PSYCI:'CI..nGY~ PSYCHIAtRY AND 111 ; ,N r.£'"a~f ... ILLiJBSS IN THE MI1SS MF,DI.A: A STtrt)y Of 7i1.11~NDS 190~.:L)5~~

(korge Ge!L'bnBl:' In.~ ti -I;l'=.te 0 f r~')m.mmJj_':.a t,:t.orJ£ R.et\:~ftx>C;1

t.!niit(!r:c' ~·3i/~y o f rl1j.no~,8

I " *" iJJ.ness topics in the mtlflS mea.l.~~ 0

, Censorsh:tp is conduciY>3 -to cantral ized ~ecord=>k€$pii.lg and classifylng iW'~~

ffiovie8 since 1944~ and nn televi s:toi'l sir:..ce 1951""e

'iJerms of the hisiiOr'"S of th(~ meni.:al health mt)ver.:cnt ox' cf t.he p:rore'3sioi'W

:i.J.I.fD!:"ln.at.:i()l1 str.a·cegY:1

~rha- stll.dy was pEz·t, of Ii l~:l"ger pX'uject ccnducted t!I.!.der ~ grar~;t from - t.h(~ Nai~ion.Gl I nstit1:!t.s of Hent~~l Ho~lt;h.. 'i'h~; KT' ~:.t€'i,~ Yii£thes to ·thank Pro j DCt, Di;;oGcto :l:"~~ C.., F\, Oe;go':'Jc! F'rd rJ r. G~ N\J;lr',':11J.)· t o ::;" t.h~;}.t:, :, Stt,ppO!;-t, and th1cl{" f)c:f,'u.n,..t :~ ~~:nd Y~:~3b~.rIl.,'~:'~$':;; ,f(I ~"" 1,,'?Br.:Hl\:":}'; E;' '''3 ~:j_ ?t:'3n t~~ .. -,

" '" ~. ~ ..

and thG i{ew Yo~:k ~£,inleGi Indnx r:Dve:~'i?i but ,';1 singJ.d nffi:l3'pap>B~:'o ..,_~... .........""''''-",.,.~ ,~o.=="""",,, """,,,",-,,,,_,

They weret

-=."~,=".,;;,,,>,,~-,,,,p",,",,,=,,,-"",,,,,,,,-,," ... ..,,,=-,> T.2ible 1. .Qbo'~\\,t ht%;\8 """-''"''''''''''''''':"'''''-. ~-.. ",,,",",,.,,,,-,,,,,,,,,-~,,,,,,-.,,,,,,,~,",,,,

j ~l 195.5)

was hlitiated» and Amnesia began as a seprurate heading.

Men tal Healing began as a lilaj 0:1;' heading (to be challged to Psyeho~'

therapy j.n 1941) wand }'sychoanslysis 'lias initiated. WPsycholog).cal"

spee.ialization began: Pa·tholngi~lw E'>~ji"Siological~ and Eduootional sub=

headings were soon joined by Research and Expel\'imentalo Psychologist

started in 1.929~ i!ubsume.d lTCS'~ of the listl.ngs p;:'eviou.sly lmc1er Psychology.

Pathological •

to Menta}. Disease (later Mental Illnes:sr) ~ of Psychiatr'ic Employees to Insane

Psychiatry:p and PSY'choaD.~lyeis and Religion!)

General trend!; --.. '"""--"'"

There is little point in proving that the total nUllfuer of articles

as shown in Table 2 Q

Figu_re :1. abi)ui~ he~~

curve-:;>

one-thir.d; but there were no reversals in t.rend 1fihen the number of periodi=

eals indexed was taken into aceD u..'l:G.

Weighting by the number of pages contained in each volume of the

magazin.e a.rticles on mel1i;;ll illness: psychology" psych1atry$ and r~~lat'&d

sllbjec·~s did .!l2!:increi;lse in !lumber :1.n relation to articles on all othel'

striking similarity of our graprsS to the (~eoD.om.:tc trends of' -the rltlticl10

Popular inta-rest in (or exposure to) articles on mental illne~38Ji' pBych~l£,try;;

* sion or r,3cession n

THE NEW YO f-tK TI~4ES

1913~ under headi.ngs ident.ical ox' similar to those. studied in the !t!?~,,1£E,:~

-tH{.

pages of the Index occupied by st.ory list<1n.gs lUiaer these headings.., 111.8 _. resul ts can be seen in Table 3.

*The i.'1ag~es=which accow,'!-t,ea for 6h p81"'cent oX" &).11 listings for the erd~i!'t3 period lNBJrc$ in ~rde:r Df fl"'cqueney of articlest 1,c~.en~~!~ 1~:!tu~t.llt .§£~:;~~ Dig~~$1 11.1'£1!:; ~,!S"'~'i1e.elL'$ !t~ad~:r.eB 1?i["~~A. To",,~~~ H~.!.lth$ l-4·Je~ £~!::9!~·l;3 !::,"Je> ~§:! !-~~=j ,,~ Sa~~: !!~!:L~$ §.gient.ifie Arr~ical'! an:4, ~ ~-.:~~~ Eve~ Post,c FoX' a mOX',B d€tat10d account of the shifts of attention am0ng sUbjectf.tail(f Df magazin.e puhlicatj.ons p&tterns see liTrends in .the GO"ll€1'Bge

of ~~!rl'tal Illness~ Psychiat;,;ic and Psychological Subject.s in PopuJ..ar M-t;,,·gazines by the p!'esent author, in fE"esso ·JpJ.The Hstandarc1 pagefl we.s the 1950 ... .,1958 averZlge of 2ho3 ewX'da per page... 'D:J.0 method of' u,;£:BSll..1"emen:t, was e:sE:d to el.irrtinat.e the Bf't"ectls of type and lornlat changes :':..n .'rrhe bn 1.:12.'10 vol HffitaB ()

the f;:reque~cy Df magazine a%~t.tcl€s weighted by <t:he num,beI~ of p'B~:iodic~ls

indeJted in the ,lli:;?l4.~ Gu~o It shows JGhai"i t.ne ups: and downs were

e~i:'lier and more 'tFiolen'~ in the nevuspapeii',0 as we might expec'~ especially

:In comparison 'PJi th a composite LnoeJ{ of' many magazines 'with different ed3.t ... ·

orial pnlj.eiea and publieat.i,on dates",

Figure 2 about here

The high peak around 1925 :!'et'lected Il rash of leg!:',]." ins'"i tutional°,

and crj.m.,e stol"i:es abOi.lt insanity .and an appa:-:-eni.i preoccupation ~~Jt th

Wrcligious manias~l and '~~itJl 't;he supposed (h~1X'ffif.ul) affects of pl"'ohibition

on ment.al illnesse The siwj,la:t~ high point in 1948 '\J~as the t'0SW.:t, of' nSvJS

about pas'twar interna'i;ij.onal deve1.opmen.ts!" about t3tepped-up legiBlat~:,n;.~

and organiz~l't:tonal E.ctivi.ties~ and of t,he growing impact of s'GuJ;Les of th0

causes of Ay-my draft rejectionso The nelliS values of these subjects app3}:'ently

surpassed t~hej .. r usefulness as materials fOT magazine art.icles; J"he m..~gazinG

trend shows relatively slight humps fen> these tI~o periodso

liD VI ES

The Production Code lidndn.:ist?ation of the Motion Pic:ture Al:H30cimtion

mercial movies exhibited in tha Unii::ecl Stateso In -the course of its X'ev5.ew,

the PCA also classifies each film by n"hYf*)~IB i!significan:t story elements~~~

and other categories~

One ca'Gsgol'Y'of' film "types" j.s wpsycllologi@il1.." Table I.; shows o~he

thr-Dugh 1954", While leBs than four- out 0)-: e7ery hundl"ed featu::-:e films Zs11

Table 4 abou'" here

stcl:'y elemeni;e" in each f'iJ.m,c '~J'i';!aTly colmt of these from 199) thr()ug..;i

Upsychological~f s:to:t'Y elements i:\1 ""he cpin:lon of' the PCA eoderw The tl psych"",

rose to a high of' 1804 percent of all films released

in 1951a fell t.o a loVJ of 203 percent in 195h~ ffi~nd rose again in

(For an il1tJ.e trL1'tion of these trends see Figux'l? 3 below)

Table :; about. here

A check on the types of' films most likely 16c lnclude 8:Lgn~ficant

HpsycholDgical~~ story e10ili.ents showed murder mystery leading with hO per'cen:&

of sueh films (but or~y 17 percent of all films).:>. S~::;ienee f~"ctj.on and hDrror'

* me,,'ts (btJ.'f, only 4 percent of all films) 0,

heal·~h professionals on tele"fJisiol1 came from "the files of oS network: cenSOl~",

nificant enough to be noted in the synopses<l

The resvJ""~s can be seen by year' on Table 6~ B8ginning in appreciabJ.o

nu.mbers tn 1951t!J the frequ.ency of releVR1Tt, material sc:t'eened foX" net"\90rk

telecast came to a peak in 19572 -tfhen declined®

A check on the clI!r~soris oll'?n class1.f':tcatioi1 of relevant programs J:·e­

vealed that mental illness them-es and ,portrayals \"~ere mDst likely to occm.x'

in TV "drama" (54, percent) and l1l;re'~e.·y (28 lJi'l:'cell'l;) and in felllture movie

mystery (1.t.7 percent) and I1d't'amati (20 per'cent) I)

A eom.pa!'ison of' trends in t.he four media wilI. be fottnd on Figure 30

Df eours€;t the compar:tson does not involve amoul1:t,s of ma'heX'i~~l; thai; 1st<

t,he bottom. gx~aphs do not neeessal"'ily m8illln ,fm"Jer uni:ts of relevant. content

t.han the top graphs,:, rrhe figure is designed 'GO compare Dnly relative

tel1denei~s:} and not magn.:i.tudes" in ):.he preSS;t movie~ magazine, and l'lf ncover."~

t'4ge ft oL' ment.al il1ness# psychological and psychiatric subjrBctso

CONCLUSIONS

Despite obvious diff'el'6no::es (ar~tributable to oertain charac'~eristi.cs

~nd business condi.tj~ons lL'15.,qut1 to {{tach medium) there ar.e broad siinila!·i"~i.eB

f,1tl1ong the :maS5 P.1edia in. 'she 8..l11ount of atten-'Gion davo-t ad to our topics!)

Tl:'Msse sim.:i,lal~i ties ap.pe<2!l'" to be ane:ho:t"ed in basic produ.ctive develo.fY'''

'= 10 <=

p3ytnents..,

percentage of total nut,puto

Trends in ne~s and other non~fictiQn are not independent from

currents in popular fiction _and d:t'2HUln Information and education might, no·t

be so fax· removed from 'What v~e call entertainment and eseape Gl3 it ,is common=­

ly supposedQ It may be that Vie do n.ot really Bescapeu the concerns that

loom large in the tlreality l1Ja-tie:r-ialu of nev~s and non-fiction ~hen we t.urn ';y..')

en)iiert~inJflent, bu·t; on.ly transform them into cm~ventionully sotylized fj.c-i;ional

~nd dr.ama tic fox1ns~ Q

Any s-ttempt -'GO commurdcat,e ideas 02~ ehange att1t;v.dea aoou."' 'I'Vental

illna3~J and the men t~,l health professions calls for a broad conee,('n 1tJ5~ th

tfk€ full cu,l tural context~ :1.:0. "'~hi.eh message.s and images are perceived>,;

Limitin.g "bhe concern to JG8c tics of ITIsssBgeu>manipula'ilon or to strategies or

p:('esenting iufol"'ma-c,ion alone are )j.kely to be inadequate to ~&he t~ske

Yea:!:'

I~i~~Ii.~~df1 ar:d

1900

1900 1900

1900 1900

1905 190~

InsiRn,:UJY £:i~ld t:he tf..' I{t3~~?t:t :in Il:Lnesf.;; i~), 1955

g,C;'H."" (dll$nged t,) Mental

Def..',s:c·tiv€ Ghildrf';:')~) (m.,e,"~c;'ed wi '~h Dei'c,-:;t:tvS:3 :L1. J.5'lO)·""-<"~>b

Id:tocy Insane Hos<~;:d.·~8J~S {cbz:::-:tged t:o

HOG F~t tsls P;::;ychiE t:"'iJ::; in )

Hypnc'Gi.sm PSy~JhDlngy

Merrtn31 I:I;Tg:~enC) MeD.'(JaL D:L~~<.~?Be

M:entN.l I~.U<':less

1905 DefGc-;:,iifti.~' GIE;t~se3 (ZLBZ"g(:3d vd,"th Defec:"G:L78S :1:n 1910)

Veeble=Hinde0 (, chf.nged -(<<) Hnndi,c;a. ppt:-.ci :~.n

DflCk~j~n:'d G:~LLI.jTen

AbnDr-m.Bl Chi.2.d :ce:e. (c,,;,,;a:ed ~~~.:-;(c;eptj.Cil-:ll ~hi:LdrGn ,:i.Tl )

In8tj;;"";.ut(~EJ (orJ.y ey,:is';~ed 19'J5-~""'(9)

190::; Mental fk:8,I.ing (G'''"t::~"'';'

1919

I\~JtnhologY:1 ?fJyc:hologjt":.> P..hy·siG.lc:'gi;;:.::al §

J~~1SLm:!,:~y .an3 l·~t·im~

t~) G:~"lm:i.n_~:t H)~d

ArrJ1CB:"La DBI"L;(:t,i,-}';;a '~eh2_nged to M(sy!_

:Ln 195?) pgy{~hnnTI.H1Jra:Lu

cu. "ii-'c. ,; -~;

Pt1J~d'1Glog:i,(;1,J. Clinics (char:;.~ed to ")B\ ,:():L<::i t:JC:~1;: Glj_.ni:;t~ in 1953)

192$ 1925 1925

1929

1935 193:}

19h3

NeUJ:'osis Mongolism

H(£;adingl.3 and .... c.",.,,"""-·_~~""'~= """";""..,,,

Hospi.tals.'5' Psyehopst;hic WayaH!) Ended 1951

PEi ;rchia t}ry Pf!.ych5.a try!!' Tacns.trial

E1{ceptional ChildIu 811

.Lng;.; nrc, Ca:c-0 a nd 'Ire:@: tmen t (d1anged to Men'~al1y" Ill, Crn~() and TreEltim_8_t1.1Jf' 1955}

WOJ":ld War II ~ PBychr;J..og::~,e<11 (ch2uged to .Psycho},og:Lcal \¥:';1~fl%'l'G in 19,[;1)

19h9 Mer.t ta.:L Disf:!@f.lsS/ (ehg;nged -to l~er~'i.;.a:L

1957

""f,r "<,,~, '""1, "'i Coo rr':', .J. .. e.1. C'il"~-Y ~ 4,) :;;""'.~

Schi:?T::pKU"G!tta Ps·ychoanal {IS).s f~nd

Dlbease;j ('Changed to Sta-;'-,.:Lsti~.-!s

},,1er~t-~1 1111'."033,, Ivlerrh.al1y

Lien "G91 Illness:; Azpe(~tt:;

'.<, .' ... .,. '.!.'.~'"

? 8 9

21

190'JdJb 1905=09 1910=lJ-t 191;7~.l.6 1919~'21 1922'~'2h 1925~~N) 1/1.0?9-6 ~,0'3'> .. ,,,. '-" I ~·f .,. $_

'1/10 3"=6 '19"'''' I .r.:.,. J« .... J.? ? h 93<:,=6/1 °37 , f .... .,' • N.~,f" ,

7/'9"7 <;'\0·'9 .}.. ;)" =f",;, ~'../ ... ) 7 !l939 .. 6/191(l 7/19L15~/19h3 7 /19)'3,cl, ,i'l9 i , 5 ~ . -~ =? .... ¥ """

"/- 0l .. ~ , ,- 0' " i-· k.=>!,f)·"'I{ "'. ~.#' J -. ... ~"' .. -.'

5!L94?=L/19h9 ~ ,,", loi 9 ~\ ,t" "'.'''1> ';;/ J.~ l+ '=;:4 .:.oS? :;u. hh()5L~3/10,~ .1"'" f _ .• / '"' j 'r .... 5'"" ?·'-;.or'('~ 4/ ~;''j j'-::'>,~/ ~'-?..,.., - !., ~r: 2/1 y" ,5,y JLj ),-Few ~ri;"';)( ':' Ii (t • .-17 .... /1 /".l OL"'O .)1 "" • .;< ;;l - , ... / ... ,-.~;;7

2ts."·'L~~LG·B :;)·:~>dH.:g:Gd t~E~;;:;:':'

'be ~~k~ntc;l

f!8 Sf',

-' 69' '7L~ !~.? ~.

71 96

'H1~ ,,"'''-'.-,

62 100 138 113 '1 ";fC ..... ;;;J'

129 12:3 141 156 159 164 ~~13 163

per f.!Jjxrib61" Df per.:'Lodi cs:ls :ind62fJ.0d

04,2 080

g-.1' <J '::j,.~

,)~16

051 063 ",as 083

c";:;' o "'~V

08G 1.;:.224

093 lq19 " 'J J.o.,tu,..

099 1016 1028 1~32 10.32 leB.:) lch.?

y,a.a:':.'" pc·!' ~1t;u,T!l,') CC;1,' :x? pagi';0

j~n vrd .. tr-ne

011 013 008

~13 oll 007 olD 012 010 012 013 011

··l '2 ~, ,,~ . .J

01."'3 013 012 016 013

1900

Com}~:r.ti3{}~]. of' 1,'£iE'G~~ ~~~'BYf3 of Cf.Hl:!.pvl~ing Public~ t;io;~\ Trends 5"n P~)Pi11itj2~" MElg,t.'!s'sinc~s b~ised on l~j~,~~) £~~!£,1.s, lia'tj"ngEJ

1920 1950

TABLE J

StDries listed in the New 'Yorl{ TilllGS Index Und(,r Selell'Ged R"'<ldings Per'.aining 'W Men',;al Illness. Psyehiatz'Y. am! Psycholog"v. 1913~19.'5B

.u-Yea,i.\." LiQ,tin2'" Yeal'" i' .-.- -- ~E~~~, I~~: List.:?n~ ~: J.Jistin~~ .,., ... "".".",., .. ,,,,,,,,,' ~

1913 019 1925 2021 193'( 06'-7 191;8 20,8 191h ,,30 1926 lot'll 1938 8'7 Q • 1949 2049 1915 • 44 192'7 :LSi' 1939 061 1950 200, 1916 0:13 1928 ,/15 19hO 063 1951 1057 1917 016 1929 08? 1941 ""5 o ~j 1952 2,08 1918 005 1930 0~>{ 10 1 ...

~'" l~£: ,-' o .. 1j 'o5~ -I., 0_ 1088 1919 012 1931 057 191~:j 0/6 1954 2024 1920 017 1932 031 19hh [..?& 1955 2032 1921 .51 1933 020 19k5 a66 1956 1099 1922 090 1934 058 191~6 "\l "';~

d.o;::..J 1957 1098 1923 090 1935 di7 :~9h? 1056 19513 1 0 85 ]J~tt;\ 1021 1936 ,,96

~i£i:ij}~eBse2rin'=pages and f'racdlions of p~ges!J based .on the J.950=195B st8nda%~d average flf ;~hO.3 "t"¥orOds per pagec

CDmparison and the in th~

FIGURE 2

of Publica t;;Lo.t'.j, N6~i] York Tim.es ~=-~"'=-~"""~

!t.e~~I1~ fhj~de

Th-encs :i.~ Poptuar Mmgar:;:tne b3sed on, lb:tj.i~les Indexed and liB:'! Yorl,; ~9~~e~ Il1dex~

Total

jJ'eat~e f.'ilms CJA~se:ified us ~q?8ycholt<gicaln by thE5 P:r'oducticn Ck'ide Adrr •. :lru.i3·t%'t",tii.Dn~ 1944=19;;tL}v

191~4 1945 19.46 191;7 l,91\8 1949 1950 l,951 1952 l,953 1954

All Films Approved by PCA

41.12 )89 425 404 435 419 b,29 J..&32 368 3;"~, 30.)

Film@ Clast:;;l.fied a:;;;: ~ PsyehologicCiil Y1.*

Nl]JIIDe~~ ~7~"

12 13 28 16 ;;

12 15

:2 h

159

iTheiluiiIDer O1':""'f"i..1.ms approved by the Prodt-'l.c'!J,ion Code Administ;ra~tii)n :1...2 publish®d in i.ll~e Int~;£!!~t:t~~~; 1.fu·t,i2~ "pi~~~ ,~~~£c; It? includes both HoS" and. i~nreign films receiving the peA Set0~ 'Of ApPl"oval1} about '95% of all oomIilerc:t~l l:ftOvies cJ.18-t.ributed in th~ HoBo Clt.;;ssi:~icat,iol1 OT films intD Hpsyehologieal~l an.d other Btypssti is done by the PrJA but the :i:~esul te are l1ty'G gene1'ml1y a:tr[dl~b12f;1 Oi1k~ iflg!.ll"€s &:t'6

based on info:rma tion released to the lI\?};:.l~ f~~~!;"t<!.rl;'L (February 1946 .. 47 issue) mId similar il1foz'PJation collected by DD1'Othy Jones foil' John Cogley's study on ReJ~~r:t! £E. ~~lQ !:)V~~~ New Yo:rk~ TilE! Fund for. the Republic Inc!)$; 19$60

Feature FilfJ1.~ Classified by the Proch:wtion Code Administration as C0l1·~8in:'\.ng Signj.ficant "PSYCII01ogillul" Story Elements. 1950=19580

Year

1951J 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 19$7 1958

Tot,,"1s

All Films Approved by PeA

429 432 ,368 354 ,303 305 337 3aO 288

F;J"mtJ Classified as Having npsyd1.o1oglcalu as ~zS:ign.i.i'ic£in·t Story ElemerdiS u{}

Nmnbe%~ % 29~·'- 6:'8 ,,-'0

79 18.4 42 1104 21 60 0 1 203

15 409 28 ILl!, 52 13.7 29 100 4

302 904% to'tals

~-~v£hese figures U'Jere :mcH~k~ ~ntailable by the I~10t,iok1 Pictnr'e ABsocia t:i.on of Amez'icg:~ 1ne,)

TAPn>: 6

NL'k'l1ber~ ot Filmed IJrograms Involving M0n:'~al -Illness Subject~ Clea:t"ed for l"~lecas-G Over- c1 Na"Gj.ori_ElJ. Nei.iit'iork~ 1954",;1958

Year

19$4 1955 1956 1951 1958

FIGURE .'3

.Mental Illness etc" No ·~eci in 8;\,-£10 psis

19 22 31 '.if 44

Com.parison of 'fl:'ends in ·~he FDur Media