title: Use of the word schizophrenia in Portuguese newspapers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stigmatizing references to schizophrenia have a negative impact on self-esteem, deter treatment seeking and diminish the effectiveness of treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the reporting of schizophrenia in Portuguese newspapers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed five high circulation Portuguese newspapers between 2007 and 2013. We selected all news containing the word "esquizofrenia" (schizophrenia). Several variables were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 1058 news items contained the word schizophrenia. Schizophrenia was mentioned metaphorically in 40% of the cases and in the context of Crime in 22%. When used in a Criminal context, schizophrenia was mostly attributed to people who were the perpetrators of the crime (93%). When used metaphorically, schizophrenia had a negative connotation in 90% of cases. We found an increasing reporting of schizophrenia in the criminal news and serious crimes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest the media has an active role promoting stigma, as well as passively broadcasting and thus passing on prejudices.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Healthcare Center , Vila Nova de Gaia , Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rodrigues-Silva
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Healthcare Center , Vila Nova de Gaia , Portugal.
authors.forename: Telma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Falcão de Almeida
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Healthcare Center , Vila Nova de Gaia , Portugal.
authors.forename: Filipa
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychiatry , University of Oxford , Oxford , UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molodynski
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Healthcare Center , Vila Nova de Gaia , Portugal.
authors.forename: Ângela
authors.initials: Â
authors.lastname: Venâncio
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Healthcare Center , Vila Nova de Gaia , Portugal.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bouça
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media; D009524:Newspapers as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011174:Portugal; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D057545:Social Stigma
keywords: Stigma; media; schizophrenia