Psychological abnormality according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is identified using four “Ds”: deviance, distress, dysfunction, and danger. Practitioners can identify mental illness by assessing whether the patient's characteristics fall into these categories. Deviance is a deviation from what society considers normal, distress means that the person is in distress, dysfunction suggests that daily functioning is disrupted and danger is that the abnormal behavior is consistently hostile, neglectful, confused or dangerous. Although the news and entertainment media have the ability to educate the public and speak on behalf of those affected by mental illness as well as mental health professionals, the public's view of mental illness is often extremely distorted. The media tends to model negative reactions to the mentally ill, including fear, rejection, derision, and ridicule. In the United States, one-fifth of prime-time programs depict some aspect of mental illness, and 2 to 3 percent of adult characters are shown as having mental health problems (Stuart 100). With half of mentally ill people described as harming others and one in four killing someone, the mentally ill are the group most likely to be involved in violence. In reality, the majority of violent people do not suffer from mental illness. In fact, research shows that people with serious mental illness are 2.5 times more likely to be victims of violence than other members of society (Baun 32).HistoryThroughout history, people People with mental health problems were treated differently from people considered “mentally healthy”. . They were excluded and even brutalized. This treatment may come from the middle of paper......violent), and it will once again perpetuate the idea that people with mental health issues are different and should be treated with caution. Long-Term EffectsUnfortunately, the stigma of psychological illness is ingrained in current perspectives. And while much work is being done to combat unfair portrayals in the media, there is little we can do to eliminate biases and misconceptions about what mental illness actually is, how it occurs, and how it is processed. Indeed, the entertainment industry will not be restrained in its depictions of mental illness any time soon. And consumers will continue to happily watch and enjoy these sources of entertainment. However, for change to occur, it is essential that the media themselves participate in changing stigmatizing paradigms. This can help educate the public and highlight stories of successful recovery..