Biased reporting example: a study claims that children with ADHD have smaller brains and forgets to highlight the higher IQ scores. Information about the IQ of childen with ADHD can be found only in the appendix of the study, not available in the free version. Media immediately published the news with the headlines “Study Finds Brains of ADHD Sufferers Are Smaller” (Newsweek), “Brains of those with ADHD show smaller structure related to emotion” (CNN). It is not hard to see that such headlines are not going to reduce stigma. Not a single headline mentioned better IQ scores of children with ADHD, a fact that could be quite interesting for discussion and future research as well as for reducing stigma. Imagine the headline: “Study finds children with ADHD have higher IQ scores”. However this fact apparently doesn’t fit into the disease model chosen by the researchers. As for the smaller brain, analysis of the article shows that the study fails to prove the difference.
European Network of (Ex-)Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
ENUSP gives (ex-)users and survivors of psychiatric services across Europe a way to communicate so that we can support one other in the personal, political and social struggle against injustice and discrimination.
We are the only grassroots umbrella organisation working across Europe to unite local and national organisations of (ex-)users and survivors of psychiatry. We directly represent the views of people who are or have been on the receiving end of psychiatric services.