Media can help shine spotlight on health issues
The media plays a crucial role when it comes to covering health topics. We are more media ‘savvy’ now than ever before; people have instant news access on their phones and computers.
The young are much more in tune with what is going on around them than I ever was as a child. The media is an all-powerful, unrivalled tool in delivering messages to the masses.
Unfortunately, in relation to mental health and the media, we will be all too familiar with often negative and wholly distorted coverage.
In particular TV dramas covering storylines with a mental health focus.
Many have failed miserably to portray realism, sensitivity and, frankly, the truth. My advisory work, and that of others to address this, involved working closely with writers to ensure more factual and authentic depictions.
This work made critical inroads and has now become common practice.
My role covered popular TV dramas such as Emmerdale and Hollyoaks, as well as long running radio dramas such as The Archers.
In collaboration with the researcher and writers I could bring more authenticity, more compassion and more empathy for the person at the centre of a mental health storyline. This worked well but was not without controversy.
In The Archers I influenced and crafted a storyline involving a character who became psychotic. His life was quickly spiralling out of control.
His erratic behaviour, suddenly involving drug dealing and dog fighting, understandably impacted on those around him. The pace of his downward spiral was fast and it was hard to keep up with this. This is where ‘poetic licence’ was stretched to breaking point.
My approach was to highlight how he was losing all insight into his mental condition, and we must always try to adopt a non judgemental attitude.
His dark heart was for all to see, but with the right help there was the possibility of change. A chink of light shining in an otherwise dark world.
Despite his anti social behaviours he deserved help and empathy as much as anyone else.
A compromise had to be found between the drama entertaining the listeners, and trying to promote more understanding around certain mental health conditions.
Following this storyline, I was asked to write a blog for The Archers fans. While some supported my input there were others who lambasted me. I had underestimated The Archers passionate following until then.
One person questioned whether I really was a qualified mental nurse. A thick skin is necessary in times like these. My approach to this was to try to elicit some positives out of a negative experience.
The comments, whether complimentary of not, had at least opened up a conversation around mental health. This was the intention. Now, that had to be good.
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