Mental ill-health and suicide: A Mindframe resource for stage and screen Foreword Good writing comes from good research, when the writer knows the subject well and can build good characters and a strong narrative in circumstances, which ring true. In an age when anything can be Googled, it seems that research is easy. Some subjects, however, are easier to research than others. When it comes to mental ill-health and suicide, it’s not hard to find facts and statistics – it’s much harder to find what a writer really needs; first-hand stories about what it is like to live with mental ill-health. As someone who has written about a related area, dementia, I was interested when the Writers’ Guild was asked by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing to take part in the preparation of this resource. Members of the Guild, working in partnership with mental health agencies and people directly affected by mental illness and suicide have assembled something invaluable for anyone contemplating a story in this subject area. There are nuggets in here, real gold. And not only is this booklet a wonderful resource for writers, it contains much useful information for producers, directors and anyone involved in putting these challenging stories onto the stage or screen. GEOFFREY ATHERDEN, AUSTRALIAN TELEVISION SCREENWRITER AND PLAYWRIGHT About this resource This document was developed by Everymind. Preferred citation: Everymind (2020). Mental ill-health and suicide: A Mindframe resource for stage and screen. Newcastle, Australia. This resource is aimed at stage and screen content creators. Contact: It was developed by Everymind in partnership with the Everymind Australian Writers’ Guild and SANE Australia (SANE), with 72 Watt Street (PO Box 833) Newcastle NSW 2300 assistance from screenwriters and consumers, carers and +61 2 4924 6900 service providers in mental health and suicide prevention. [email protected] everymind.org.au Mental ill-health and suicide: A Mindframe resource for stage © Everymind 2020 and screen was created with funding from the Australian This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce the Department of Health. It provides practical advice and whole or part of this work in unaltered form for your own personal use or, if you are part of an organisation, for internal use within your organisation, information for people involved in the development of but only if you or your organisation do not use the reproduction for any Australian film, television and theatre. The resource is commercial purpose and retain this copyright notice and all disclaimer designed to help inform truthful and authentic portrayals of notices as part of that reproduction. Apart from rights to use as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 or allowed by this copyright notice, all other mental ill-health and suicide, and includes information about rights are reserved and you are not allowed to reproduce the whole or any audience impact and key issues to consider when developing part of this work in any way (electronic or otherwise) without first being storylines that include either mental ill-health or suicide. It is given the specific written permission fromEverymind to do so. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction rights should be directed to also available online at mindframe.org.au Everymind on +61 2 4924 6900. ISBN: 978-0-6489212-0-2 Mindframe is supported by funding from the Australian Government under the National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program. Mindframe resource for stage and screen | Contents Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................................06 Portrayal of mental ill-health ...............................................................................................................................07 Audience impact .................................................................................................................................................................................08 Key issues to consider .......................................................................................................................................................................10 About mental ill-health ..........................................................................................................................................12 Common misconceptions about mental ill-health ...............................................................................................................12 Specific mental disorders ................................................................................................................................................................13 Portrayal of suicide ..................................................................................................................................................18 Audience impact .................................................................................................................................................................................18 Key issues to consider .......................................................................................................................................................................20 About suicide ..............................................................................................................................................................22 Common misconceptions about suicide ..................................................................................................................................22 Some facts about suicide ................................................................................................................................................................24 Contacts and other sources of information ................................................................................................28 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................................30 References ...................................................................................................................................................................31 04 | mindframe.org.au Mindframe resource for stage and screen | Introduction Portrayal of mental ill-health In Australia, 45% of people will directly experience a mental illness in their lifetime1 and around three thousand people take their own life each year.2 In 2017-18, one in five (20.1%) or 4.8 million Australians had a mental or behavioural condition, When developing a storyline that When developing a storyline that an increase from 4 million Australians (17.5%) in includes mental ill-health, ask yourself includes suicide, ask yourself the 2014-15.3 Many more people are indirectly affected the following: following: by mental ill-health and suicide as a family member, friend or colleague. – Why am I introducing mental ill-health into the story? – Why am I introducing suicide into the story? Film, television and theatre exert a powerful influence – Will my portrayal be fresh and original? – Should the suicide act be portrayed? on community attitudes towards mental ill-health and suicide. In March 2007, a workshop brought together – Am I perpetuating or challenging common stereotypes? – Might my portrayal of suicide be wrongly interpreted Australian screenwriters with people directly affected as a solution to a problem? by mental ill-health and those working in mental – Will my portrayal be truthful and show a range health. This established the need for resources that of experience? – How can I explore the issue with more depth? would enhance the development of more truthful and – Can I improve the accuracy and authenticity of – Have I checked the accuracy and authenticity of authentic portrayals of people with mental ill-health my portrayal? my portrayal? rather than portrayals that perpetuate current myths and stereotypes. This document is a response to – Can the storyline model or promote help-seeking – Can I encourage people who are distressed to seek help? that need. behaviour? 06 | mindframe.org.au Mindframe resource for stage and screen | Audience impact Because of their broad reach and appeal, film, television People with mental illness have also made and theatre may exert a powerful influence on community the following suggestions about ways to 4 attitudes towards mental ill-health. Handled well, storylines 5 involving mental ill-health provide an opportunity for improve portrayals of mental illness : sensitive, engaging and powerful material. Handled poorly, storylines can have harmful effects, perpetuating the stigma – Researching for accuracy associated with mental ill-health. Stigma can reduce the likelihood that people who experience mental ill-health will – Directing viewers how to get help seek appropriate help. – Showing well rounded and factual portrayals People living with mental ill-health – Using appropriate language. and their families report the 5 Research has revealed that people living with mental ill-health information below : are often inaccurately portrayed as having: a violent or aggressive nature; being eccentric, seductive, self-obsessive; – They experience stigma regularly and the effects of objects for scientific observation; or simpletons.4 stigma are often more distressing than the symptoms