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Evaluation of the StigmaWatch program’s impact on media portrayals of suicide and mental illness

By Ross, A. M., Morgan, A. J., & Reavley, N. J.

Published 5 January 2023

Context

SANE Australia’s StigmaWatch program promotes responsible reporting of mental-ill health and suicide in the Australian media by monitoring media reporting and contacting media professionals about portrayals that breach the Mindframe guidelines.

An evaluation of StigmaWatch has found that over half of published media items submitted to the program over a four-year period contained stigmatising or inaccurate content.

Research and findings

Researchers examined 1,300 reports of harmful or stigmatising portrayals of mental illness and suicide in the media, of which had been lodged to StigmaWatch between 2017 and 2021.

The reports were compared against a set of communications principles listed in the Mindframe media guidelines and were then classified to have complied or not complied to the recommendations listed. The reports were then categorised further into types of non-compliance.

Of the 1,300 reports submitted to StigmaWatch:

  • 54% did not meet the recommendations of the Mindframe guidelines
  • 44% of the reports were modified following contact by StigmaWatch to the media producer encouraging non stigmatising portrayal
  • 70% of the reports that did not meet the recommendations of the Mindframe guidelines were pertaining to suicide
  • 29% of the reports that did not meet the recommendations of the Mindframe guidelines were in relation to mental illness
  • Schizophrenia was found to be the most common mental illness found in reports that did not meet the recommendations of the Mindframe guidelines.

Implications

Further research is recommended to explore how to best liaise with media professionals to ensure that stigmatising media outputs are amended according to Mindframe guidelines. It is also recommended to further investigate how to improve the knowledge and skills of media professionals to abstain from inclusion of stigmatising portrayals of mental illness and suicide within media outputs.

Read the full paper