As we continue through the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health and wellbeing are more prominent in our minds. The number of people struggling with mental health issues is increasing, and awareness is potentially more important than ever. The media can have a large part to play in how mental health issues are discussed or portrayed – both in the news and in fictional programmes and films.
Catherine and Louna, are both members of FACE, who work with the University to share lived experiences of healthcare conditions and services, and have used their passion for drama and the arts, to share their views on mental health in the media.
Our understanding and empathy towards people with mental illness has come a long way in the last decade and some of that has been down to films and TV shows portraying those with mental health issues in a more sympathetic light. While there is still a long way to go in terms of representation of people with mental health issues on screen (we can all name several TV shows and films that have gotten things seriously wrong in recent years) I wanted to point out those that have gotten things right.
Takin' Over The Asylum
(IMDB description of the 1994 TV series - A salesman starts to run a hospital radio station inside a facility for people with mental health needs). Takin' Over The Asylum was one of the first things I saw that portrayed people with mental illness in a positive light and tackled issues such as suicide in a way that was sensitive and accurate. It was also the first time I saw someone who was proud of their mental illness and not desperately trying to hide it. It also features a lot of brilliant actors (who have gone on to do incredible things) at the very start of their careers.
A Beautiful Mind
(IMDB description of the 2001 film - After John Nash, a brilliant but asocial mathematician, accepts secret work in cryptography, his life takes a turn for the nightmarish). I didn't know a lot about John Nash when I started watching this film and it was a great introduction to Schizophrenia and, more importantly, John Nash. The film really brings you into his world as he experiences it. It makes the diagnosis and his ongoing struggle to manage his illness all the more heartfelt.
Perception
(IMDB description of the 2012 TV series - Dr. Daniel Pierce is an eccentric neuropsychiatrist who uses his unique outlook to help the federal government solve complex criminal cases). The central character, Dr Pierce, is a well-educated and talented man, who is also Schizophrenic. But, Dr Pierce is relatable, intellectual, funny, witty and everything a person should be seen as despite a serious mental illness! More people should have the outlook that the show depicts. If so, we'd certainly have a much kinder world!
These are just three examples, and it is important to remember that a person with a mental health illness is so much more than just their condition. It is just one element of who they are. It’s likely that we will all experience some degree of mental health issues at some point in our lives, so let’s keeping talking, so that mental health is no longer a taboo subject.
Do you want to work in mental health?
Our courses are still open for applications, for this September. We offer a BSc, a MSc, and a MSci (dual registration) course, which allows you to specialise in two fields of nursing rather than just one.
