Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4199

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Kleinman DL, Cohen LJ.
The decontextualization of mental illness: the portrayal of work in psychiatric drug advertisements.
Soc Sci Med 1991; 32:(8):867-74

Abstract:

This paper explores the decontextualization of mental illness in psychiatric drug advertisements. Taking the portrayal of work in several drug advertisements which appeared in the American Journal of Psychiatry as the object of our analysis, we show how these ads tend to individualize mental illness and its treatment by failing to consider the social realities that contribute to or, in some way, affect mental illness. We conclude with a discussion of how such ads distort debate over treatment options and legitimize existing social relations and attitudes.

Keywords:
*analysis/United States/journal advertisements/psychotropic drugs/images in ads/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS/IMAGES IN PROMOTION: WORK/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: MEDICALIZATION OF PROBLEMS/PROMOTION IN SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC AREAS: PSYCHIATRIC DISEASES