Media portrayal of mental illness and suicide in Bangladesh: A content analysis of a Bangla drama

Along with entertainment, dramas represent social inequalities, family values, and public perceptions. However, representation of mental health and suicidal behaviour in drama has been poorly studied in Bangladesh, where there is a wide spread stigma towards mental health and suicide. This study aimed to analyze a Bangla drama within the context of family dynamics, stigma towards mental illness, and suicidal behavior. A qualitative content analysis was conducted on a Bangla drama depicting a newly married woman’s psychological distress and suicidal behavior. The drama was viewed, reviewed, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic framework. The analysis revealed five main themes: enduring conflict between newly married women and in-laws, stigmatization of mental illness, suicide as a bargaining tool, oppression in family as a factor of psychological distress, and detailed media reporting of suicide. The drama depicted suicide as both a bargaining tactic and a form of failure. Mental illness was stigmatized through derogatory labels, “mad” and as something certainly passed down in families. This study showed that the drama portrayed stigma towards mental illness, suicide as a tool for bargain and way of coping failure without indicating any prevention. Educative programs targeting the mental health and suicide literacy for drama directors could be attempted to reduce this harmful depiction.