On the influence of the media on the public's perception of autism
Mainstream media is often the first and sometimes the only source of information about mental health for many people. The portrayal of mental disorders can thus have a great influence on how public perceptions and thus stigmatisation of illnesses are influenced. At the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, the experts at the Research Centre Transitional Psychiatry deal, among other things, with the question of how the topic of mental health is dealt with in media reporting. A recent study, which was also published in a renowned magazine, examined the portrayal of autism in the context of its stigmatising attribution.
While society's approach to mental illness has tended to change in recent years, it generally does not fit well into the image of our meritocracy. Media play a central role in communication and research also deals intensively with the topic. The aim of a current scoping review at the Research Centre Transitional Psychiatry was therefore to contribute to the portrayal of autism and its stigmatising effect, describes Gloria Mittmann, research assistant and one of the study authors. "To do this, we examined the scope and specific characteristics of the records describing the portrayal of autism in mainstream media. The focus was on newspapers, social media and films, television as well as literature." Specifically, 31 articles were extracted as well as secondary research on articles published between 2010 and 2022. "Primarily, these were media from the US, China, Australia and the UK, as there are more publications there than in Europe."
More inclusion and focus on social media
The findings suggest that while the portrayal of autism in the media varies, stigma is most prevalent in newspapers, films and on television. "This is often accompanied by a negative tone or stereotypical portrayal, with little or no inclusion of the perspective of autistic people themselves. In addition, the reporting is not very diverse, persons are, for example, showcased conspicuously with their abilities and limitations, which has little to do with reality," explains Gloria Mittmann. In contrast, the research found that literature and Belleristics treat the topic more diversely and positively, and that a supportive tone also tends to prevail in social media. "We locate the reasons for this in the fact that autistic people also represent themselves on social media and share or describe their experiences."
While future research should focus more on newer media forms such as social media, editors could use the perspectives of autistic people themselves in media representation. "By actively involving autistic people in the content creation process, media can become more authentic and thus promote a better understanding and acceptance of autism," says Mittmann.
Original publication:
Mittmann G, Schrank B, Steiner-Hofbauer V. Portrayal of autism in mainstream media – a scoping review about representation, stigmatisation and effects on consumers in non-fiction and fiction media: a scoping review about representation, stigmatisation and effects on consumers in non-fiction and fiction media. Current Psychology. 2023 Jul 22;2023.
