This book provides students and professionals in nursing and allied professions, in psychiatry, psychology and other related disciplines, with a theoretically grounded introduction to the ways in which our attitudes are shaped by the media.

Whether in movies, cartoons, commercials, or even fast food marketing, psychology and mental illness remain pervasive in popular culture. In this collection of new essays, scholars from a range of fields explore representations of mental illness and disabilities across various media of popular culture. Contributors address how forms of psychiatric disorder have been addressed in film, on stage, and in literature, how popular culture genres are utilized to communicate often confusing and conflicted relationships with the mentally ill, and how popular cultures around the world reflect mental illness and disability. Analyses of sources as disparate as the Batman films, Broadway musicals and Nigerian home movies reveal how definitions of mental illness, mental health, and of psychology itself intersect with discourses on race, gender, law, capitalism, and globalization. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Mental Health Issues and the Media provides students and professionals in nursing and allied professions, in psychiatry, psychology and related disciplines, with a theoretically grounded introduction to the ways in which our attitudes are shaped by the media. A wide range of contemporary media help to create attitudes surrounding mental health and illness, and for all health professionals, the ways in which they do so are of immediate concern. Health professionals need to: be aware of media influences on their own perceptions and attitudes take account of both the negative and positive aspects of media intervention in mental health promotion and public education understand the way in which we all interact with media messages and how this affects both practitioners and service users. Covering the press, literature, film, television and the Internet, this comprehensive text includes practical advice and recommendations on how to combat negative images for service users, healthcare workers and media personnel.

Estimates indicate that as many as 1 in 4 Americans will experience a mental health problem or will misuse alcohol or drugs in their lifetimes. These disorders are among the most highly stigmatized health conditions in the United States, and they remain barriers to full participation in society in areas as basic as education, housing, and employment. Improving the lives of people with mental health and substance abuse disorders has been a priority in the United States for more than 50 years. The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 is considered a major turning point in America's efforts to improve behavioral healthcare. It ushered in an era of optimism and hope and laid the groundwork for the consumer movement and new models of recovery. The consumer movement gave voice to people with mental and substance use disorders and brought their perspectives and experience into national discussions about mental health. However over the same 50-year period, positive change in American public attitudes and beliefs about mental and substance use disorders has lagged behind these advances. Stigma is a complex social phenomenon based on a relationship between an attribute and a stereotype that assigns undesirable labels, qualities, and behaviors to a person with that attribute. Labeled individuals are then socially devalued, which leads to inequality and discrimination. This report contributes to national efforts to understand and change attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that can lead to stigma and discrimination. Changing stigma in a lasting way will require coordinated efforts, which are based on the best possible evidence, supported at the national level with multiyear funding, and planned and implemented by an effective coalition of representative stakeholders. Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change explores stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with mental or substance use disorders and recommends effective strategies for reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek treatment and other supportive services. It offers a set of conclusions and recommendations about successful stigma change strategies and the research needed to inform and evaluate these efforts in the United States.

Social Media and Mental Health: Depression, Predators, and Personality Disorders presents case studies and guidelines to help policymakers, parents, educators, and criminal justice experts better understand the negative effects of social media on mental health. The book examines the direct correlations between technology and the onset of significant personality and mood disorders, criminal violence, and other dysfunctional behavior, particularly in American youth. The text addresses cyberbullying, suicide, and the cycle of abuse; Internet addiction and its relation to impaired psychosocial functioning; and the narcissistic tendencies that individuals can develop as a result of too much screen time, including attention-seeking behavior, constant self-promotion, and feelings of entitlement. Chapters are dedicated to the adverse effects of social media on dating and romantic relationships, the concept of online "friends", and the dangerous fantasies that individuals can foster online. The book closes with a timely chapter about radicalization, terrorism, and new media. Scientifically rigorous in nature, Social Media and Mental Health is also an ideal textbook for college-level courses in forensic psychology, social work, juvenile crime, and communications. It can also be used as a guide for educators, employers, and administrators, including law enforcement or corrections officials who work with schools, youth groups, and at-risk populations.

Defines an approach to mental healthcare focused on achieving international equity in coverage, options and outcomes.

Communicating Mental Health: History, Contexts, and Perspectives explores mental health through the lens of the communication discipline. In the first section, contributors describe the major contributions of the communication discipline as it pertains to a broader perspective and stigma of mental health. In the second section, contributors investigate mental health through various narrative perspectives. In the third and fourth sections, contributors consider many applied contexts such as media, education, and family. At the conclusion, contributors discuss the ways in which future inquiries regarding mental health in the communication discipline can be investigated. Scholars of health communication, mental health, psychology, history, and sociology will find this volume particularly useful.