SHIFTING MINDS

Understanding the Development, Representation & Impact
of Mental Health Storytelling in Entertainment
Television has immense power to shape public perceptions of mental health, but still perpetuates stereotypes that can stigmatize and hinder help-seeking. Recognizing this, the Mental Health Storytelling Initiative was launched in 2021 by SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. This collaborative effort aims to expand mental health storytelling by fostering deeper collaboration between entertainment content creators and mental health experts. Central to this Initiative is the Mental Health Media Guide, which provides evidence-based best practices for crafting authentic stories about mental health.Alongside this effort, we at Norman Lear Center’s Media Impact Project were engaged by SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios to study:
  • The ways in which entertainment content creators, experts, and studio social impact teams collaborate to develop responsible mental health storylines
  • Trends in mental health representations before and after the release of the Guide
  • The audience impact of mental health stories aligned with best practices
Our findings highlight the promise of destigmatizing and authentic portrayals
of mental health in unscripted and scripted entertainment, which can have a tangible impact on the way viewers support themselves and one another.

Read the report.
Read the research brief.
The Norman Lear Center's Media Impact Project researches how entertainment and news influence our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and actions. We work with researchers, the film and TV industry, nonprofits, and news organizations, and share our research with the public. We are part of the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.