Estudo transversal de dois anos das informações sobre esquizofrenia divulgadas no maior jornal diário brasileiro

• Ano de defesa: 2010
• Autor(a) principal: Dubugras, Maria Thereza Bonilha [UNIFESP]
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)
• Palavras-chave em Português: Comunicação em saúde; Esquizofrenia; Estigma; Jornalismo em saúde; Psiquiatria; Health journalism; Health communication; Schizophrenia; Stigma; Psychiatry
• Link de acesso: http://repositorio.unifesp.br/handle/11600/9596

Aim: To describe and analyze information on schizophrenia present in articles about health and non-health related issues, published between 1/1/2007 e 12/31/2008, by the largest Brazilian national newspaper, Folha de S.Paulo (FSP). Method: An electronic search of the FSP database was conducted using the terms: schizophrenia, schizophrenic(s), psychotic episode, psychosis and psychotic(s). A content analysis was performed. Descriptive information on the disease was extracted from health articles, synthesized and compared with the disorder description among the current scientific literature. Popular and metaphoric uses of the terms were analyzed. Articles were rated against health communication attributes; and against inappropriate coverage indicators. The presences of the common myths about mental disorders were examined. Results: The electronic search identified a total of 687 articles, 219 of them fulfilled the inclusion/exclusion criterious (75 texts on health and 144 about non-health related issues). The thematic categories with the highest number of health articles were: mental disorders and violence, treatment. Articles about treatment emphasized the benefits of antipsychotics, discussed health services, and described a new intervention. Schizophrenia terms were identified in texts about non-health related issues on fictional reviews, disorder description (including non pathological features described as schizophrenia), pejorative labels, and humoristic expressions. The metaphoric meanings identified included: contradiction, splitting/ multiplicity, lack of meaning and conflict, 80% of the metaphors presented a negative connotation. Conclusions: FSP divulgated information about the genetic factors, the risk of drug-induced psychosis and the benefits of antipsychotics, which may contribute to stigma-reducing toward pharmacological treatment. Additionally, the newspaper described stories of individuals with schizophrenia integrated into society; however, news about crimes allegedly committed by affected individuals surpassed positive stories both in number and emphasis. Articles presented inappropriate language and stigmatizing messages. Results suggest that the complexity of the disorder, its multifaceted etiology, individual differences and therapeutic alternatives were not widely discussed. Articles about non health related issues associated schizophrenia and violence or creativity, divulgated myths and stigmatized images. Dialogue among media and health professionals, affected individuals and their families may improve media coverage about schizophrenia.