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Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2003) 9: 135-143
© 2003 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Psychiatry and the media

Peter Byrne

Peter Byrne is senior lecturer in social and community psychiatry at Royal Free and University College London Medical School (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Holborn Union Building, Whittington Hospital, London N19 5NF, UK. E-mail: p.byrne{at}ucl.ac.uk). He is a former chair of the Public Education Committee of the Irish College of Psychiatrists and chairs the media group of the Changing Minds (anti-stigma) campaign. A film studies graduate, he devised and produced the short film 1 in 4 (http://changingminds.co.uk), which achieved nationwide cinema distribution. In 2002, he programmed the College’s Mind Odyssey film festival, which began at Riverside Studios in London before touring to Bristol.

Aspects of print, broadcast, film and ‘new media’ are related to their interactions with psychiatry. Frequent representations of mental health issues are paralleled by the adoption of psychological theories into media studies. Key areas are covered where psychiatric items diverge from other medical specialities, such as the depiction of suicide, the dominance of ‘human interest’ stories and negative representation of people with mental illness. Although the language of mental disorders is important, the power of the image needs to be examined. Media items also have implications for public mental health (children as vulnerable viewers) and the clinical practice of psychiatry that are not uniformly negative. Television has limitations and clinicians are encouraged to participate in radio and other media. Resources and practical advice for media contact are provided.




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