Misinformation is a leading cause of the stigma associated with mental illness.
In an effort to persuade the media to be our allies in the fight against stigma, the Department of Mental Health, Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities and other advocacy organizations have formed a statewide network of volunteers to watch the media for examples of material that inaccurately or negatively portrays mental illness. Through phone calls, letters to the editors or reporters and op-ed pieces for the newspaper, volunteers will tell the media what was done wrong, how it harms people and how to correct it. About 100 people have volunteered to be a part of this exciting and important effort. A training session has been scheduled for March 30 for our Palmetto Media Watchers. Another segment in our fight against stigma involved the department's hiring of a research firm to conduct a statewide survey of people's attitudes toward mental illness.