do Movies Contribute to mental illness?

You need to do a little research on violent crimes. Serial killers and those with mental disorders that are prone to violence are born that way. While they will seek out violent material, it's because of how they are already. A 'slight mental problem' isn't going to be that drastically influenced. I can't think of a single sociopathic disorder that could be enhanced or tripped by a violent movie. While there have been cases of sociopaths recreating images they've seen in their crimes, there's no set criteria. One famous serial killer mimiced Salvador Dali paintings. A few dozen mimicked the covers of dime store detective novels. Hundreds more mimic medical journals. Violent movies are pretty low on the list of things serial killers pay much attention to. The rate of serial killers and violent crimes is actually at its lowest point in the past thirty years. But the news sensationalizes violent cases because it gets ratings. There are various criteria a news story needs to be given a lot of attention: unusual violence, sympathetic victim - female, young or very old - district and unusual weapon. So the news skews their stories and it just looks like things have gotten worse. It hasn't. Some people like slasher films. I like horror films, personally. And a lot of them are very violent. It's not real. And it doesn't make anyone go out and kill someone.

most of the movies are good and inspiring we should only take the good points from the movies and enjoy the other things

A mental illness, as defined in psychiatry and other mental health professions, is an abnormal mental condition or disorder associated with significant distress and/or disfunction. This can involve cognitive, emotional, behavioral and interpersonal impairments. The concept of an 'illness' of the mind is often taken to imply a medical condition with a specific pathology that causes the signs and symptoms, a view that is the subject of much research and debate. Similar but sometimes alternative concepts include: mental disorder, psychological or psychiatric disorder or syndrome, emotional problems, emotional or psychosocial disability. The term insanity, sometimes used colloquially as a synonym for mental illness or irrationality, is used technically as a legal term. Specific disorders often described as mental illnesses include major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, to name a few. Mental illnesses have been linked to both biological (e.g. genetics, neurochemistry, brain structure) and psychosocial (e.g. cognitive biases, emotional problems, trauma, socioeconomic disadvantage) causes. Different schools of thought offer different explanations, although current research employing the term 'mental illness' would most probably originate in a biopsychiatry point of view. Mental illnesses have been associated with impaired functioning, for example ability to work or manage socially, and sometimes also to high function, for example creativity. Cross-cultural studies suggest that what is seen as (the symptoms of) a mental illness in one culture may be accepted or valued in another, may manifest differently, or may not appear at all.

A mental illness, as defined in psychiatry and other mental health professions, is an abnormal mental condition or disorder associated with significant distress and/or disfunction. This can involve cognitive, emotional, behavioral and interpersonal impairments. The concept of an 'illness' of the mind is often taken to imply a medical condition with a specific pathology that causes the signs and symptoms, a view that is the subject of much research and debate. Similar but sometimes alternative concepts include: mental disorder, psychological or psychiatric disorder or syndrome, emotional problems, emotional or psychosocial disability. The term insanity, sometimes used colloquially as a synonym for mental illness or irrationality, is used technically as a legal term. Specific disorders often described as mental illnesses include major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, to name a few. Mental illnesses have been linked to both biological (e.g. genetics, neurochemistry, brain structure) and psychosocial (e.g. cognitive biases, emotional problems, trauma, socioeconomic disadvantage) causes. Different schools of thought offer different explanations, although current research employing the term 'mental illness' would most probably originate in a biopsychiatry point of view. Mental illnesses have been associated with impaired functioning, for example ability to work or manage socially, and sometimes also to high function, for example creativity.

If you look at most serial killers or violent people it is their experiences in childhood that cause this behaviour to manifest. I love horror films and have been watching them since I was young. However, show me any real violence and I feel sick and horrified. If someone is mentally ill, this is a problem within itself and one that is often not addressed properly. Exposure to horror films is not going to make a difference to their way of thinking, otherwise I think we would have more murderers than we have now. The only thing that can happen now, with so much violence that people are witnessing, such as the killings in Iraq, beheadings and real violence that can be downloaded from websites, is that it could cause alot of people to become desensitised to violence.

No, that is a rediculous accusation. Movies do not contrnute to or cause mental illness. They do not create serial killers. A serial killer doesn't just come about due to a movie they have seen. It is a long process started from childhood. You need to do some research. Movies may be a RESULT of mental illness, but they are certainly not a contribution. People are born with mental illness, it is not created later. Study psychology.

I agree with you...the movies are horrible these days. However I don't think we can blame the movies for peoples behaviour. There are a lot of sick people out there...If these people don;t know the difference between a made up movie that is just a story and real life then they should not be walking the streets in the first place. I think many people who need help aren't getting it and that is why there are so many murders and other crimes...

i dont think so that this contributes to mental illness... how is it possible when it can be a form of relaxation to most people.

What you said in your discussion was enough to gross me out. I don't know how anyone likes those movies. It honestly makes me sick to my stomach to see things like that.

Absolutely not...I have watched these types of movies my entire adult life and have never felt compelled to act out anything I have watched.

There is no doubt that movies we have seen have some influence in our lives in varying degrees. There are others who are very much in contact with reality, they are hardly affected by many things which they happen to have some encounters. These are the people who can decipher what went through and prefer to treat most matters at the intellectual level. They talk about the movie they've just been to and reason out for all that's happened. They get to very bottom of what has taken place. There are some however, who gets bothered by what they see. These are common reactions in children that's why parents and guardians should always be in the lookout and be able to take what's at hand with these children in in depth conversations. But how will it be with mature individuals who prefer to nurture his feelings deep within? Here lies the danger. There is a big possibility that he will copy the crime that he had seen, carry out that crime as it was presented in the movie or make some adjustments to make it more thrilling.

IT's normal that you don't like all the violence that nowadays floods our society, even the movies...but as with everything else..if you don't like gory movies simply don't watch them. Blaming movies for the society's violence is utterly unfair, as it would be to blame heavy metal bands or video games...... society is more and more agressive today, but not because of games, movies etc, we are heading into that by ourselves and what you said is just a sample of it, not the cause.

i would have to disagrre it is a proven fact that serial killers are gonna doit wheather they see it or not, they are like they are from young ages...chemical embalances or somethin

Yes I totally agree that if there is something wrong with a person to begin with and they go and see these sick movies and they cannot tell fact from fiction they will maybe go ahead with what they had been wanting to do.

ive heard of movies encouraging violence, but never mental illness...

You cant blame a movie for someone being a serial killer. A serial killer can see anything that can spark the crazy thoughts they have and make them want to go kill someone. If that was the case no scary, gory books or television shows should be allowed either. Everything in the media should be all sunshine and butterflies.

I was wondering the same.The TV and movies seems to have an overwhelming power on the mentality of people. Of late violence just less than cannibalism and vulgarity are the in thing in media(not just movies but also newspapers and new channels); it is watched and imbibed with more interest than ever.This in turn has created a vicious circle ;more viewer-ship, so more u r fed more with likes. A brutal murder , a burglary involving murder,or harassments of some women ,etc. are the only headlines that come up in most newspapers' local news.Sometimes it is exasperating to even take a glimpse of morning news.

The movies can contribute to your mind and its condition.The scary and horror movies will condition your mind accordingly and you may tend to invite mental sickness by continuing the same activity.what we see,hear and feel is reflected invariably in our mind.

Most movies are intended to spoil the people, these days. They are ofcourse media of mass destruction. Only a few movies/SOAP, realize the importance of educating the public about their stance. Most people usually fail to communicate their views on the explicit content. Thus, they fall into the trap of negligence, and slowly start comitting crimes, starting from the lowest order, and leading to massacre like ones... I agree with you that movies mould a person these days. But, they are inevitable for the public, since they are considered as an entertainment, at it`s best... Hope they try to correct their mistakes, atleast from now...

If movies make people kill people..what did all those killers do before there were movies?! People have been brutally killing other people long before movies were ever invented or news to show them doing it, but now we just have something else to blame their crimes on.