Psykisk ohälsa i film : en analys om hur psykisk ohälsa kommer till uttryck och framställs i filmen “A star is born” från 2018

Sammanfattning: Although mental illness is an increasing problem, it’s still stigmatizing. A reason for this is a lack of knowledge. Research has shown that people obtain much of their knowledge through films, whereby the presentation made in movies affects the understanding and the attitudes that the environment will have to mental illness. A film where mental illness is central is "A star is born" from 2018. The purpose of this study is to investigate how mental illness is expressed and portrayed in this film. Our focus is on the character Jackson "Jack" Maine. The questions that are asked are therefore: What expressions does the character Jack's mental illness take in "A star is born" (2018)? How is mental illness portrayed in this film? To answer these, we have done a qualitative content analysis study where six scenes are analyzed. Our study shows that Jack's mental illness is expressed as depression and alcohol dependence. In addition, his mental illness is expressed in a stereotypical way, which matches the results that previous research has given. With the help of Erving Goffman's theory of stigma, we also conclude that mental illness is presented in a stigmatizing way. This is done by the presentation being made partly in accordance with the stigma that already exists around mental illness in society, and partly emphasizing various discrediting attributes. Our study shows that more research is needed in the area, and not at least in relation to "A star is born" from 2018.