Recovery From Schizophrenia: Psychiatry And Political Economy

TREATMENT 295The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, in the US, achieved similar successwith a coordinated national response to the TV series “Wonderland.” In theinitial episode of this 1999 TV series, set in a New York psychiatric hospital,mentally ill people were seen committing numerous violent acts, such as stabbinga pregnant psychiatrist with a syringe. Following a NAMI appeal disseminated bye-mail to advocacy groups across the nation, a mass mailing by concerned citizensto the network, the producers and the commercial sponsors led to the show beingpulled from the air after two episodes, despite the fact that 13 shows had alreadybeen filmed.A local media-watch group does not need to be large or complex. One or twopeople can be designated as coordinators. They will establish links, perhaps by e-mail, to a broader group of interested advocacy group members who willimmediately report instances of stigmatizing news reporting or entertainmentcontent, whether they be local or national in scope. The coordinators will discussthe issue and devise an appropriate response. They may forward items of nationalscope to a national stigma-busters group or respond directly to a local newspaperor business.Stigma-busting groups have to tread a narrow line between educatingthe media about inaccurate, stigmatizing messages, on the one hand, and, on theother, coming across as intolerant nitpickers. The stigma-busters’ response shouldnot be so mild that editors and producers harbor the misconception that theirmedia content is accurate and harmless, nor so fierce that they generate fears ofcensorship by a vociferous minority group. All groups struggling with stereotypicimages, be they based on race, gender or disability status, have to cope with theseissues of communication style and strategy. Involving a journalist or othercommunication professional in the media-watch program can help the groupachieve the right balance.An approach of gradual escalation has shown itself to be effective. Begin with apolite request, perhaps including a suggestion that the stigmatizing reference musthave been inadvertent. A positive response should be rewarded with a letter ofthanks from the media-watch group. Often those guilty of such an offense areappropriately concerned and may later become supporters of the stigma-watchgroup. If the offender is unresponsive, increasing pressure can be brought to bearin gradual increments, escalating to a consumer boycott of, say, an offendingbusiness, if an appropriate response is not forthcoming. 81Social marketingModern communications technology gives us more ways to tackle stigma. Sincethe unsuccessful anti-stigma campaigns of the postwar period (see Chapter 8),public education methods and techniques for health promotion have improveddramatically. Such “social marketing” campaigns, as they are known in thecommunication field, have been used successfully around the world in reducinginfant mortality, AIDS prevention, family planning, improving nutrition, smoking