Mental illness depiction in children's films

Abstract

Abstract Forty‐nine children's (G‐ and PG‐rated) films were viewed and rated with respect to the depiction of mental illnesses. Material about mental illnesses was included in 33 (67%) of these films. Twelve (24%) had one or more characters labeled as having a mental illness; an additional 21 films contained references to mental illnesses. Characters with mental illnesses tended to be male, adult, Caucasian, single or of unknown marital status, and identified by disparaging slang terms rather than formal diagnoses. Of the 12 movies containing characters with mental illnesses, 8 (67%) included depictions where that character was violent. Other characters responded in generally favorable ways to the mentally ill characters: most worked cooperatively with the character and helped and trusted the character. However, nearly two‐thirds also showed fear of the character. Results suggest that mental illness depictions are common in children's films, and that, despite some positive responses from other characters, mentally ill characters tend to be feared and disparaged. Study limitations and possible implications for children's developing understanding of mental illnesses are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 31: 553–560, 2003.