Priory Group praised soap mental health storyline
6/8/09
A consultant psychiatrist at the Priory Group, Europe's leading independent provider of acute mental health services, has congratulated soap bosses for using high-profile, populist television programmes to help remove the stigma of mental illness.
Eastenders bosses have won praise for tackling mental health issues in a current storyline featuring one of the soap's major characters. Market stall holder Stacey Branning is following in the footsteps of her mother Jean Slater in suffering a Bipolar Disorder.
Teen soap Hollyoaks and Coronation Street have also addressed mental illness and addiction in hard-hitting storylines. In Emmerdale, young farmer Andy Sugden is spiralling into a severe depression after losing custody of his daughter.
A number of well-known celebrities have also talked about their diagnosis, including Stephen Fry, Tony Slattery, Carrie Fisher, Jo Brand, Alastair Campbell, Ruby Wax and Kerry Katona.
According to the Office for National Statistics around 300 people out of 1,000 will experience mental health problems every year in Britain.
Anxiety and depression are the most common condition but the statistics concerning Bipolar Disorder are surprisingly high; one in a hundred people suffer from a bipolar affective disorder, lasting approximately 6 to 10 years, at some time in their lives. As with all mental health problems, Bipolar Disorder can come and go throughout someone's life, and many people diagnosed with this disorder will go for long periods without being affected one way or the other.
However, there is still a lack of knowledge and a certain amount of fear and discrimination where mental illness is concerned.
Dr Richard Bowskill, consultant psychiatrist at the Priory Hospital Brighton & Hove, said: "Anything that de-stigmatises and changes attitudes towards mental illness is to be welcomed.
"Research shows that less than 40% of employers would consider employing someone with a mental health problem. Employers can be influenced by false and negative perceptions of mental health issues, which influence their attitude towards both existing and potential staff with mental health problems.
"Using well-loved soap characters to portray this type of illness, if done credibly, sensitively and with adequate research can help break down barriers and give a real insight into living with mental illness."
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