Another research interests I shared with some of my doctoral students (former and current) was mental illness stigma. Mental illness is a serious health risk around the world, especially among young people. At the same time, mental illnesses are often highly stigmatized. In several studies, we examined the discourse around mental illness through interviews as well as analysis of media contents.

My first study on mental illness stigma explores the cultured understanding of mental health and mental illnesses among members of Generation Y in China. We conducted interviews with college students in China to collect stories about people with mental illness. A narrative analysis of more than 100 stories identified five narratives featuring the tragic genius, the psychotic criminal, the fragile victim, the antisocial recluse, and the homosexual. These narratives are gendered, in that women are the primary protagonists in the narrative about the fragile victim, while men are featured prominently in the narratives about the tragic genius, the psychotic criminal, and the antisocial recluse. Our study demonstrates that these narratives are based on, and will further reinforce, highly cultural-specific stereotypes and biases about mental illnesses in China.

Tang, L., & Bie, B. (2016). Narratives about mental illnesses in China: The voices of Generation Y. Health Communication, 31(2), 171-181. doi:10.1080/10410236.2014.940673 [Full article]