On the media and mental illness

My Latest in Excalibur 

People with mental health illnesses are often depicted in film and television as either violent or unintelligent and unable to take care of themselves, or some combination of the two. This portrayal leads to negative consequences not only in the public perception of those suffering from mental illness but also in government policy and interactions with the criminal justice system. 

A review by the Canadian Mental Health Association, or CMHA, highlights several studies focusing on how mental health is portrayed in entertainment and the media. “The mass media are a primary source of public information about mental illness,” the study concluded. “Media representations of mental illness promote false and negative images and stereotypes. There is a connection between negative media portrayals of mental illness and the public’s negative attitudes toward people with mental health issues [… as well as the] government’s responses to mental health issues.”

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Glendon tries to reimagine refugee experiences

My article in Excalibur


York wants to change the way you think about refugees, inviting a starstudded cast to host the Re-imagining Refuge symposium at Glendon last Monday.
Panelists included Liberal MPP Shafiq Qaadri, York President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, President of Universities Canada Paul Davidson and the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Canada’s 26th governor general, among other academics.
Shoukri emphasized the importance of discussing the plight of refugees, as it is a meaningful moral and academic issue. York volunteered to host the Universities of Canada event in honour of Canada’s 150th anniversary, which is fitting as York has a Centre for Refugee Studies.
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