story.” Similar to the previous question their responses
listed their interest in viewing preferences with more romantic themes and attractive
characters.
On the other hand, men reported the opposite that mental illness was shown more on
television than in movies. In fact, not one of them could name a movie with a mentally ill
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
character. One 18 year-old man, Nick, explained, “Producer’s think that the American people
do not have the palette to take mental illness on a consistent basis.” Tom and Bill said, “I do
not think you see it in movies because a majority of movies are love stories. People and the
main character have to be brave, extremely good looking or intelligent. The women are sane.
In order to play these parts you cannot have anything wrong with you.” This also suggested
that if you had a mental illness that you could not also be brave, good looking or intelligent and
therefore not able to be in movies.
Tom stated that mentally ill characters were seen “More in TV because movies were an
idealized snapshot of society. They represented the ideals in certain situation.” “In a 1 and 1/2
hour romantic comedy, you are not going to delve into their deepest darkest secret. It is less
about the character and the idealized story.” Tom did not believe that movies or television
were the proper medium to educate and enlighten people about mental illness. He felt they
watched for entertainment.
LABELS USED FOR MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE MEDIA
Participants were asked to indicate if they could label/describe characters with mental
illness on television. Men reported negative labels were used less and believed characters were
labeled as normal. Brad said, “Just like regular people, like the shows I watch, “Law and Order
SVU” tries to show them as people. They try to focus on the person and how their lives were
affected by it.” As stated in the literature review, “Law and Order SVU” does not directly label
characters with mental illness and has shown a positive portrayal of mental illness with a family
dynamic. Brad further discussed his reasoning for not noticing negative labels because he does
not believe he watched television shows that portrayed mental illness. Again, the television
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
shows that the men gravitated towards were animated, smart dialogue and sports. Men’s
television viewing habits indicated they were less susceptible to negative references and
images towards mental illness. This did not mean mental illness was not portrayed in the
television program but less frequently than in drama shows. An important finding, a man
believed that mental illness was more common in the “real world” than on television. Nick
said, “I think it is part of real life that is left out. It is a touchy subject that is hard to deal with as
a writer. It is hard to have that character in the program.” In summary, he believed that
scriptwriters had no expertise in mental illness and would not be able to educate the public
accurately.
On the other hand, women reported a higher frequency of negative mental illness
labels on television. Women were more inclined to watch drama which tended to showcase
mental illness characters. Kate and Janice stated that mental illness portrayed negatively on
television. Mental illness is an intriguing topic since it explores how people interact with each
other. From what women have said characters in drama television shows are shown in extreme
situation that are unlike everyday situation. Thus, we can posit that participants could not
relate to the characters and developed a situation in which the characters would exist.
Kate and Janice that, “The person is not necessarily as intelligent, they kind of,
something he can act crazy, even act out of character than normal characters doing. They are
not intelligent, crazy and not normal” and “they are acting sorry for you but in another way
they make you feel like you need to be apart from people; cannot be near people or you need
or you need or be locked up” respectively. Their perception of mental illness was very negative
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
and derogatory. As stated in the literature review characters with mental illness should be
isolated from the larger society.
Throughout the women interviews, some of the participants referred to characters on
television and mental illness as “crazy.” Whereas the men were more inclined to state that it
was other people’s perception but not theirs. This suggested that television and social media
subconsciously influenced teenagers and their terminology towards mental illness. They
weren’t aware that the majority of television and movies they watched portrayed mental illness
or that it was portrayed negatively.
PORTRAYAL OF CELEBRITIES’ FAILURES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Participants stated that the media reported celebrities’ failures more than
accomplishments. A common belief among participants was that people were more likely to
watch television if the media reported celebrities failures. Emily said that, “I think it might be
sensationalized. The media really likes to build somebody up and then show their failures.
Typically, I would say failures get dragged out more.” Her reasoning provided an example that a
failure portrayed celebrities as “accessible” and “relatable.” As stated previously, participants
admired celebrities that are relatable, nice and honest. Mark explained why viewers were
attracted toward failures, “I would defiantly say media talks more about their failures. In all the
tabloids that sells magazines. Everyone loves the celebrity that has all these problems rather
than a celebrity doing really well.” Celebrities’ failures make them more human to the
participants. Participants reported they would not like watching or hearing about celebrities if
they were only successful and perfect as it was very unrealistic.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
DEMI LOVATO, AMANDA BYNES, CATHARINE ZETA JONES
Participants were asked about the public’s perception of the following celebrities and to
identify their mental illness: Demi Lovato, Amanda Bynes and Catharine Zeta Jones.
Demi Lovato: Six women and four men knew Demi Lovato. The remaining two men did
not know Demi Lovato. The ten participants that reported Demi Lovato in a positive manner did
not mention her mental illness. They described her as a Disney channel star, a musician, and a
singer. Tim described her as “A girl on the Disney channel with a big smile and very typical
American girl.” The two women that reported her in a negative manner mentioned her mental
illness. They reported her as a “cutter” and as “bipolar.” Kate stated, “I heard she went crazy.
She was on drugs and went to rehab. She had a good image and then and now she kind of
seems like she’s not doing well in her life.” This indicated that the participant was aware of the
different media reports of Lovato’s mental illness and was influenced by those reports. It was
apparent that she was seen positively when there was no knowledge of a mental illness but
negatively once the mental illness was known regardless of her talent.
Amanda Bynes: Women and men reported Amanda Bynes negatively. The terms used
to describe Bynes were “crazy,” and “a ticking time bomb.” Brad and Bill said, “I know you hear
about all her all weird and crazy things she’s been doing,” and “Amanda Bynes is using drugs
and got locked up for a couple reasons. She also seems insane” respectively. Emily, Jessica, and
Tim reported her as having bipolar or schizophrenia. As previously stated in the literature
review, Amanda Bynes was recently forced to undergo an involuntary psychiatric hold. Media
outlets reported on Bynes behavior negatively. This was a clear indicator that the media had a
direct influence on the participants’ perception.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
Catharine Zeta Jones: Six participants reported they viewed Catherine Zeta Jones
positivity. The other participants did not know her. Three of the six participants that recognized
Jones were women. Tim said, “She is very poised and an A-list celebrity.” Jessica viewed her as
successful. Moreover, Emily referenced depression and said, “I know she has spoken out about
it but she has not dedicated a lot of amount of media attention. She is still well-respected and
people do not know her for having a mental illness.” Jones had been outspoken about her
bipolar diagnosis and her hospitalization. Perhaps because she was in an older generation than
Bynes and Lovato, the college participants were not as familiar with her condition or her
celebrity status.
CHANGE IN MENTAL ILLNESS PERCEPTION
After participants were told that Demi Lovato, Amanda Bynes and Catherine Zeta Jones
had a mental illness participants were asked if their perception had changed. Women reported
a higher frequency of changing their perception of a celebrity with a mental illness whereas
only one men said he would change his perception. Women became more accepting once the
celebrity was diagnosed with a mental illness because they become “humanized.” Kate said, “It
makes me more understanding and they’re not doing these crazy things. In Demi Lovatos’ case
she sought help which gave me a better impression of her. She realized she had a problem and
wanted it to be solved.” Moreover, men reported that their perception would not change.
OTHERS GENERAL PERCEPTION CHANGED
Both women and men reported that perceptions of celebrities would change if the latter
was diagnosed with a mental illness. Kate and Brad said that, “When someone has a mental
illness it tends to freak people out” and “I think some people would admire them for getting
54
Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
help and others would criticize them for getting help” respectively. This indicated that
participants believed messages in the media were more likely to change their friends’
perception then their own.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
CONCLUSION
The main purpose of the research was to provide an understanding of the relationship
between media coverage of celebrities with mental illness and teenagers’ perceptions of
people with mental illness. The DSM-5, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association, is a book of nearly 900 pages, devoted to
describing a plethora of mental illnesses. However, the participants in this research repeatedly
just mentioned a couple mental illness diagnoses and were completely unaware of the others.
The media are often ignorant in their reporting of mental illness accurately and therefore do a
great disservice to the public. Unfortunately, the majority of people accepts their reports as
valid and remain ignorant.
According to previous research, teenagers do not have an accurate definition of mental
illness but have established a negative opinion of people with mental illness (Wahl, 2002).
Participants were unaware of the negative images portrayed on television of people with a
mental illness and were subconsciously influenced by these images. Media images encourage
insensitivity and lack of empathy (Wahl, 2003). Both women and men in the research did not
appear to notice a connection between television and mental illness. Women watched more
drama shows that portrayed mental illness such as “Bones,” “Law and Order SVU,” and
“Vampire Diaries.” Participants who named such shows described characters with mental
illness either negatively or as gifted individuals; all different and isolated from the other
characters. Women described characters and people with mental illness as “crazy” or
“abnormal.” Men were more likely than women to say, “It is not my perception but others.” It is
suggested that women received subliminal messages about mental illness without realizing that
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
their perception and judgment was influenced by the media (Shrum, Burroughs & Rindfleisch,
2005). Women watch more drama television which featured more mentally ill characters. Both
men and women reported benign watching television programming which increases the
influence of media messaging (Shrum, Burroughs & Rindfleisch, 2005). Men believed that
society’s perception of mental illness was negative. The use of negative terms limits people
with mental illness from acknowledging their problem and seeking treatment.
Men said that they did not think a lot about mental illness prior to the research. Men
were hesitant to use the terms “crazy” and believed it was important for celebrities to speak
out about mental illness because they could influence public opinion. However, men were
concerned about the messaging regarding mental illness. Men stated that they would be more
inclined to listen to a celebrity if they sought help and were sincere.
Participants stated that they were willing to hang out with a person with a mental
illness. Similar to previous research, women had a greater tendency to show more compassion
and acceptance for people with mental illness, whereas men were less sympathetic (Fox,
Buchanan-Barrow & Barrett, 2007; Wahl, 2002, 2003). Men stated that they would feel
uncomfortable helping a friend with a mental illness. However, unlike previous research men’s
opinion of mental illness was more positive. Women negative description of mental illness
suggested that they were less willing to hang out with someone with a mental illness which,
contradicted their statement of acceptance. It is likely that people with a mental illness would
not associate or feel comfortable around people that have a negative perception of mental
illness regardless of people wanting to hang out with them.
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
The findings showed that participants had a more negative reaction toward celebrities
with a mental illness when their behaviors were displayed on television. The more the media
sensationalized the “bizarre” behaviors of Demi Lovato, Amanda Bynes and Catherine Zeta
Johns, participants were more inclined to believe those negative images. The participants
stated they would rather have the celebrity speak out about mental illness than witness their
behavior. Few participants knew Catherine Zeta Jones and characterized her as successful
regardless of her mental illness. Her mental illness did not impact her work. However, Demi
Lovato had publicly spoken out about being diagnosed with Bipolar and an eating disorder.
Participants were likely to view her negatively because she was diagnosed and entered
rehabilitation.
It was inferred that celebrities need to speak out about mental illness before the media
reports developed a negative article for public viewing. Celebrities choosing to share their
personal struggles and serve as advocates can have a strong influence on mental health
awareness (Jayanthikumar & Muller, 2013). All of the participants believed it was important for
celebrities to speak out regarding mental illness. Participants were attracted to celebrities that
seemed relatable and nice. The majority admired celebrities that appeared approachable and
friendly. As more public personalities, politicians and celebrities speak out about their own
mental illness, more people may be willing to acknowledge their own struggles with mental
illness and seek treatment.
The research has provided insight on different communication tactics that could be
implement regarding positive imagery and messaging of mental illness. Celebrities have the
ability to speak out about their mental illness before their story is displayed negatively on
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
television. Mental illness is still referred to negatively in media and the main slag terms used
through the research were, “crazy” and “not normal.”
A limitation of the research was that the interviewees were asked to respond to 25
open-ended questions that were limited to a 30-minute session. This limited their ability to
expand on their responses in an open-ended forum, which may have provided a better
interpretation of each participant’s opinion. The interviews did not consist of people diagnosed
with a mental illness, which could have provided valuable insight from their perspective of how
people treated them and how they were able to function in society. In addition, the interviews
only consisted of responses to questions about mental illness rather than observations of the
participants interacting with people diagnosed with a mentally illness.
For future research, more than participants should be interviewed with a cultural
diversity representative of American society to show if there was a cultural perception about
mental illness. As stated in the previous literature review, Caucasians were more willing to seek
treatment for mental illness than Asians and African Americans. This research should also be
replicated with younger adolescents, middle school and high school, as well as children in
elementary school. Questions should be adjusted according to their grade level for
appropriateness and understanding. Youth need to be educated about mental illness to reduce
societal stigmatization and isolation. The younger the education, the greater compassion,
acceptance, and normalization might occur. “Their brains are still developing and are malleable
to different media messages” (Taylor, 2012).
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
INTERVIEW GUIDE

Are you on any social media sites? If so, what?

Where do you go to get news and entertainment information? This can include
television or social media sites?

About how much time do you spend watching TV or on social media sites?

What is your main purpose for using social media sites?

What TV programs do you watch regularly and why?

How would you define mental illness?

Which celebrity do you most admire and why?

Do you know any celebrities that have a mental illness?

What do you think of celebrities speaking out about mental illness?

If you had a mental illness are you more likely or less likely to seek treatment knowing a
celebrity has sought treatment?

What do you think your friends would do if they had a mental illness?

Would you purchase a movie ticket or CD from a celebrity that has a mental health
disorder? Why or why not?

Do you think media talks about celebrities’ accomplishments or failures more? How so?

What television shows have you seen characters with a mental illness on?

How would you label/ describe characters on television that have a mental illness?

Do you think mental illness is portrayed more, equal or less in TV or movies?

Would you hang out with someone with a mental illness in real life, why or why not?

How do you think most people perceive Demi Lovato?
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness

How do you think most people perceive Amanda Bynes?

How do you think most people perceive Catherine Zeta Jones?

Do you know what type of mental illness Demi Lovato has?

Do you know what type of mental illness Amanda Bynes has?

Do you know what type of mental illness Catherine Zeta Jones has?

Does that change your perception of them?

Do you think it change people perception of them? How?
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
APPENDIX
TABLES
Table I: Demographics
PARTICPANTS CHARACTERSITICS
Pseudonym
Name
Tim
Mark
Brad
Nick
Tom
Bobby
Emily
Jessica
Lucy
Kate
Brittney
Janice
Male/Female
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Age
19
19
18
18
19
18
19
19
18
18
18
18
Grade
Sophomore
Freshman
Freshman
Freshman
Sophomore
Freshman
Freshman
Sophomore
Freshman
Freshman
Freshman
Freshman
Ethnicity
White/Caucasian
White/Caucasian
White/Caucasian
White/Caucasian
Hispanic/Latino
Black/African American
White/Caucasian
White/Caucasian
White/Caucasian
White/Caucasian
White/Caucasian
Black/African American
Table II: Participants’ Responses
The following table addresses participants’ responses given during the interview. Each
reference was counted individually. If a participant made two references it was counted twice.
MEDIA DIET
Number of Social Media Accounts
Active on One Social Media Site: 2 References
1 Female/ 1 Male
Active on Two Social Media Accounts: 6 References
3 Female/ 3 Male
Active on Three Social Media Accounts: 4 References
2 Female/ 2 Male
Time Spent on Social Media and/or Television
1-2 hours: 4 References
3 Female/ 1 Male
2-3 hours: 6 References
4 Male/2 Female
3-4 hours: 1 References
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
1 Male
5-6 hours: 1 References
1 Female
Receive News and Entertainment Information
Social Media: 10 References
6 Female/ 4 Male
Bulletin Board System: 2 References
2 Male
On-Demand: 2 References
2 Male
Use Social Media
Keep in Connect: 12 References
6 Female/ 6 Male
Share and/or View Pictures: 4 References
3 Female/ 1 Male
School: 2 References
2 Female
DEFINITION OF MENTAL ILLNESS
Ability to Handle Task: 3 References
3 Male
Abnormal: 4 References
2 Female/ 1 Male
Brain: 7 References
5 Female/ 2 Male
Function in Society: 5 References
3 Male/2 Female
Admired Celebrities Characteristics
I do not admire a celebrity: 1 References
1 Female
Intelligent, Personality, Successful: 11 References
6 Male/ 5 Female
Celebrities Speaking out about Mental Illness
Important and Raise Awareness: 6 References
3 Male/ 3 Female
Depends on Messaging: 6 References
3 Male/ 3 Female
SEEKING TREATMENT
More Likely if Celebrity Seeks Help: 9 References
5 Female/ 4 Male
Depends on Messaging: 3 References
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
2 Male/ 1 Female
LIKELIHOOD OF FRIENDS TO SEEK HELP
Seek Help: 3 References
2 Female/ 1 Male
Not Seek Help: References 2
1 Female/1 Male
Both: 7 References
4 Male/3 Female
KNOWN CELEBRITIES WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS
1-3 Celebrities: 6 References
4 Male/ 2 Female
Don't know any Celebrity with a Mental Illness: 6 References
4 Female/ 2 Male
FREQUENTLY WATCHED TV SHOWS
Animated: 2 References
1 Female/1 Male
Drama: 7 References
6 Female/ 1 Male
Smart Dialogue: 3 References
1 Female/ 2 Male
Sports: 2 References
2 Male
PORTRAYAL OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN TELEVISION
Positive/ Gifted: 3 References
3 Male/ 1 Female
Mentioned negatively: 3 References
3 Female
I don’t know TV shows: 3 References
2 Male/1 Female
Do not see it often: 3 References
1 Male/1 Female
MENTAL ILLNESS SEEN MORE IN TELEVISION OR MOVIES
Movies: 7 References
6 Female/ 1 Male
TV: 4 References
4 Male
Equal: 1 References
1 Male
LABELS USED FOR MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE MEDIA
Positive/ Gifted: 4 References
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
3 Male/ 1 Female
Mentioned negatively: 3 References
3 Female
Do not see it often: 3 References
2 Male/1 Female
I don’t know TV shows: 2 References
1 Male/1 Female
Socialize with a Person with a Metal Illness
Yes: 12 References
6 Male/6 Female
PORTRAYAL OF CELEBRITIES’ FAILURES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Failures: 12 References
6 Male/6 Female
DEMI LOVATO, AMANDA BYES, CATHARINE ZETA JONES
Demi Lovato
Positive, Demi Lovato: 3 References
2 Female/1 Male
Negative Demi Lovato: 7 References
4 Female/ 3 Male
I don’t know Demi Lovato: 2 References
2 Male
Demi Lovato Mental Illness
Yes, I know Demi Lovato mental illness: 2 References
2 Female
I didn’t know Demi Lovato mental illness: 8 References
4 Male/ 4 Female
I don’t know Demi Lovato: 2 References
2 Male
Amanda Bynes
Negative Amanda Bynes: 11 References
6 Male/ 5 Female
Getting better Amanda Bynes: 1 References
1 Female
Amanda Bynes Mental Illness
Yes, I know Amanda Bynes Mental Illness: 3 References
2 Female/ 1 Male
I do not know Amanda Bynes mental illness: 9 References
5 Male/ 4 Female
Catharine Zeta Jones
Positive Catharine Zeta Jones: 6 References
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
3 Female/ 3 Male
I don’t know Catharine Zeta Jones: 6 References
3 Female/ 3 Male
Catharine Zeta Jones Mental Illness
I don’t know Catharine Zeta Jones Mental Illness: 8 References
2 Female/ 3 Male
Yes, I know Catharine Zeta Jones Mental Illness: 1 References
1 Female
I don’t know Catharine Zeta Jones: 6 References
3 Female/ 3 Male
CHANGE IN MENTAL ILLNESS PERCEPTION
Yes: 6 References
5 Female/ 1 Male
Doesn’t Change: 6 References
5 Male/ 1 Female
Others General Perception Changed
Yes, people perception will change: 12 References
6 Female/ 6 Male
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Teenagers’ Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness
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