Scholarly Commons

Moving Pictures & Mental Illness Stigma After WWII

In the post-World War II United States, the pre-existing stigma toward the mentally ill and mental institutions presented many negative stereotypes for people with mental illness. Even in the present day there are still stigmas toward mental illness. There are many forces that can affect a stigma and one of them is media. In the post war period, the moving pictures on cinema screens and T.V. played a role in reinforcing the mental health stigmas.