A Short Examination of How Men & Women’s Mental Health is Portrayed in the Media

Britney Spears and Kanye West are two megastars who have both had very public battles with their mental health. Both have been extremely commercially successful in the entertainment realm, and both have been in the public eye for quite some time. Let’s examine how the media has portrayed their struggles via headlines from across the web, starting with Kanye:

“Inside Kanye West’s Bipolar Disorder”

“Bipolar disorder is complicated. So is how we talk about Ye.”

“Understanding Kanye West’s Bipolar Disorder”

“What Kanye West Can Teach Us About Bipolar Disorder”

Now, let’s take a look at Britney’s:

“Britney Spears’ guardians say still concerned about her mental health”

“Britney Spears Mental Health Deteriorating During Pregnancy? Psychologist Gives Analysis”

“The cost of forced psychiatric care like Britney Spears got can be ruinous”

“Britney Spears' dad says she has 'addiction and mental health issues' in new court filing”

For both artists, all headlines were pulled from the first page of Google. From these words alone, a clear picture is painted - one is unstable, a danger to herself, unable to take care of herself, a warning - while the other is complicated, misunderstood, someone to handle with careful consideration, a teachable moment.

Mental illness is extremely challenging to experience regardless of gender, and the topic should always be treated with respect. One wonders why West is deemed capable to live with no caretaker looking after him, while Spears was only recently able to pull free from a grueling, 13 year long conservatorship. Spears’ freedom is a start, but we have a long way to go before there is an equal portrayal of mental health issues in the media.