Eating Disorders to be More Accurately Reported
The Australian media will now be armed with a quick reference guide to more accurately and sensitively report on eating disorders and mental illness.
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22 August 2012
The Australian media will now be armed with a quick reference guide to more accurately and sensitively report on eating disorders and mental illness.
Minister for Mental Health Mark Butler today launched the new Mindframe quick reference guide - developed in collaboration with eating disorder specialists and media professionals.
Mr Butler said the Mindframe National Media Initiative (Mindframe) provided a valuable opportunity to help break down the stigma surrounding eating disorders.
“We know that the incidence of eating disorders in Australia is on the rise, and tragically we also know that eating disorders have a higher mortality rate than any other mental illness.”
“The media greatly influences the portrayal of mental health issues in Australia and having fast and straightforward access to information about this mental illness will be a great asset,” Mr Butler said.
Mindframe is funded under Labor’s National Suicide Prevention Program and works to build a collaborative relationship with the Australian media and other sectors to encourage responsible, accurate and sensitive media representation of mental illness and suicide.
Mindframe Program Manager Jaelea Skehan said the resource provided a timely opportunity for the media to gain a better understanding of the mental illness.
“In consultations conducted earlier in 2012, eating disorders were identified by journalists as an area they would like further information and advice about.”
“With the establishment of the National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) and Australia-wide work to increase literacy about eating disorders, this resource is very timely,” Ms Skehan said.
A recent critical review of media and mental illness commissioned by Mindframe, confirms that the media is a major source of information about mental illness, for both the wider community and members of the community living with a mental illness.
Mindframe resources are available online at the Mindframe website.
For more information, contact the Minister’s Office on 02 6277 7280
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