Context: Psychiatry and Culture – 20 min oral presentation The Simpsons is a long-running animated television series that reflects many different aspects of modern society. Many episodes portray the medical profession, and quite a number portray various psychiatric institutions and mental health problems.
Objectives: To share with the audience some of the classic Simpsons moments involving mental health issues, and to discuss how the medium of animation has been used to perpetuate and/or combat stereotypes of mental health.
Key messages:
The Simpsons taps into American society's fears about mental illness. However, simply acknowledging these issues on such a well known show may actually help reduce the stigma that continues to surround Psychiatry.
Some conference sessions can be fun!
Conclusion: Humour can be used as a vehicle to address important issues. Cultural phenomena such as The Simpsons provide an important insight into the concepts that have entered the consciousness of popular culture.
