Representation of mental illness and disorders in Iberoamerica digital media.

The majority of mental health coverage in Ibero-American digital media was neutral in tone, with a minority being positive or negative.

• 56% of the sample had a neutral tone
• 27% of the sample had a positive tone
• 17% of the sample had a negative tone
• Sample size was n = 1226 representative information units drawn from 20,020 total articles collected

Negative representation of mental health was generally linked to crime and substance abuse problems.

• 17% of the sample was classified as negative in tone
• Negative representations were specifically associated with crime and substance abuse topics
• This finding aligns with the broader bibliometric literature noting generally negative media coverage of mental disorders

Depression, anxiety, and stress were the most frequently represented mental health conditions in Ibero-American digital media in 2023.

• Depression appeared in n = 161 articles
• Anxiety appeared in n = 158 articles
• Stress appeared in n = 144 articles
• Suicide appeared in n = 88 articles
• Substance addiction appeared in n = 83 articles, and neurocognitive disorders in n = 68 articles

Simplistic links between mental disorders and single external factors were found in 187 reports, most commonly involving social network abuse and social issues such as poverty or social exclusion.

• 187 reports contained simplistic causal links between mental health and a single external factor
• Most common simplistic links involved abuse of social networks and social issues such as poverty or social exclusion
• Simplistic links emerged mainly in reports where expert sources were contrasted
• Simplistic links were defined as 'direct and unsubstantiated causal relationships between mental health and a single external factor, such as social media use, video games, or certain social or gender conditions'

A bibliometric analysis of prior research found that media coverage of mental disorders is generally negative in most cases.

• The bibliometric analysis covered 130 research studies on media coverage of mental disorders
• The studies spanned the period from 2002 to 2022
• In most cases, research found media coverage of mental disorders to be generally negative

The study collected and analyzed articles on mental health from the most important digital media outlet in each Ibero-American country published in 2023.

• Total articles collected: n = 20,020
• A representative sample of n = 1226 information units was analyzed using a mixed analysis approach with an analysis sheet
• Data collection was limited to the year 2023
• One major digital media outlet per Ibero-American country was selected

The authors argue that neutral representation of mental health in the media should not be considered a positive aspect and that a more proactive, contextualized approach is needed.

• The authors state that 'neutral representation of mental health in the media should not be considered a positive aspect'
• They call for 'a more proactive approach… focusing on the details of each situation without articulating homogeneous stories'
• This argument is situated in a context of 'misinformation, digital noise, and the rapid growth of mental illness in the population'
• The authors emphasize the 'formative and sensitizing role of the media'