4th Johore Mental Health Convention 23 - 24 August 2002 Hyatt Regency Hotel Johor Bahru Portrayals of Mental illness In the News Print Media Mr. R. Segaran, Med Asist., RMN, Psy. Nur., B. Nur. (A us). Hospital Bukit Padang, Sabah. Studies on public’s stance regarding mental illness indicate that many people forge their perception and attitude towards mental illness based on information largely fed from the mass media newspaper, television, films and contemporary literature. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and characteristics portrayal of mental illness in news print media. Method: 10 different, newspapers (national, regional, tabloid and vernacular)) were examined for a period of 30 days and with a total of 16, 860 reports scanned. Non-relevant reports, like financial, sports and commercial news were excluded and reports with specific. mention to mental illness were included, yielding a final study sample of 1586 reports. Analysis of these 1586 reports found 8.2 % (130 reports) of these news media reports, associated or implicated mental Illness in their write-up. Further detailed analysis on these 130 reports (which mentions mental illness in the write up) showed that a vast majority or or 72.8% of these reports were skewed With negative or unfavorable portrayal of mental illness. Among others, these skewed reports often made unjustified and rather speculative association of crimes like homicide, sexual offence and violence to mental illness. Although not marked, there also seems to be an element of sensationalism flavored in reports of amok & suicides. Key issues on the media’s role, its justification and Implications of such negative and stereotype portrayals of the mentally Ill and possible advocacy will be discussed in the paper.