A Selected Annotated Bibliography on Portrayal of Schizophrenia in Film

Cross, Simon. “Visualizing Madness: Mental Illness and Public Representation.” Television and New Media. 2004 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=23&hid=106&sid=0b1c3a10-d0da-4835-a312-a6a077b24944%40sessionmgr115. Simon Cross at University of Lincoln explores images of madness and mental illness through television program makers. He suggests to television consumers that the mentally ill whom are depicted in TV programs are usually shown as being “dangerous.” Cross suggests an approach to public representation of mental illness with television programs holding social responsibility of accurate depiction. Cross’s research helps to explain to television consumers the extremely identifiable figures depicted as mentally ill. These findings will help support my research about the portrayal of mentally ill in the media.

Heinrichs, R. Walter. “Historical Origins of Schizophrenia: Two Early Madmen and their Illness.” Journal of the History of Behavioral Science. 2003 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=20&hid=22&sid=9c7ef2c8-a64c-4000-9f63-0f4adc3c6c01%40sessionmgr15R. Walter Heinrichs discuss historical accounts of Schizophrenia in the eighteenth and fourteenth centuries. He suggests these two cases to historians in order to discuss the past in relationship to the present in regards to Schizophrenia. These cases may suggest that Schizophrenia, although seen as a “new” illness, has been around longer than historians and medical experts thought. Heinrichs findings are very helpful in the medical and historical fields of research. These findings will help in my research to provide an origin and historical background of Schizophrenia.

Kondo, Naomi. “Speaking Out: Mental Illness in Film.” Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 2007 https://blackboard.unh.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp.

Noami Kondo of Wesleyan University, suggests to the public at large about the incorrect and negative portrayals of Mental Illness in film, being a Schizophrenic herself. Kondo draws on personal experience to support her findings. Film, says Kondo, being such a powerful avenue of information, adds stigma to an already misunderstood disease. She draws on examples of Hollywood movie portrayals of mental illness, specifically Schizophrenia, and explains how they are inaccurate, stigmatized and even insulting to patients with this disease. Kondo gives personal insight on the topic of depictions of mental illness in film which will give me a greater understanding of inaccurate portrayals of Schizophrenia in movies such as A Beautiful Mind.

Owen, Patricia. “Dispelling Myths About Schizophrenia Using Film.” Journal of Applied Social Psychology. Jan. 2007 http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.unh.edu/ehost/detail?vid=8&hid=110&sid=70fa74cc-f2a4-44b4-ac7e-f88fe0d9be04%40sessionmgr114. Patricia Owen, from St. Mary’s University at San Antonio, suggests to educators about dispelling myths about Schizophrenia using film to teach students. Owen conducts a study to examine the effectiveness of a visually based format to disband misinformation about schizophrenia. She uses past studies to show that the negatively stereotyped and inaccurate movie portrayals of Schizophrenia fall parallel to the public’s knowledge of Schizophrenia. Owen’s (2007) main question is, “Can this same medium be used to educate?” Following the study, Owen found that there was improvement of knowledge about Schizophrenia after a short film, but it was gender based. She found that film increased the knowledge of students about Schizophrenia, but more so in females. This article by Patricia Owen will be helpful in my research because it gives many examples of negative stereotypes and inaccurate information about Schizophrenia which will help to support my argument.

Wahl, Otto F. “Mass Media Images of Mental Illness: A Review of the Literature.” Journal of Community Psychology. Oct. 1992 http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.unh.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=12&hid=110&sid=70fa74cc-f2a4-44b4-ac7e-f88fe0d9be04%40sessionmgr114. Otto F. Wahl of George Mason University reviews the frequency, accuracy and impact of mass media portrayals of mental illness. Wahl (1992) concludes that mass media portrayals of mental illness “have significant effects on attitudes toward mental illness and treatment” and “that their depictions of mental illness are characteristically inaccurate and unfavorable.” Wahl’s research provides his audience with examples and explanations of inaccurate depictions of mental health in films. This will aid me in my research because many of Wahl’s arguments are backed by past research findings.