from cinema to politics, preconceived ideas about this psychiatric disorder persist

The 21st edition of World Schizophrenia Days takes place from Saturday and for one week. The opportunity to inform the general public about the reality of this pathology, but also to correct the preconceptions conveyed by cinema and politicians.

Schizophrenia Days begin Saturday March 16 and run until March 23. The goal: to raise awareness among the general public about this psychiatric pathology which affected, according to the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), around 600,000 people in France in 2020. A petition was posted online on February 26 on the change.org website and has already gathered more than 13,000 signatures to request “to stop using mental disorders as insults”. In particular, in the viewfinder, political figures who abuse the word “schizophrenia” to attack their opponent.

“Quite recently, these were the words of Jordan Bardella, who took the liberty of making a psychiatric diagnosis in the person of the President of the Republic”explains Hugo Baup, psychiatrist at the Périgueux hospital center, at the origin of this petition. “I think that Mr. Macron suffers from a worrying and dangerous schizophrenia”declared the president of the National Rally during a visit to the Agricultural Show.

Misuse of psychological disorders by politicians

“But in recent months, in recent years, this is not the first”, underlines Hugo Baup. Another, example, in 2017, with François Fillon: “I am not autistic. I see the difficulties clearly, I hear the criticisms clearly.” For Hugo Baup, “the misuse of psychological disorders is unfortunately quite common in the French political and audiovisual landscape. Also with the media, journalists who do not hesitate to use schizophrenia in their headline to evoke either a somewhat worrying, dangerous climate, or to highlight this or that paradox.”

“Family associations, users, health professionals, we all believe that these psychological disorders, which are already very difficult to live with, must be protected more.”

Hugo Baup, psychiatrist

at franceinfo

Hugo Baup hopes to raise awareness among political and media circles and affirms that certain deputies and senators have already signed the petition posted online. Another fight, the preconceptions conveyed by cinema. For example, if you have in mind the dual personality of the hero of Fight Club when we talk about schizophrenia, it is a red card for Jean-Christophe Leroy, general director of the Positive Minders association. He recalls that Fight Club East “a film that is not about schizophrenia. A person living with schizophrenia has difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is not. She does not have a split personality at all”.

Removing stigmatizing figures, particularly in cinema

Stigmatizing representations that are painful for those affected, but especially harmful for those who are just starting to show symptoms. “This is what will cause them to have difficulty recognizing their symptomsexplains Jean-Christophe Leroy. However, it is the fact of having early support which will considerably improve the prognosis of the progression of the disease. Hence the urgency to clarify what we are talking about. The Positive Minders association tries to advance the fight for patients. On Friday March 15, she organized an awards ceremony for the most relevant films, or not, in this area.

“The film that received the SchizAwards for best film dealing with schizophrenia is Soloist“, explains Jean-Christophe Leroy. This 2009 feature film features actor Jamie Foxx as a homeless violinist, suffering from schizophrenia, gradually brought back to normal by a journalist who wanted to make him the subject of an article. Far, therefore, from the figures of dangerous madmen present in Fight Club, Split Or Shutter Island.