SSC Film Studies

Mental health

Stereotypical characters in films who are portraying those with serious mental illnesses "are being depicted as more demonic and crueler than at any time in movie history, according to a new report for Time to Change".  unlike people in reality films convey those who have mental health problems as "either evil or simple, with nothing in between." 
Dr Byrne states in his report that "“Mental health stereotypes have not changed over a century of cinema" thus is outrageous considering we now have a better understanding of  mental illnesses. the public get majority of their knowledge about mental health from films, where people suffering from mental health problems act violently. 

Schizophrenia, which is severely dangerous to those who suffer with it is represented in a comical way in batman-the dark knight  when Batman calls the joker a 'schizophrenic clown'. (1) In movies like the Heathers and American pie substance abuse and self harm due to depression is seen as the norms of being a teenager-"a phase", as the main characters do not seek any medical help in the films resolution. 












(1)   http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/news/mental-health-stereotypes-movies-crueler-ever-new-report-claims