Images of disabled in Lithuania - view from the Scandinavian perspective
ENAccording to the results of survey “Human Rights in Lithuania 2006: Overview” by Vilmorus (2006) Lithuanian society is intolerant to the mentally ill. The overall aim of this project is to raise awareness and enhance knowledge regarding the media representations of mentally ill persons in Lithuania in order to deepen the respect for difference and acceptance of persons with mental illness as a part of human diversity. How is a media study going to deepen the respect for otherness? Mass media is considered to be the greatest socio-cultural (re)producer in the whole society. We receive all the information and knowledge that is out of our personal reach from the mass media which McLuhan called ...our prolonged senses (1967). Reality in the media is represented selectively - from the flow of the events it constructs the surface image of everyday life. The image that is conveyed by the media influences general public as well as those who are responsible for the policy making (politicians). When this image is negative and presents mentally ill people as aggressive and dangerous it influences not only public opinion but also potentially leads to stricter regulations and different restraints in legislation of this area. That in turn leads to seclusion of this group and diminishes its’ possibilities of social integration. As the main source of information the media could have a great influence on destigmatization of the mentally ill. Information provided in an ethical way could help to challenge existing stereotypes and prejudices towards this group.Today’s leaders of stigma research P. Corrigan (Associate professor, University of Chicago Centre for Psychiatric Rehabilitation), G. Thornicroft (Professor of Community Psychiatry, Head of the Health Services Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London) and others regard public campaigns using the media as one of the most effective means of diminishing mental illness stigma. The immediate objective of the study is to find out what images of mental illness and mental health services are portrayed by Lithuanian printed newspapers and news websites and compare them to the Norwegian and Swedish media images and previous research within this area.
