media guidelines<\/a> \u2013 including advice for soaps and TV dramas tackling mental health storylines.<\/p>\nThe new guidance comes in light of research commissioned by Mind and ITV that shows that one in four viewers had realised they were experiencing a mental health problem after seeing a storyline exploring the subject on television.<\/p>
The research also highlighted that one in five people (18 per cent) had felt encouraged to seek help from a medical professional after watching a character experience a mental health problem, while one in three (34 per cent) had been inspired to start a conversation with friends, family, and colleagues.<\/p>\n
According to Mind, the new guidelines include \u201ctop tips on how to create responsible and compelling fictional depictions\u201d in order to make sure \u201ccharacters\u2019 experiences of mental health problems are as true to life as possible\u201d.<\/p>\n
This is especially vital given that one in five people still think storylines do not accurately represent people with mental health problems, while one in 10 who have seen an inaccurate storyline felt more inclined to hide their existing mental health problems, the research continues.<\/p>\n
The top tips in Mind\u2019s guidelines include an appeal to remain true to character, to ensure consistent symptoms over time, and to avoid myths and stereotypes around violence.<\/p>\n
It also urges TV writers to create well-rounded characters and to offer a road to recovery, rather than only portraying mental health problems as \u201cbeing a hopeless affliction where treatment is pointless and the outlook is bleak\u201d.<\/p>