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"En grupp av sådana människor, vilkas möjlighet till att föröka sig framträder som en uppenbar social, ekonomisk och medicinsk meningslöshet" - En tematisk analys av synen på psykisk ohälsa i svenska dagstidningar år 1934, 1995 samt 2020

Wetterberg, Alexandra LU and Randén, Ella LU (2024) SOPB63 20232
School of Social Work
Abstract
This study aims to investigate how mental illness was portrayed and stigmatised in media in 1934, 1995, and 2020. To research this we did a qualitative thematic analysis where we examined newspaper articles from the chosen years. We sourced our articles from Kungliga Bibliotekets online archive and Mediaretriever. We selected articles either about mental illness or the prevailing view on mental illness, which we analysed by coding and thematising, and sub-thematising the articles. We developed two main themes for our analysis; the view on people with mental illness and the reasons behind mental illness, and mental illness linked to politics, laws, and, responsibility. Thereafter, we analysed the material with the help of Erving Goffman's... (More)
This study aims to investigate how mental illness was portrayed and stigmatised in media in 1934, 1995, and 2020. To research this we did a qualitative thematic analysis where we examined newspaper articles from the chosen years. We sourced our articles from Kungliga Bibliotekets online archive and Mediaretriever. We selected articles either about mental illness or the prevailing view on mental illness, which we analysed by coding and thematising, and sub-thematising the articles. We developed two main themes for our analysis; the view on people with mental illness and the reasons behind mental illness, and mental illness linked to politics, laws, and, responsibility. Thereafter, we analysed the material with the help of Erving Goffman's (2020) theory regarding Stigma as well as Persson´s (2020) and Link and Phelan´s (2001) further development of the theory. We found both similarities and differences between the three years. The study showed that stigma around people with mental illness is present throughout the examined years. However, the way it is portrayed in the media has changed in 1995 and 2020. In 1934 mental illness was said to be caused by genetics or physical attributes, whereas in 1995 and 2020 the main focus was on external factors that the individual cannot control. Our study also showed examples of politics and laws that negatively affected people with mental illness in 1934, 1995, and 2020, but in different ways. In 1934 laws were used as a way to justify sterilisation of people with mental illness and in 1995 and 2020 a recurring problem was resource shortages. Finally, our study also showed that in the three years, there is a common view that society is responsible for the care of people with mental illness, but that the offered care is not adequate. This could in itself be a consequence of the stigma around mental illness. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Wetterberg, Alexandra LU and Randén, Ella LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOPB63 20232
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
stigma, mental illness, mental health, media, newspaper article, social work
language
Swedish
id
9145005
date added to LUP
2024-01-15 14:31:46
date last changed
2024-01-15 14:31:46
@misc{9145005,
  abstract     = {{This study aims to investigate how mental illness was portrayed and stigmatised in media in 1934, 1995, and 2020. To research this we did a qualitative thematic analysis where we examined newspaper articles from the chosen years. We sourced our articles from Kungliga Bibliotekets online archive and Mediaretriever. We selected articles either about mental illness or the prevailing view on mental illness, which we analysed by coding and thematising, and sub-thematising the articles. We developed two main themes for our analysis; the view on people with mental illness and the reasons behind mental illness, and mental illness linked to politics, laws, and, responsibility. Thereafter, we analysed the material with the help of Erving Goffman's (2020) theory regarding Stigma as well as Persson´s (2020) and Link and Phelan´s (2001) further development of the theory. We found both similarities and differences between the three years. The study showed that stigma around people with mental illness is present throughout the examined years. However, the way it is portrayed in the media has changed in 1995 and 2020. In 1934 mental illness was said to be caused by genetics or physical attributes, whereas in 1995 and 2020 the main focus was on external factors that the individual cannot control. Our study also showed examples of politics and laws that negatively affected people with mental illness in 1934, 1995, and 2020, but in different ways. In 1934 laws were used as a way to justify sterilisation of people with mental illness and in 1995 and 2020 a recurring problem was resource shortages. Finally, our study also showed that in the three years, there is a common view that society is responsible for the care of people with mental illness, but that the offered care is not adequate. This could in itself be a consequence of the stigma around mental illness.}},
  author       = {{Wetterberg, Alexandra and Randén, Ella}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{"En grupp av sådana människor, vilkas möjlighet till att föröka sig framträder som en uppenbar social, ekonomisk och medicinsk meningslöshet" - En tematisk analys av synen på psykisk ohälsa i svenska dagstidningar år 1934, 1995 samt 2020}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}