Mental health and journalism : chances and risks

Abstract

Media reporting on mental health, mental illness and suicide is a much-debated topic. The often repeated assumption is that media reporting leads - in various degrees of correlation - to discrimination, stigmatization or, worse, in case of reporting about suicide to copycat suicides. As far as research is concerned, it is rarely possible to find consistent and comparatively well-founded empirical evidence in news media. The fields of research are widespread across scientific disciplines and their journals. Conceptualizations and operationalizations are inconsistent. Theoretical models are simplistic and approaches isolated. As far as daily journalism is concerned, a series of online resources are made available by different parties. The lowest common denominator is that reporting should be cautious and respectful. However, the reality shows a different picture. There are no easy or hands-on solutions. To advance journalistic reporting, psychologists, psychiatrists and their institutions are called upon to engage more and provide their expert knowledge. The quality of journalistic reporting can be significantly improved by maintaining ongoing relations between experts and journalists