Many people with a diagnosable mental illness do not receive professional treatment.
Instead, they may turn to media mental health professionals for diagnosis
and treatment recommendations. This study content analyzed episodes of Dr. Phil
and issues of Psychology Today to determine what mental disorders are covered
and treatments are recommended, and to determine whether their coverage of
mental disorders corresponds to the national prevalence of mental disorders. Both
sources provide content about depression more than about any other mental illness.
Both also make recommendations for psychotherapy more than they recommend
other forms of treatment. The study also found no relation between the proportion
of times that mental disorders were discussed and the prevalence of the disorders
among American adults. This research helps to lay a foundation for future research
addressing the relations among mental disorders, self-treatment, and the media’s
role in mental health.