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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

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Open Access 01-09-2021 | Original Paper

Relationships between types of UK national newspapers, illness classification, and stigmatising coverage of mental disorders

Authors: Yan Li, Rosanna Hildersley, Grace W. K. Ho, Laura Potts, Claire Henderson

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 9/2021

Abstract

Background

Media coverage on mental health problems has been found to vary by newspaper type, and stigma disproportionately affects people with mental illness by diagnosis.

Objective

This study investigated the relationships between types of UK national newspaper (tabloid vs. broadsheet), illness classification (SMI–severe mental illnesses vs. CMD–common mental disorders), and stigmatising coverage of mental disorders, and whether these relationships changed over the course of the Time to Change anti-stigma programmes in England and Wales.

Methods

Secondary analysis of data from a study of UK newspaper coverage of mental illness was performed. Relevant articles from nine UK national newspapers in 2008–11, 2013, 2016 and 2019 were retrieved. A structured coding framework was used for content analysis. The odds an article was stigmatising in a tabloid compared to a broadsheet, and about SMI compared to CMD, were calculated. Coverage of CMD and SMI by newspaper type

was compared using the content elements categorised as stigmatising or anti-stigmatising.

Results

2719 articles were included for analysis. Articles in tabloids had 1.32 times higher odds of being stigmatising than articles in broadsheet newspapers (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.12–1.55). Odds of stigmatising coverage was 1.72 times higher for articles on SMI than CMD (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.39–2.13). Different patterns in reporting were observed when results were stratified by years for all analyses. A few significant associations were observed for the portrays of stigmatising elements between tabloid and broadsheet newspapers regarding SMI or CMD.

Conclusions

Tailored interventions are needed for editors and journalists of different newspaper types, to include specific strategies for different diagnoses.

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Title: Relationships between types of UK national newspapers, illness classification, and stigmatising coverage of mental disorders
Authors: Yan Li
Rosanna Hildersley
Grace W. K. Ho
Laura Potts
Claire Henderson
Publication date: 01-09-2021
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 9/2021
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-021-02027-7

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Relationships between types of UK national newspapers, illness classification, and stigmatising coverage of mental disorders

Abstract

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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