By Shari Ilyas

Jared Lee Loughner. James Holmes. Aaron Alex. These three names may mean something to you. These three names have become the face of schizophrenia in America today. They, and their violence, represent the 2.4 million American adults afflicted with the disease [1]. In order to sensationalize the disease, the media has decided to ignore the facts and engage in the stereotyping and demonization of the schizophrenia today, warping an already twisted image of mental illness in America today.

According to a presidential commission on mental health- nearly sixty percent of Americans identified schizophrenics as a danger towards others [4]. It may come as a surprise to know that people who suffer from schizophrenia are more likely to experience, not perpetrate, violent crimes according to studies cited by the University of Washington. Schizophrenics are nearly twice as likely to be the victims of violent assaults and are at greater risk of being isolated and verbally abused than the general public—an issue that the media has done little to resolve[5]. Regarding the violence that is actually committed by schizophrenics, it is all too often directed inwards—with nearly 1 out of every 10 people who suffer from schizophrenia committing suicide [1].

Through the media, schizophrenia has become synonymous with violence, a lack of reason, and a multiple personality disorder. To highlight the absolute ignorance about the disease, 2/3 of Americans in a poll identified schizophrenia as a form of a multiple personality disorder (it isn’t) that is linked to violence [4]. In a 2003 study of the use of the word “schizophrenia” in the media, it was found that nearly 30% of articles that used the word “schizophrenia” as a metaphor, had used it specifically to indicate a loss of control, reasoning, and violence [2]. With phrases such as a “schizophrenic public”, declining cities with a “schizophrenic” or restless public, and invoking the image of Jekyll and Hyde—the metaphor of schizophrenia has been is used to paint the image of a senseless and unpredictable people, at the cost of the image of actual schizophrenics in the country itself.

There is little mention of more humane images of schizophrenia today. There is nearly no dialogue about 18 year old Keith Vidal, who was shot by an officer after having been already stunned and restrained [3]. There is no longer recognition of academics such as John Nash, the Noble Prize winning economist, who was the inspiration of the Academy Award winning film A Beautiful Mind.

Instead, the image of violence is plastered onto TV screens and placed over schizophrenics around the country. Figures that more accurately represent schizophrenia in America remain conspicuously absent in the media today. Instead of alienating schizophrenic peoples in our communities today, they should be the targets of our inclusion and subject to our understanding. Instead of selling papers to exploit and perpetuate ignorance of the disease, the media needs to engage in dialogue that educational and inclusive- bringing in an already isolated peoples into greater folds of society. We have to become part of the solution and educate ourselves about the realities of schizophrenia in America today—despite what the major headlines may say.

References:

[1] Schizophrenia. The National Institute of Mental Health (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml?utm_source=publish2&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=www.kpbs.org). Retrieved February 18, 2014.

[2] Duckworh, Kenneth, John Halpern, Russel Schutt, Christopher Gillespie. October 01, 2003. Schizophrenia as a Metaphor in US Newspapers. <em>Psychiatry Online.</em> (http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=8775). Retrieved February 18th, 2014.

[3] North Carolina detective indicted for killing mentally ill teenager. (http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/04/justice/north-carolina-slain-teen/) Retrieved on February 18th, 2014.

[4] Slate. January 22nd, 2013. Schizophrenia is the New Retarded. Retrieved February 18th, 2014 (http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/01/schizophrenia_definition_and_metaphor_schizophrenic_does_not_mean_multiple.html).

[5] Silsby, Gilien. October 23rd, 2001. Schizophrenic individuals victimize by crime, study finds. University of Southern California. Retrieved February 18, 2014.(http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/7368.html)