Swapping Insults, Neglecting Policy
How U.S. Presidential Candidates Communicate About Mental Health
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21617396 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Scott Parrott (0000-0001-6801-5207, Department of Journalism and Creative Media, The University of Alabama, corresponding author), Hailey Grace Allen (Hussman School of Journalism and Media, The University of North Carolina) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 866-874 |
| Publication date | 2023-04-16 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Health Communication (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1041-0236 • E-ISSN: 1532-7027 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10410236.2021.1980252 |
| PMID | 34555997 |
| OpenAlex | W3199427186 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 16 |
Candidates for high office in the United States play an important role in determining the political agenda and shaping public and mass media understanding of which issues should receive attention. Critics contend politicians rarely address mental health, despite the importance of the federal government in ensuring Americans access to quality care. Two studies sought to understand how candidates for the presidency communicated about mental health using formal (mental, depress, anxiety) and informal (crazy, insane) terminology in social media posts and debates. Two coders examined 1,807 tweets from 41 politicians who competed in the 2016 and 2020 races, plus transcripts from 47 debates during the primaries and General Elections. Politicians often stigmatized mental illness, using mental health-related slang to insult opponents. They afforded less attention to policy and calls for action. The authors offer recommendations for mental health professionals and advocates to encourage politicians to address mental health policy while avoiding stigmatizing language
Distrust · Mental health · Mental illness · Political science · Politics · Presidency · Presidential system · Psychiatry · Public relations · Slang · Community Health and Development · Law · Media Influence and Health · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology
Prevalence of Depression Symptoms in US Adults Before and During the Covid-19 Pandemic
First- and Second-Level Agenda-Building and Agenda-Setting Effects
Quantifying the power and consequences of social media protest
Language of the Lost
An Experimental Test of Stigma Communication Content with a Hypothetical Infectious Disease Alert
Impact of Police Violence on Mental Health
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |