Portrayal of mental illness in the media, TV and newspapers

These blogs are written by people with personal experience of mental illness. They review and reflect on some of the ways mental health has been portrayed in the media, including TV episodes and newspaper articles.

The way mental illness is portrayed and reported in the media is incredibly powerful in educating and influencing the public. Our Media Advisory Service works with journalists, script writers and other media professionals to help ensure fictional and factual portrayals of people with mental health problems in the media are accurate and sensitive.

By writing about their own experiences and their reactions to these portrayals, these bloggers raise awareness of the different attitudes they have encountered to their mental health and how the media can help shape these attitudes. Pledge to help end mental health stigma today >>

What Stephen Fry's conversation about suicide means to me

Submitted by Shea Wong on Thu, 06/06/2013 - 4:41pm

Stephen Fry I’m sitting on a park bench. My makeup is sliding off the side of my face in the sun. I’m trying to look normal, whatever that is. I’m staring down the eyes of my interviewer, lest I let them wander over to the cameraman. I’m a little scared.

Katharine Welby: my experiences of talking about depression

Submitted by Katharine Welby on Wed, 15/05/2013 - 4:31pm

Katharine Welby | Photo taken by Jonathan Self; all rights reserved 2013. www.jonathanself.co.uk So, I am sitting here, writing a blog for Time to Change on the impact and effect that writing a blog post on depression has had on me.

A band of brothers

Submitted by Nathan Roberts on Wed, 08/05/2013 - 1:30pm

As Chief Executive of abandofbrothers, I was delighted when the charity was awarded Time to Change funding to run our project, entitled “Man Enough.” I thought I would have much to offer the project. I have to honestly admit that I thought I would be facilitating the process of change for others rather than seeing any changes or benefits in my own life. However, the Man Enough project has taken me on a real personal journey.

What does My Mad Fat Diary tell us about mental illness?

Submitted by Huma on Fri, 26/04/2013 - 8:11am

Huma blogs about My Mad Fat Diary There are moments of utter despair when I can see no way out. In these instances I feel an acute sense of loneliness and friends have to persist to break through that cave of despair. In these moments the mental anguish is such that it takes every effort to control my urges and not self-destruct. It is that urge to destroy which takes hold of me and I want to harm myself.