Media influences on mental health policy: long-term effects of the Clunis and Silcock cases

The policy of community care for people with mental illness came under intense scrutiny during the 1990s, following a series of homicides and incidents of violence, suicide and neglect. The media appeared to be particularly successful in highlighting such cases, influencing public opinion and inspiring policy responses. This paper reports a small research project that set out to explore ways in which material published in national newspapers has impacted on the development of mental health policy. Two cases involving people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were selected as the focus of the study: Christopher Clunis, who killed a stranger at a London tube station and Ben Silcock, who climbed into the lions' den at London Zoo. The press coverage these incidents received, at the time they happened and over the next 8 years, was analysed and, as far as possible, the published material's effects on policy decisions were traced. The majority of relevant articles appeared in the broadsheet papers, with surprisingly little interest shown by the 'popular' tabloid press. Emotive, headline-catching language was used to describe the predicament of Ben Silcock and Christopher Clunis, but not solely by journalists whose knowledge of mental health issues might be limited. Both cases were associated with well-informed campaigners who wished to ensure that people suffering from mental illness received better care and attention. By highlighting the risks individuals with schizophrenia may pose to themselves and (in particular) to others, however, such publicity has contributed to an unbalanced policy debate. Policy measures introduced in response to public concerns about risk and dangerousness have served to impose additional constraints on people with mental health problems. In addition, responsibility (and blame when systems fail) has increasingly been devolved to individual service professionals, a development which is likely to have long-term implications for recruitment and morale in health and social care professions.