From Violence to Instability: Malaysian Film/Drama Students' Perspectives on Mental Health Misrepresentations in Screen Narratives

Abstract

This study examines the development of scriptwriting guidelines for films and dramas with mental health themes, focusing on the perspectives and experiences of drama students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Malaysia. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study explores how students perceive mental health representation in screen narratives and identifies key principles for ethical and responsible storytelling. Two research objectives guide the inquiry: (1) to examine common misrepresentations of mental health issues in films and dramas and (2) to identify prevailing stereotypes associated with mental health portrayals. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with student participants engaged in film, theater, and drama education. The findings indicate that drama students view media narratives as powerful tools for raising public awareness and fostering empathy, but warn that misrepresentations frequently arise from oversimplification, emotional exaggeration, and symbolic ambiguity. Students identified key stereotypes, including fear-based narratives linking mental illness to violence, superficial visual clichés, and character tropes defined by social isolation. To combat this, the study proposes a student-centered framework for scriptwriting that emphasizes evidence-based research, professional medical consultation, emotional authenticity, and the rejection of commercialized stereotypes. These findings contribute to film and drama education by providing a structured guideline to empower students in producing socially responsible, nuanced, and clinically accurate mental health narratives. Future research is encouraged to include a broader participant base, including mental health practitioners, to further refine these guidelines.