How the use of the term "schizo*" has changed in an Italian newspaper from 2001 to 2015: findings from a descriptive analysis

Pingani, Luca, Sampogna, Gaia, Borghi, Giulia, Nasi, Annamaria, Coriani, Sandra, Luciano, Mario, Galeazzi, Gian Maria, Evans-Lacko, Sara ORCID: 0000-0003-4691-2630 and Fiorillo, Andrea (2018) How the use of the term "schizo*" has changed in an Italian newspaper from 2001 to 2015: findings from a descriptive analysis. Psychiatry Research, 270. pp. 792-800. ISSN 0165-1781

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Abstract

The study aims to report the number of newspaper articles including the word “schizo” in the period 2001 – 2015 and to identify possible predictors reinforcing negative stereotypes about people with schizophrenia. The electronic archives of the Italian newspaper “La Stampa” have been searched for the term “schizo”. Selected articles were grouped in articles related to mental health (rMH) or article not related to mental health (nrMH). 946 articles were identified. Schizophrenia-related terms were used in 356 (36.03%) article rMH, which mainly reinforce negative stereotypes regarding mental illness both in rMH and nrMH groups. Over time, only in the rMH group a significant reduction of articles reinforcing negative stereotypes was found. Several factors have been identified as predictors of article reinforcing negative stereotypes: unnecessarily dramatic or sensational headline or content; inaccurate or not in the correct context use of medical terminology; emphasis to the illness rather than to the person; mental disorders are the same; disclosure of particular individual has a mental illness. Although there has been a significant reduction in stigmatizing articles, in the rMH group one article out of three reinforces negative stereotypes.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/psychiatry-r...
Additional Information:	© 2018 Elsevier B.V.
Divisions:	Personal Social Services Research Unit
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
Date Deposited:	06 Dec 2018 16:06
Last Modified:	01 Apr 2024 08:11
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/91056

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