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Post by Admin on Jun 20, 2018 17:31:57 GMT -4
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Post by Sarah Saeed on Jun 20, 2018 18:27:30 GMT -4
When I first heard of the passing of Kate Spade, and Anthony Bordain, I was initially shocked and devastated. From the outside, these two individuals looked like they had it all; successful in their careers, living the life many only dream of. However, this is yet another example that mental illness does not discriminate. Like any other medical condition, depression and anxiety for example, can affect anyone. Sadly, mental illness is not seen in the same light, as say, cancer or cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, due to the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions, many people are embarrassed to seek help for fear of being judged. More needs to do be done to decrease the negative view surrounding mental illness. As the article discusses, this is a sensitive topic, however, we need to talk about it more in order to decrease the stigma. At the same time, as with any personal struggle, reporting should be done in an understanding, non-judgmental, and respectful manner. This is especially important when one is reporting on the passing of any individual.
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Post by Natalie Cazeau on Jun 20, 2018 20:55:07 GMT -4
The deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain although very sad, does not really come as a surprise to me. The media has always failed to portray the celebrities in the appropriate light. The media tends to focus on the lowest of lows or the highest of highs, but it seems to miss the in-betweens and real life issues that most humans go though, such as emotional and mental health issues. This article highlights this wonderfully by focusing on how mental health issues should be better reported. I think the timing of this article is a bit late and that these two recent deaths is what probably sparked this idea that journalists should portray mental illnesses in a more responsible way. However, there have been many actors, actresses and musicians that have died by suicide or overdose, but it is not until now that society seems to be concerned with how mental illness is portrayed. I do agree with the article that the way one has died by suicide should not be explicitly detailed as that is not of importance. Media has always been damaging, but it is especially distressing when it has to do with one’s emotional and mental health. People should not be stigmatized because of any mental health issues, instead, they should be encouraged to recognize the symptoms and seek help. Therefore, journalists should strive to write and interview those who have had or are struggling with mental illness and how they have been managing these issues. By making mental health a norm, more and more people will seek help, which is what is important.
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Post by Warda Zaidi on Jun 21, 2018 10:25:00 GMT -4
I agree with the points that this article brings up, it is important to understand that Mental Health Illness should not be taken lightly. It is was shocking to hear about two people that have had very successful careers to end it all, especially so close in time. I agree that when reporting about their deaths, the manner in which their deaths were reported should have been done more respectfully. In these cases it is important to respect the person and also the privacy of the family members that now have to mourn the death of a loved one. I believe that the family members should be the ones to choose how the death will be reported. The media tends to be more seeking of getting attention and profit then being more mindful. They tend to overlook the negative impact that a headline or images can bring on the society. Mental illness still has a stigma and very few people are vocal about it. If the media was more mindful of these headlines or reporting of deaths it can truly impact how society views mental illness. Also, being more mindful of guidelines set by the organizations mentioned in the article, namely Poynter, the World Health Organisation and the BBC Academy.
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Post by cromeu on Jun 21, 2018 12:05:05 GMT -4
The consecutive deaths of all the celebrities we assume live a priveledged and happy life continue to shock me. This goes to show the people who we need to look out for the most are the ones who grieve quietly, not just those who are more public about their personal sadness. It is a shame we always realize too late when someone is in need of our help. I’ve always despised the idea that individuals who reach out for guidance or show weakness are looked down upon. We can’t always fix everything ourselves, sometimes we need someone to listen and steer us in the right direction. Money cannot fix happiness, and this is where social relationships are of the utmost importance. Being there for a friend or loved one in a time of crisis can save their life. We are never “too busy” to just check in and see how the people we care about are feeling and if there is anything we can do for those who are struggling. Depression is an illness, and sometimes not even us in healthcare or pharmacology can provide relief. Always check in on those you love, even in the slightest suspicion. Everyone has ups and downs in their lives. It is up to us on how we choose to deal with those emotions.
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Post by Farwah Shahab on Jun 21, 2018 18:07:17 GMT -4
It is seriously disturbing how the media has controlled so much of our perception regarding the lives of people they personally know anything about. So often Hollywood is portrayed as glamorous and picturesque, when the reality is far from it. The manner in which the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain were publicized is inexcusable. The media does not care how this portrayal will affect people, how the lack of privacy their families deserve could direly impact them in this time of grief. Celebrities are human beings too; they have feelings and emotions, and they face stress and impossible expectations like any one else. But unlike 'regular people', they are expected to appear perfectly content. All the time. The idea that they could be anything but happy seems insane to most people, because money and fame are considered the epitome of success, and assumed to make life better in every way. Even though scientific findings have consistently proven this to be untrue. Every person, famous or otherwise, needs support. It is unfortunate that mental illness has such stigma surrounding it. When someone has a cold, there is at least mild concern shown towards that person, and he or she is usually told to see a doctor and get better soon. But if someone mentions they have a mental illness, people become uncomfortable; they either try to avoid the matter or worse yet, claim that mental illness is not a 'real thing'. I have seen it far too many times, and the stigma seems to be only slightly improving. We as a society need to accept that depression, distress, all of these real issues are serious and can negatively affect a person's health. We should be mindful and respectful of these diseases and disorders, the same way we would if we heard someone has cancer or any other chronic illness. Physicians (and not just those in the psychiatry field) especially need to learn to recognize these symptoms early on so that they can provide better treatment, and we must encourage the general population to recognize the importance of addressing mental health issues, rather than avoiding or disregarding them.
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Post by anthony on Jun 21, 2018 22:33:21 GMT -4
the media plays a lot of role in which news are being reported. strict laws, codes and ethics should be made in reporting mental illness. Reporting this news in a positive and responsible way could raise awareness to a lot of people from different cultures, demographics or religion get attention and help remove the stigma that goes along with mental illness. Journalist should enforce the laws already made in reporting such news with strict disciplinary actions and should provide ways of helping people with mental health recognize the fact that there are ways they could get help. The media report such news in negative ways to get attention and views so that they could make money of such news but also forgets that they have an impact to other people out there suffering from mental illness therefore increasing the stigmatization to others suffering from mental illness. I think the media could play a very important role in reporting mental illness and removing stigma because in the world today, a lot of things get awareness with the help of the media.
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Post by Kevin Shapiro on Jun 22, 2018 15:28:18 GMT -4
The reporting on these deaths was something that shocked me because of there was no respect for the families or anyone who is dealing with the same issues these celebrities were having. I can understand the want/need to know how someone took their own life, but those things should not matter because the most important part was that people have lost their lives because they had no one to express themselves to that could have helped them. As healthcare professionals I think it is our duty to make sure that our patient know that we are here for them to talk to and open up to in a non-judgement way. While I wish the media would change how they report tragedies and mental illness I do not think they will and we as future doctors need to be an example and role model for our society and try to take away stigmas associated with mental illnesses as a whole.
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Post by Rufus Samuel on Jun 22, 2018 22:45:02 GMT -4
It's interesting to note differences in media coverage regarding suicides. Unfortunately for Spade and Bourdain, celebrity culture allowed for the crass nature in which their deaths were reported. They were victims of their professions, fueled by mass scrutinizing observance. Suicide is so poorly handled because media outlets employ the most outlandish headlines/content for the most clicks and views. It is not that we are allowing this trend to continue, but we are actively causing this pattern of reporting. It is human nature; we don't like 'boring.' That doesn't mean we shouldn't actively work against our basal nature. We can start by regulating the manner in which suicide is addressed in the media. More importantly, we should address the root cause. The CDC recently stated that 90% of suicides are associated with mental health conditions. And with the spike in suicide rates, it has become all the more important to mitigate this problem by reducing stigma about mental health diseases, engaging in meaningful discussions, research, screening, and treatment.
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Post by Olukemi Jaiyesimi on Jun 24, 2018 15:18:33 GMT -4
Mental illness is often stigmatized most likely due to misconceptions about what it is and what can cause it. Many people believe that people who are mentally ill made a choice to be that way and consider the mentally ill as people who are just “emotionally weak”. Many people do not know that mental illness can be caused by pathophysiological issues just like many other medical diseases. Furthermore, many people believe that the mentally ill have the ability to fully control their mental disorder without medical or psychiatric treatment due to the general population not being aware that mental illness is just like any other medical disease in which medicine and also counseling about lifestyle modifications are needed to control the outcome of the disease. In fact many mental disorders can be explained by lack or excess amounts of hormones. For example, anxiety has been associated with excess Norepinephrine. Depression has been associated with decreased amounts of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. And also schizophrenia has been associated with excess dopamine. Thus, people who have these chemical abnormalities are most likely to develop mental illness and with certain eventful triggers it can induce or exacerbate their mental disorder. These chemical abnormalities also can explain how someone like Kate Spade that has everything good such as wealth and fame committed suicide, despite having a prosperous life. Suicide has a high incidence in people with mental disorders, particularly depression. Many people are not educated on how having persistent emotions of anxiety or depression is not due to them being “emotionally weak”, but it is actually a medical condition, thus like any other medical condition it has a cause and it has an effect and if the cause of it is not fixed then the illness will progressively worsen leading to eventual death, in this case suicide.
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Post by Kadisha Rodriques on Jun 27, 2018 20:48:39 GMT -4
This article highlights several important points that are of great significance to mental health awareness. While reading the article I was at first taken a back by the the point of somewhat attacking the media for utilizing the term "committed suicide" suggesting that the phrase implies that the individual committed a crime. This comparison to me seemed a much more a play on words than any irresponsibility on the part of the journalist. Committed does not only infer a criminal act, the term is also used in reference to showing dedication as in marriage. I do agree with the article's acknowledgment that there is in fact a stigma in regards to mental illness that our society must be overcome. It is oly through the elimination of this stigma will individuals be comfortable in asking for help without fear of ridicule and shame. This responsibility is not only tasked upon healthcare providers but also, the media, politicians and community at large.
Kadisha
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Post by Divya Kondaveeti on Jun 28, 2018 22:01:20 GMT -4
After reading the article and seeing the difference between "committed suicide" and "death by suicide", I agreed with the author that it does seem irresponsible to report their battle with mental health in that way. Often times suicide occurs when the pain is greater than the choices they have to cope with their illness. I was shocked and saddened to hear the news about Kate Spade and subsequently Anthony Bourdain last week. It made me think about happiness and what true happiness is and how we attain it; both of these celebrities were influential in their own ways and what seemed to me had wonderfully fulfilling lives-- esp Anthony Bourdain. I always thought his job was the dream! But I guess you never know. You never know how someone is actually feeling underneath it all; what internal battles they're fighting.
The media plays a large role in how mental health is portrayed and often times causes mental health issues by the constant bombardment of what we "should" look like rather than accepting ourselves as we are. I know that will never change completely, but it is nice how people have started being true to themselves like in the case of fighting to stop airbrushing models etc. It would be nice if the media could help change peoples point of view, help them see that the person is distinct from their illness. As far as the insensitive pics and stories and vernacular journalists may use, they should make it a general rule to focus on the WHYS and not the HOWS.
Divya Kondaveeti
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Post by Erugo Oriji on Jul 31, 2018 10:18:52 GMT -4
The deaths of these celebrities that appear to have a privileged life always is surprising. That is why it is important to be aware that even people who appear to have all the resources and have attained personal wealth may grieve quietly. It is definitely an issue that we identify these issues too late. The reason why is because many people who reach out for guidance are stigmatized. However, it is imperative that we realize that we may not be able to solve all these individuals’ problems but we may guide them in right direction so that they can become whole again. It is apparent that money cannot buy happiness. Depression is condition that affect individuals regardless of their socioeconomic status. In some cases not even our most skilled licensed healthcare professionals cannot provide the relief. However, it is imperative that we always check on people who are close to us. Always check on the ones who appear to have it together because they may need the most help.
Erugo Oriji
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Post by Lashay Hollinsid on Jul 31, 2018 20:06:13 GMT -4
I think it’s important for there to be better reporting on mental health. It is a tricky situation though. It is good to bring increased awareness, but sometimes it seems difficult to bring awareness without increasing the stigma that already surrounds mental health. In my opinion what could help is if more health care professionals in Psychiatry published articles in every day newspapers and magazines. These professionals would be better able to report on current events related to Psychiatry than other journalists. I also think that it is important for famous people who suffer from Psychiatric problems to speak out. If they spoke out it would force them to get help and it will encourage average people to also get help.
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Post by Lashay Hollinsid on Jul 31, 2018 20:08:59 GMT -4
I think it’s important for there to be better reporting on mental health. It is a tricky situation though. It is good to bring increased awareness, but sometimes it seems difficult to bring awareness without increasing the stigma that already surrounds mental health. In my opinion what could help is if more health care professionals in Psychiatry published articles in every day newspapers and magazines. These professionals would be better able to report on current events related to Psychiatry than other journalists. I also think that it is important for famous people who suffer from Psychiatric problems to speak out. If they spoke out it would force them to get help and it will encourage average people to also get help.
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