Depictions of BIPOC and European American characters with psychosis: a content analysis of the top-rated fictional television programming in the United States

This content analysis investigated the visibility and framing of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) characters with psychosis in fictional television programming. Of 120 identified characters with psychosis, just 19% were BIPOC, with Latinos and Asian Americans being especially underrepresented. Trend analysis revealed the level of visibility of BIPOC characters remained low across the study’s 2012–2021 timespan. Few differences emerged between BIPOC and European American characters with respect to demographic, life status, or character framing variables. The generally similar portrayal of BIPOC and European American characters is encouraging but the underrepresentation of BIPOC characters may inhibit service provision to people wrestling with psychosis in BIPOC communities.