In “Shutter Island,” Teddy’s implied schizophrenia is used as a plot device to further the film’s central mystery and to paint him as an uncontrollable madman. People with schizophrenia are often passive and are more likely to be violent toward themselves than others, he said.īut a passive, nonviolent character does not make for dramatic cinema – at least not in Hollywood’s eyes. Negative symptoms of schizophrenia may include flat affect – a decrease in a person’s range of emotions – or inertia, a lack of energy and motivation, Nuechterlein said. These symptoms of psychosis may also be accompanied by negative symptoms, which refer to some type of deficit in normal mental function. In reality, Nuechterlein said people with schizophrenia may experience auditory hallucinations, delusional beliefs or, in rare cases, a tendency to speak or write in unintelligible sentences. “So there’s a temptation to emphasize those aspects even though they’re quite unrealistic.” “The problem is that those scary, horror-filmlike portrayals somehow are appealing to … the general public,” Nuechterlein said. But instead, popular films like “Shutter Island,” “The Visit” and “The Uninvited” may reinforce stereotypes by depicting characters with schizophrenia as unpredictable murderers. Nuechterlein, also the director of UCLA’s first-episode psychosis clinic Aftercare Research Program, said accurate depictions of the symptoms and behaviors associated with schizophrenia would elicit more empathy for people living with the disorder. They are actually very rarely dangerous, said Keith Nuechterlein, a distinguished professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and of Psychology. People with schizophrenia are not the violent killers movies often make them out to be. Columnist Alissa Evans puts her cognitive science degree to use in Silver Screen Psychology, comparing movies and shows that boast accurate depictions of mental health to those that sacrifice authenticity for drama. Mental health is explored extensively in popular media, from unsettling character studies like “Joker” to lighthearted family flicks such as “Inside Out.” But while some portrayals successfully shine a light on mental health conditions, others merely perpetuate stigmas and stereotypes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |