This summer, moviegoers of all ages were treated to films and television shows that talked openly and honestly about mental health. In “Love & Mercy,” John Cusack gave an honest and engaging performance as Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, which included Wilson’s schizoaffective disorder and his ongoing recovery with the help of his wife Melinda. In “Empire,” a 2015 SAMHSA Voice Awards winner, the actor Trai Bryers portrays a character with bipolar disorder who, with the help of his family, sees his condition improve with treatment. Even Disney’s Pixar got in on the action with its latest animated film “Inside Out,” which addressed the importance of children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.
SAMHSA recognizes the power that film and television have in shaping the way we think about mental illness and those with mental illness. Mental illness has long been a staple of movie and television programming, but until recently these stories have mostly created and reinforced stereotypes – think Anthony Perkins in Psycho, Kathy Bates in Misery, or Jack Nicholson in The Shining.
Why does this matter? Because Americans identify mass media as their primary source of knowledge about mental illness1. And while research2 consistently shows that though most Americans now understand that mental health conditions are illnesses that can be treated, they actually have become more likely in recent decades to fear and discriminate against individuals with those disorders. Discrimination and bias not only keep people from working and socializing with those who have mental health conditions, they deter people who need help from seeking the treatment and services they need.
The way we talk about mental health matters! That’s why SAMHSA supported the Carter Center in developing its Resource Guide for Reporting on Behavioral Health. This guide provides information for the media about mental illnesses and substance use disorders and includes tips and supporting facts to help ensure that representations of mental illnesses and substance use disorders are accurate. Increased media exposure can raise awareness of behavioral health issues and stimulate public discourse about what we can do to improve the behavioral health of individuals, families, and communities across the nation.
That’s why I’m so heartened to see that in recent years, many movies and television programs have chosen to give a more balanced and accurate portrayal of mental illness. Movies like “Love & Mercy” reveal the victories large and small that mark a life in recovery. On the small screen, story arcs like those in “Empire” are built around individuals who are dealing with and recovering from mental and substance use conditions. This is important because, as Tom McNulty, producer of the 2014 Voice Award-winning film The Spectacular Now pointed out, “recovery doesn’t happen in 90 minutes.”
Because we are raising our voices and telling our stories, Hollywood is getting the message. More than ever before, we can enjoy programming that makes clear that behavioral health is essential to health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover.