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News media is a key source of public information on severe mental illness, yet news representations are often negative and stigmatising, with consequences for help-seeking, treatment, and public action (e.g., charitable giving and policy support). We tested whether a new approach to reporting—constructive journalism—could improve audience responses to news stories about severe mental illness. Constructive journalism applies insights from psychology to inform journalism practice and counteract news’ negativity bias. In a between-participants, repeated-exposures experimental design (N = 595), participants were exposed to three news stories which either included constructive techniques and approaches or followed traditional news practice. Participants in the Constructive condition reported better mood, lower attitudinal and behavioural stigma toward mental ill-health, increased trust in healthcare professionals, and higher propensity to “like” articles. There were no differences in article or health news trust, nor willingness to donate to a mental illness charity. Participants in the Traditional condition had a higher propensity to “save” articles. Constructive journalism could be leveraged to reduce problematic news portrayals of severe mental illness and their consequences, including impacts on stigma and trust in healthcare services.
Antwerpen et al. (Mon,) studied this question.