Schizophrenia in the Silver Screen: Beyond the Love-Hate Relationship

Abstract

A film is a series of still images which, when shown on a screen, creates the illusion of moving images. Since its advent, other than being a mode of entertainment and a popular industry, it has been an important weapon of dispersal of information and spreading propaganda. It is well known that the representation of the psychiatric disorders in films has a profound effect on the perception of mental disorders to the public (Orchowski, Spickard & McNamara, 2006). Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that is associated with significant stigma and negative perception among the lay public (VidoviA‡, BreciA‡, VilibiA‡ & JukiA‡, 2016). Considering this, the way schizophrenia has been portrayed in films will be interesting to look at and has been a focus of research.