Madness at the movies: prioritised movies for self-directed learning by medical students (original) (raw)
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PubMed, 2009
As one of the most potent and substantial form of mass communication, film exercises a very significant influence upon the perceptions of the audience, especially in relation to mental illness issues, and that perception is very much blurred with populists' misinterpretation and lack of awareness regarding problems faced by persons suffering from mental disorders. Movies such as "Psycho", "One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest", "Exorcist", despite being valuable in an artistic sense, corroborated and encouraged confusion and undermined the clarity and certainty concerning the fine line separating mental health from mental illness. Modern film makers and movie theoreticians try to overcome these limitations which are often generated by exploitation of stereotypes and myths referring to mentally ill people. This paper defines and discusses the most frequent thematic stereotypes seen in movies which are perpetuating stigmatization of mentally ill people. They are: free-spirited rebel, maniac on a killing spree, seducer, enlightened member of society, narcissistic parasite, beastly person (stereotype of animal sort). Psychiatry and cinematography are linked inseparably not only because they creatively complement each other, but also as an opportunity of mutual influences blending into didactical categories and professional driving forces, benefiting both the filmmakers' and the psychiatrists' professions.
The Portrayal of Psychiatry in Recent Film
2000
The profession of psychiatry is, has always been, and will likely continue to be a much enjoyed subject among filmmakers and their audiences, as it tends to provide exciting and emotionally compelling opportunities to portray personal struggles feared by most of humanity. Following a literature based overview of pre-1985 portrayals of psychiatry in film, this paper fills a notable contemporary literature gap by detailing ten prominent trends in the portrayal of psychiatry in recent film from increased creativity in storylines to the reflection of new psychiatric theories and drawing some conclusions regarding the historical and other forms of accuracy of these increasingly more critically and commercially acclaimed portrayals. It shows that film is still primarily a creative and entertainment rather than a totally serious educational medium and, as such, accuracy of any degree is usually subordinated to the interests of simply ensuring that the audience has a good time and / or rece...
Psychiatry and Cinema: What Can We Learn from the Magical Screen?
Shanghai archives of psychiatry, 2017
Cinema, a vehicle of social transformation sheds light on different aspects of mental illness. Due to its dramatic and stigmatising depictions, it often spreads a negative aspect of psychiatric disorders and the patients who are suffering from them. Though it brings out a few positive and inspiring stories, they are sparse in comparison to its negative views. Here, we are going to describe the dual impact of cinema on psychiatry.
Depictions of Mental Illness within the Medium of Modern Film
2021
This research sets out to analyse the current depictions of mental illness within movies released in this decade. The aim is to analyse mental illness portrayals through a medium that many within the public are familiar with and could have been influenced by (MPA, 2020). By doing this, the study aims to show what stigmatizing and stereotypical views the general public is exposed to. From 2010 to 2019, the most popular film of each year depicting mental illness was calculated using an instrumentation system and was included in the final list of 10 films portraying mental illness (one film from each year) which were the basis of the data analysis. The findings show that films were linking acute trauma with the emergence of mental illness, as 9 out of 10 movies show trauma in the forms of loss of a loved one and/or child abuse (psychical and sexual) as being the source of the manifestation of the mental illness. This is in line with research (Mueser, et al., 1998) which shows that trauma increases chances of mental illness within the individual and shows that there are elements of mental illness that are being depicted in a realistic view. Furthermore, 6 out of 10 movies referenced diagnosis or depicted characters receiving help from mental health professionals. Unfortunately, 4 out of these 6 films depicted these characters to be extremely violent during and after professional mental help which perpetuates the notion of mental care being ineffective in helping those in need, which takes away the positive influence the portrayal of persons seeking help could have achieved. Violence was seen to be one of the most prevalent stereotypes in relation to mental illness as half the films depicted characters with mental illness to be extremely violent towards other individuals, this shows that violence in relation to mental illness is still a popularized portrayal and could further enhances the view of fear towards mental illness. On another note, while violent depictions are still present, an element of empathy towards such characters was very apparent. This is a step in the right direction as even when the characters are seen to be committing violent acts, the audience will see the character as a person who has suffered and has cause for such acts rather than just being a ‘psychotic’ killer. Findings also showed that these violent acts were closely related to severe mental ii illnesses such as psychosis, anti-social disorder and DID. In comparison, more socially accepted illnesses such as PTSD and depression (Tsai, et al., 2018; Wood, et al., 2014) did not have connotations to violence but were rather shown as characters trying to overcome their mental disorder. These findings show that while there are some realistic and positive portrayals, mental illness is still being stigmatized and stereotyped. This highlights the need for future policies to target educating the public on mental illnesses, while also indicating the need for further research to better understand the gaps that need to be analysed and improved within the field of mental illness. Keywords: Mental Illness, Mental Health, Film Depictions, Stereotype, Stigma, Violence
Mental Illness and Women in Cinema: “Beautiful and Troubled Women”
International Perspectives on Feminism and Sexism in the Film Industry, 2019
The representation of mental illness and individuals suffering from a specific mental illness in films is a phenomenon encountered since the first years of cinema. Mental diseases in many film genres such as horror, science fiction, comedy, and crime are used as scary, laughing, or drama elements. The representations of various psychopathologies in the films give an idea about these disorders to the ordinary viewer. However, these representations can accurately describe the reality and also have the risk of being defective and incomplete. It is seen that people who have mental disorders in cinema are generally presented in the way that 'dangerous, violent, unpredictable characters' within the frame of limited and distorted patterns. It is possible to say that these cliché representations differ according to gender. Female characters with mental disorders are described as 'beautiful and troubled women' in cinema. Related films were taken as an example in this study and it is aimed examine the representation of female characters with mental disorders in these films.
The research literature on the use of cinema in nurse education is relatively small. This study evaluates student nurses' learning experiences of a new undergraduate elective module called Madness in the Movies. Ethical approval was granted to conduct the study. Data were collected through an online survey and a social media discussion forum. The anonymous online survey responses were collated via Survey Monkey. Content analysis was conducted on the data from the Facebook discussion threads to understand , interpret and conceptualise the meanings from the data. All study participants agreed that their understanding of mental health issues was enriched, their attitudes and beliefs enhanced and their confidence to talk about mental health concerns increased significantly. This module provides a fruitful approach to encourage critical reflection on mental health issues in a safe environment that closely mirrors authentic practice experiences. The module facilitates the development of students' knowledge, values and attitudes in relation to person-centred mental healthcare.
The Representation of Mental Illness in The Movie “Ma”
ELITE: Journal of English Language and Literature, 2021
Ma is a 2019 Psychological Horror movie that was directed by Tate Taylor and produced by Universal Pictures which was released in 2019. This study focuses on the main character. The objective of the study is to explain the representation of Carl Gustav Jung’s Psychoanalysis in the movie Ma. The data used the descriptive qualitative method. Carl Gustav Jung’s Psychoanalysis was used as a tool of analysis to explain the findings. The result in this study concerns Ma’s personality upbringing, she utilizes her persona to mislead the teenagers into fulfilling her desires to get her revenge on her old friends. Sue Ann's shadow gets her into a dark place in her life. She tortured the teenagers and killed Ben and Mercedes without acknowledging her bad behavior. She does not show empathy to her victims.