The stigma of mental illness on television

Examination of 17 annual week‐long samples of primetime network dramatic programming reveals a negative and generally stigmatized image of mental illness and the mentally ill. Mental illness has consistently appeared in one fifth of all primetime programs, affecting 3% of the major characters. Although relatively small in numbers, the mentally ill were most likely to commit violence and to be victimized. The mentally ill characters were less likely to be employed outside the home, and if so employed were likely to be seen as failures.