|
Fighting Stigma
by Susan Rogers
THE NATIONAL MENTAL
HEALTH CONSUMERS'
SELF-HELP CLEARINGHOUSE
1211 CHESTNUT STREET
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19107
PHONE: (800) 553-4539
FAX: (215) 636-6312
E-MAIL: info@mhselfhelp.org
Funded by the Community Support Program of CMHS
The Center for Mental Health Services.
The Random House Dictionary defines "stigma" as "a blemish on
one's record or reputation." Such a stigma affects anyone who has a
psychiatric history.
There are myths that have become part of American "folklore" that
contribute to this stigma. The main ones are (1 ) that people with
mental illness are violent and (2) that people with mental illness don't
recover. So, to fight stigma, the two major messages to communicate are
that these myths are false -- that (1) statistics show that "mental
disorders ... account for a minuscule portion of the violence that
afflicts American society," according to a statement issued by the
National Stigma Clearinghouse; and that (2) people with mental illness
do recover, and return to their communities to lead productive lives.
There are many ways we all can fight stigma. The simplest way is to
"come out of the closet" and present "positive visibility" in the
community and the media. Positive visibility is loosely translated as
"your best foot forward." When you let people in your community know
that you, who have been leading a blameless life right next door, have a
mental illness, it will make them question and (we hope) ultimately
reject the stigmatizing myths.
Following are some other suggestions about how you and your group can
fight stigma.
Using the Media
The media too often focuses on the most negative aspects of anything,
in order to sensationalize it. (They think it sells more papers,
attracts more viewers, whatever -- and they're probably right.) Cases in
point are the portrayal of mental patients as "psychopathic" killers on
such shows as "Hill Street Blues" and the late, unlamented "Jessie" and
as buffoons on other shows, e.g., "Night Court." Other examples include
the sensationalized coverage of such tragic -- and extremely rare --
incidents as the 1985 Springfield Mall shooting in Delaware County,
Pennsylvania, when a woman with a psychiatric history named Sylvia
Seegrist killed three people and injured seven others. The point to make
is that such tragic incidents are extremely rare.
You can use the media to get our messages across to the general public.
There are a number of avenues for doing this, such as appearing on talk
shows, taping a public service announcement, or getting interviewed by
your local newspaper.
Contact local television and radio talk shows and suggest that they do a
show on a topic concerning mental illness. Such topics, particularly
concerning homeless people who have mental illnesses, are hot right now,
so you have a good likelihood of getting on. Offer your most articulate
group member as a guest.
Studies have shown that the way to counter negative stereotypes is not
to discuss them but to replace them with positive images. In other
words, "I'm not here to discuss Sylvia Seegrist but to talk about the
thousands of mental health consumers who lead productive lives." Don't
you bring up Sylvia Seegrist (or similar incidents) if the
interviewer doesn't.
In order to counteract these negative images, it's good to be as
positive as possible when dealing with the press or appearing on
television or radio. In interviews, stress examples of people with
mental disabilities who have overcome their problems and are "making it"
in the community. You yourself are such an example. Tell your
"story." Talk about how you were helped by the self-help/advocacy
movement.
Remember: No matter what they ask you, you can still get your message
out. If the interviewer asks a question you don't want to answer, you
can give the question short shrift and then switch the focus to what you
do want to say. (You might say something like, "That's an
interesting question, but did you know that. . ." and then get your
point out.) If the interviewer asks a question you don't know the answer
to, say you don't know but that you will find out and get back to them
later. (This works better in print interviews than on TV or radio,
naturally.)
Let's say the interviewer is asking about the
Galioto case -- a case argued before the Supreme Court in which
the National Mental Health Consumers' Association filed an amicus
brief. (This case revolved around the fact that, until recently, people
with psychiatric histories were denied the right to own guns under any
circumstances, although convicted felons had the right to have their
cases reviewed. The law has since been changed so that this is no longer
true.) Let's say the interviewer asks, "Isn't it dangerous to allow
mental patients to have guns?" Naturally, you should make the point that
studies have shown that there is only a weak link between mental illness
and violence. (Be prepared to cite these studies if you are challenged.)
But don't get involved in defending the position that people with mental
illnesses should be allowed to have guns. The real issue, you would tell
the interviewer, is that people with psychiatric histories should have
the same rights as all other citizens. That is, if the Supreme Court
denies them the same right of review as a convicted felon, it would set
a dangerous precedent, so that soon they might be denied other rights.
Guns are not the issue; rights are.
Another key to a successful interview is to have a few colorful phrases
memorized -- lines that get your message out and are also exciting, so
that the interviewer will want to use them. I have heard people at
demonstrations giving interviewers long involved explanations of what
was going on, the history of the conflict, etc. This is great for
background, to educate the reporter about the issues -- but what the
radio stations use on the air is the next person's comment, "We are here
to demand our rights!" So phrase your comments to the press in
15-second, quotable "sound bites."
For example, a good, lively phrase is "the last civil rights movement."
More and more people have been using this phrase in interviews to
describe the consumer movement, and it has been quoted in articles
around the country.
If you are being interviewed as a representative of your group or
organization and you offer certain opinions that are not those of the
group or organization, make sure you identify them as your own opinions.
Don't forget to identify your group or organization, and arrange in
advance to have its name, address and phone number flashed on the
screen, or repeated over the radio, or printed in the newspaper. (If
it's impossible to get all this information out, at least make sure the
name of the group and the city it is located in are identified, so
people can find it through Directory Assistance.) You can thus use the
media to publicize the existence of your organization, so that you can
strengthen it by attracting new members.
Don't forget that a picture is worth a thousand words. If you are on
television or sitting across from a reporter and are well-dressed with
your hair neatly combed and your best foot forward, so to speak, this
goes a long way toward convincing an audience that we are human. The
next time someone wants to open a halfway house in their neighborhood,
for example, maybe they'll remember you and let it happen. That's really
what positive visibility boils down to.
More Media Tips
(Editor's Note: The following seven tips were prepared by the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation, Boston, Massachusetts.)
- Avoid answering the reporter's questions on the
first telephone call. It's to your advantage to have a few minutes to
gather your thoughts and clarify the message you want to send;
otherwise you may phrase something in a way you did not intend. If a
reporter catches you off-guard on the telephone, just say, "I'm in the
middle of something right now. What information do you need?" After
the reporter gives you that information, say, "Fine, let me wrap this
up and I'll call you back in 10 minutes." And do call them right back.
Delays tend to make a reporter wonder if you're hiding something.
- Stick to answering only the questions for which
you are prepared. You shouldn't be afraid to say, "I don't know, but
I'll be happy to check that out and get back to you." Then be prompt
in getting that answer, or direct the reporter to the person who does
have the answer.
- Don't make "off-the-record" comments. If you
don't want it broadcast or in print, don't say it. It is very possible
that there could be conftusion between you and the reporter as to
what's on and off the record. [Journalistic ethics require that it you
identify a comment as "off the record" before you say it -- afterwards
doesn't count -- a reporter may not use it. But mistakes do happen.]
- Make your point in 15 seconds or less. Anything
longer and the reporter will have to edit your answers.
- Be precise and avoid jargon. Generalities can be
misinterpreted. Use specific examples that clarify and make the
audience care about your point of view. Speak in terms the general
public will understand.
- Don't let the reporter put words in your mouth.
If a reporter says, "So you're saying . . ." answer with, "I'm saying
. . ." and, in a friendly way, restate your position.
- Take time to educate the reporter. Reporters are
often sent out on a story with little background information on the
topic. They won't be offended by a friendly briefing on what has
transpired to date; they'll appreciate it.
Community Service
Your group should volunteer its services in the community in some
substantive way. For example, you can volunteer in hospitals or public
park clean-up units, or to collect and sort trash for recycling, or to
visit shut-ins or read to the blind, or in any number of other
worthwhile efforts. And when you make it known that you are a group of
mental health consumers -- people with mental illnesses -- who are
performing this service and people get to know you as good citizens of
their community, this goes a long way toward fighting stigma.
Media Watch
Everyone should be on the lookout for stigmatizing stories, cartoons,
editorials, movies, television shows, even greeting cards -- that is,
anything in the media that portrays people with mental illness in a
negative light. Then write letters, and get everyone you know to write
letters, protesting such stigmatizing material.
For example, in July 1987, the Atlantic published a piece of
short fiction called "Inn Essence" by Ralph Lombreglia. The story was
about a man who had just been released from a mental hospital and was
working as a chef, who attacked several of the restaurant's workers with
a carving knife. We wrote to the magazine, stating the point that people
with mental illnesses are no more violent than the general public, and
that this myth makes it difficult for us to live in the community.* The
Atlantic published the letter in November, along with a response
from Mr. Lombreglia, in which he said that we had a good point and he
regretted any offense he had given. Ideally, every time anything like
this appears, the perpetrator should be flooded with letters. When the
media understand that they can't get away with this anymore, they'll
stop.
*Editor's Note: In 1987, the most recent research indicated this.
However, more recent studies (most notably, the
MacArthur study) have shown that, when you factor out drugs and
alcohol, there is only a weak link between mental illness and violence.
Pie-in-the-Face and
Pie-a-la-Mode Citations
When your group identifies particularly horrible examples of
stigmatizing, sensationalized coverage of mental health issues, or
particularly good coverage, you can condemn or congratulate the
perpetrators, appropriately. For example, the Mental Health Association
of Southeastern Pennsylvania called attention to the issue of stigma by
issuing Pie-in-the-Face and Pie-a-la-Mode awards. (Pie was actually an
acronym, PI&E for Public Information
and Education.) PI&E-a-la-mode recipients (good guys)
received a framed citation and an apple pie; PI&E-in-the-face recipients
(bad guys) got a framed citation and a lemon meringue pie, with
instructions on applying it.
Your group can issue such awards, then do a press release, which will
kill two birds with one stone: You will make the point that the media
should not stigmatize people diagnosed mentally ill, and you may get
some positive publicity for your group.
Respond to TV Editorials
When a Philadelphia TV station ran an editorial suggesting that
Pennsylvania should broaden its commitment laws, we immediately wrote an
editorial contradicting this position, backing up our points with facts,
and contacted the station manager. Within days, we were invited to the
station to tape an editorial response, which was aired several times
over the next week. (TV editorials and responses are roughly 200 words;
they must be read in a minute and a half or less. Time yours before
submitting it.)
Damage Control
When someone with a psychiatric history commits a crime, the newspapers
always run long, sensationalized accounts with headlines like "Mental
Patient Runs Amok." When this happens, your group can gear up for a
media blitz, stressing the point that, when you factor out drugs and
alcohol, there is only a weak link between mental illness and violence.
For example, after the mall shooting (described above), Project SHARE
mobilized its forces. We contacted the Philadelphia Inquirer the
major Philadelphia daily) and arranged for a reporter and photographer
to visit our group. The Inquirer ran an excellent story under the
headline "Group fears public will link mental illness, violence," and
made the point that such a link would be inaccurate (which was the
state-of-the-art knowledge at the time). Within days of the event, we
also appeared on newscasts of all three major TV stations and on a
couple of talk shows. Besides fighting stigma, the publicity attracted
people interested in our group.
If there is time, write a press release with lots of pithy quotes in
response to whatever the situation is and send it to reporters. But if
this is not possible, don't hesitate to call radio stations, TV
stations, newspapers, etc., ask for the reporter who's covering the
story, tell them that you have something to say about the subject and
ask if they would like a quote from you as a representative of your
group. For example, when the closing of Philadelphia State Hospital was
announced, we at Project SHARE called the newspapers, wire services, and
radio and TV stations and asked, "Would you like some input from a
former mental patients about the closing of the state hospital?" Many
did.
Before calling, write out a two-or three-sentence quote; this way, if
they do want a quote, you'll be prepared and won't have to fumble for
words.
Public Service
Announcements
Radio and television stations are required to run public service
announcements (PSAs), which are "commercials" for services or causes of
some sort. They may range from 10 seconds to about a minute in length.
You can videotape a PSA about your group -- if you don't have the
equipment or the expertise to do this yourselves, you can ask
professionals to donate their services. (Many will do work of this kind
pro bono publico [for the good of the public].)
Contact the station manager at a local station and ask if they will run
your PSA. The PSA might include a couple of members of your group
talking about how they have been hospitalized for psychiatric illness,
and that it is important to bring these issues out of the closet, in
order to fight stigma. You can talk about the fact that people with
mental illnesses are organizing, mention the name of your group and
where and when it meets, and give a phone number for information.
Mental Health Players
Your group can form a Mental Health Player troupes, which is an
excellent community education tool. The players are an improvisational
theater group that can perform in churches, schools, or other community
gatherings.
It works like this: The actors perform a few five-minute sketches to
dramatize problems that people may face. For example, one sketch that is
often performed by various players troupes shows two people visiting
their neighbor, who has just returned home after six months in a mental
hospital. The visitors at first pretend to be welcoming the neighbor
back; but they grow increasingly hostile as the visit progresses,
demanding to know if the neighbor had had shock treatment or perhaps a
lobotomy, and asking how long he was planning to remain in the
neighborhood, since there were a lot of children living there. Their
host tries in vain to reassure them that he is no threat to their
children or their property values.
Another sketch might show a man returning to work after psychiatric
hospitalization, and having the personnel director interview him.
After each sketch, the narrator invites the audience to question the
performers, who respond in character, giving the answers the characters
might have given. This often makes the audience confront their own
prejudices, since the prejudices expressed by the characters give the
audience permission to express their own. Then, when the performance has
concluded, the players "unmask," identifying themselves. The audience
then realizes that some of the views expressed, for instance by the
visitors in the "Returning Mental Patient" sketch, are ignorant; if they
agreed with these opinions, they have some serious thinking to do about
their own ideas.
Players troupe exist around the country, and often include mental health
professionals and other volunteers. However, while the Mental Health
Players fight stigma through the information the audience grasps by
watching the sketches, the Players are even more effective when the
troupe members are consumers themselves. For example, when the Project
SHARE players have identified themselves as consumers, some audiences
have audibly gasped.
For more information about how to start a Players troup, contact the
Mental Health Association in New Jersey, 60 S. Fullerton Avenue,
Montclair, NJ 07042, which has a manual on this subject.
Editorial Board Meetings
Write to the editorial board of your local newspaper and request a
meeting. Bring press kits -- clippings about your group, a brochure, a
newsletter, whatever you have. You can also bring clippings about the
National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse and our
brochures, to show that your group is in the context of a national
movement. Your local paper may not be aware there is a consumer
movement; it's time they found out.
Often, stigma is perpetuated through ignorance. It may be news to the
editors of your newspaper that people with psychiatric histories are
living productive lives in the community. How are they going to find out
if you don't tell them?
You will also have an opportunity to educate them about the issues. For
example, after the Philadelphia Inquirer ran some bad editorials
about the proposed changes in the Pennsylvania commitment laws, Project
SHARE met with the Inquirer editorial board and supplied them
with some information, such as the testimony from Professor Mary Durham
about the disastrous effects that broadening the Washington State
commitment laws had on the state's mental health system. Shortly
thereafter, the Inquirer ran a balanced editorial, and quoted
from the Durham testimony.
Write Articles and Op-Ed
Pieces
Newspapers run "guest editorials," or articles on issues in the news,
opposite their editorial page. You can write such an article; and submit
it to the Op-Ed Editor of your newspaper, for possible publication.
You can also write articles for other local magazines and newspapers.
(First, call or write for their editorial guidelines -- that is, the
rules they want contributors to follow [such as double-spaced copy,
margins of a certain width, etc.].)
Cable TV Shows
If your area has cable TV, write to some of the stations and suggest an
idea for a show on mental health issues. You may end up hosting it.
Demonstrations and
Protests
One way to fight stigma and educate the public is through staging an
event, such as a demonstration or a protest. For example, at
Alternatives '88, we staged a candlelight vigil against stigma on the
steps of the Utah state capitol. Some 300 people, most of whom were
consumers, attended. We had publicized it well, through ads in the
entertainment sections of the two Salt Lake City dailies (since we had
arranged for folk singers to entertain) and a press release to Utah
newspapers, TV stations and radio stations. Two nights before, we
mentioned the vigil on a local talk show. We also handed out flyers
about the event.
The press release won us articles in both local dailies. The Salt Lake
City Tribune article appeared the morning of the vigil, and the
mention of the event attracted additional participants from the
community. The vigil itself received excellent TV coverage.
Writing a Press Release
A press release is like a little newspaper article. In fact, a small
newspaper may decide to run it word for word. It should be roughly 300
words -- no more than 400 to 500 words; (there are roughly 250 to 300
words on a 8-1/2 x 11. page, double spaced). Press releases must be
typewritten, and should be on your group's letterhead (if your group
doesn't have a letterhead, type your group's name and address at the
top). Under this, type, "For Immediate Release," and list at least one
contact person, with this person's phone number. Then make sure this
phone is covered, either by the contact person or an answering machine
-- and return calls promptly.
For the candlelight vigil against stigma in Salt Lake City, our press
release started off like this:
MENTAL PATIENTS* STAGE
DEMONSTRATION FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND TO KICK OFF NATIONAL CONFERENCE
SALT
LAKE CITY, UTAH -- Mental patients from all over the country will
demonstrate against the stigma of mental illness on the south steps of
the Utah state capitol on Wednesday, August 3,at 7 p.m.
"Mental patients face discrimination and rejection in every area of
their lives," said Joe Rogers, President of the National Mental Health
Consumers' Association (NMHCA), the first national organization of
present and former mental patients, which is organizing the event. "We
are denied jobs, housing and insurance. We are mercilessly stereotyped
on television, on the radio, in movies, novels and newspapers. Now we
are sending a strong message to this country that we refuse to be
treated as second-class citizens any longer.
The press release continued, talking about Alternatives '88 and the
national consumer movement. (Notice that the date, time and place of the
event that we were publicizing were in the first paragraph.) Your press
release must get to the point immediately, since busy editors may not
read past the first paragraph.
* Editor's Note: When this press release was written (in 1988), we were
using the phrase "mental patients" because we felt it was the most
communicative and might capture the attention of the press more easily
than a phrase such as "mental health consumers," which would need an
explanation. Now, however, we have moved toward such phrases as "people
with mental illnesses," "people with psychiatric histories," or "people
with mental disabilities," rather than "mental patients," which some
people find stigmatizing.
Other Weapons Against
Stigma
Two excellent ways to fight stigma are through publishing a newsletter
and organizing a speakers' bureau. For more information, see "How to
Develop a Consumer-Run Our Sponsors "* and Organizing and Operating
a Speakers' Bureau. Both of these Technical
Assistance Pamphlets are published by the National Mental Health
Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse.
*Editor's Note: This particular pamphlet is geared toward people who do
not have access to a computer. However, there are many excellent guides
to publishing a newsletter, some of which are available on the Web.
Speaking for Ourselves
Not very long ago, many mental health advocacy organizations used the
slogan "Speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves." The
consumer movement has changed that. As more and more of us are out
there, speaking for ourselves in judicial and legislative forums, on
boards and committees, before groups in the community and professional
organizations, through our own articles and letters in newspapers and
magazines, in our own newsletters, on television and radio and in the
print media -- or even to our neighbors -- we are fighting stigma. And
we must.
FIGHT STIGMA!
References
- <Channels (monthly newsletter), Public
Relations Society of America, Inc., 845 Third Avenue, New York, NY
10022.
- A Communications Manual for Non-Profits
(1981), by Lucille Maddalena, American Management Associations, AMACOM
Division, 135 W. 50th Street, New York, NY 10020.
- Guide to Public Relations for Nonprofit
Organizations and Public Agencies (1977), Grantsmanship Center,
1031 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90015.
- If You Want Air Time (1982), National
Association of Broadcasters, 1771 "N" Street, NW, Washington, DC
20036.
- Publicity Guide for Fundraisers (1981),
by J.M. Williams, Training for Living Press, Mattituck, NY 11952.
- Public Relations Guides for Nonprofit
Organizations, Foundation for Public Relations, 575 Madison Avenue,
Suite 1006, New York, NY 10022.
- Successful Public Relations Techniques,
Public Management Institute, 333 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA
94102.
- We Interrupt This Program . . . A Citizen 's
Guide to Using the Media for Social Change, by Robbie Gordon,
Citizen Involvement Training Project, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Email:
|
