Trial by YouTube: effects of expert psychiatric witness testimony on viewers' opinions of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp
Aims and method We aimed to assess whether viewing expert witness evidence regarding the mental health of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in the 2022 court case in the USA would affect viewers’ attitudes towards the mental health of the two protagonists and towards mental illness in general. After viewi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
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| Series: | BJPsych Bulletin |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056469424000317/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797198294435233792 |
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| author | Oliver Mason Beth Horton Caitlin Starrett |
| author_facet | Oliver Mason Beth Horton Caitlin Starrett |
| author_sort | Oliver Mason |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aims and method
We aimed to assess whether viewing expert witness evidence regarding the mental health of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in the 2022 court case in the USA would affect viewers’ attitudes towards the mental health of the two protagonists and towards mental illness in general. After viewing excerpts of the cross-examination evidence, 38 trial-naive undergraduate students completed the Prejudice towards People with a Mental Illness (PPMI) scale.
Results
Following viewing, participants held more stigmatising views of the protagonists than they held about mental disorders in general.
Clinical implications
It is plausible that mass media trial coverage further stigmatises mental illness.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T06:57:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-571e05f6a0294325a177c445e40dcde0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-4694 2056-4708 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T06:57:34Z |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BJPsych Bulletin |
| spelling | doaj.art-571e05f6a0294325a177c445e40dcde02024-04-22T09:11:17ZengCambridge University PressBJPsych Bulletin2056-46942056-47081310.1192/bjb.2024.31Trial by YouTube: effects of expert psychiatric witness testimony on viewers' opinions of Amber Heard and Johnny DeppOliver Mason0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4529-8029Beth Horton1Caitlin Starrett2University of Surrey, Guildford, UKUniversity of Surrey, Guildford, UKUniversity of Surrey, Guildford, UKAims and method We aimed to assess whether viewing expert witness evidence regarding the mental health of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in the 2022 court case in the USA would affect viewers’ attitudes towards the mental health of the two protagonists and towards mental illness in general. After viewing excerpts of the cross-examination evidence, 38 trial-naive undergraduate students completed the Prejudice towards People with a Mental Illness (PPMI) scale. Results Following viewing, participants held more stigmatising views of the protagonists than they held about mental disorders in general. Clinical implications It is plausible that mass media trial coverage further stigmatises mental illness. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056469424000317/type/journal_articlePsychiatry and lawstigma and discriminationpersonality disorderssubstance use disordersexperimental design |
| spellingShingle | Oliver Mason Beth Horton Caitlin Starrett Trial by YouTube: effects of expert psychiatric witness testimony on viewers' opinions of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp BJPsych Bulletin Psychiatry and law stigma and discrimination personality disorders substance use disorders experimental design |
| title | Trial by YouTube: effects of expert psychiatric witness testimony on viewers' opinions of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp |
| title_full | Trial by YouTube: effects of expert psychiatric witness testimony on viewers' opinions of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp |
| title_fullStr | Trial by YouTube: effects of expert psychiatric witness testimony on viewers' opinions of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trial by YouTube: effects of expert psychiatric witness testimony on viewers' opinions of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp |
| title_short | Trial by YouTube: effects of expert psychiatric witness testimony on viewers' opinions of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp |
| title_sort | trial by youtube effects of expert psychiatric witness testimony on viewers opinions of amber heard and johnny depp |
| topic | Psychiatry and law stigma and discrimination personality disorders substance use disorders experimental design |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056469424000317/type/journal_article |
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