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Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science

ISSN Print: 2576-0556 Downloads: 1348847 Total View: 9099788
Frequency: monthly ISSN Online: 2576-0548 CODEN: JHASAY
Email: jhass@hillpublisher.com
ArticleOpen Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2022.12.028

How Do Media Representations of Autism Affect the Mental Well-being of Autistic Families in China?

Lingran Hu

Dulwich College Suzhou, Suzhou, 215021, China.

*Corresponding author: Lingran Hu

Published: January 15,2023

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (i.e., autism) is clinically defined as a lifelong neuro-developmental disorder diagnosed by assessing impairments in communication, social interaction, and rigidity in thinking. In China, ten million people suffer from autism. Out of these two million are children, a number which continues to grow at a rate of two hundred thousand people per year. As autism was not officially recognized as a disorder in China until the early 1980s, China's public awareness of autism and research efforts on assessment, diagnosis, and intervention trail alarmingly far behind western countries. Furthermore, in China, autism-related stigma is exacerbated by the lack of social support for those afflicted and cultural pressure toward having a "normal" child. Media representation is an important channel for the dissemination of health information and is particularly useful in educating the public about health policy and various diseases. However, textual and visual media messages regarding certain health issues often include negative and stereotypical depictions, which are likely to develop and reinforce stigmas associated with these conditions. For example, the Chinese media representation of autism in newspapers has presented the autistic community greatly through the scope of stigma, shame, and challenge cues.

Keywords

Autism, Media, Interpretative phenomenological analysis, semi-structured interview

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How to cite this paper

How Do Media Representations of Autism Affect the Mental Well-being of Autistic Families in China?

How to cite this paper: Lingran Hu. (2022) How Do Media Representations of Autism Affect the Mental Well-being of Autistic Families in China? Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science6(4), 702-707.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2022.12.028