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Otto Wahl
Dr. Wahl is a Professor of Psychology and former Director of the Psy.D. Program at the University of Hartford. Dr. Wahl’s work includes numerous research articles about mental illness stigma and two books, Media Madness: Public Images of Mental Illness and Telling Is Risky Business: Mental Health Consumers Confront Stigma. He is also a frequent invited speaker for mental health organizations and has presented his views on radio and TV as well. Dr. Wahl serves as an advisor to several organizations involved in public education about mental illnesses, including the National Stigma Clearinghouse. He has been a consultant for the Center for Mental Health Services Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma and for the Eliminating the Barriers Initiative and a member of the Advisory Board of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. Dr. Wahl is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Legal Rights Project and a member of the Stigma and Mental Disorders Section of the World Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Wahl has been the recipient of numerous awards for his efforts to combat the stigma of mental illness, including the Patient Advocacy Award from the American Psychiatric Association and the Eli Lilly Welcome Back Award for Destigmatization. Finally, Dr. Wahl has developed an internet web site with information about his work and about resources for combating stigma; the address for that site is: http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/owahl


COURSES TAUGHT


SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Wahl, O., & Aroesty-Cohen, E. (2010). Attitudes of mental health professionals about mental illness: A review of the literature. Journal of Community Psychology, 38, 49-62.

Wahl, O., Hanrahan, E., Karl, K, Lasher, E., & Swaye, J. (2007). The depiction of mental illnesses in children's television programs. Journal of Community Psychology, 35, 121-133.

Wahl, O. F. (2006). Evaluating the effectiveness of a consumer-provided mental health recovery education presentation. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 30, 46-53.

Wahl, O. F. (2004). Stop the presses: Journalistic treatment of mental illness. In L. Friedman (Ed.). Cultural sutures: medicine and media. Pp.55-69. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Wahl, O., Wood, A. Zaveri, P., Drapalski, A., & Mann, B. (2003). Mental illness in children's films. Journal of Community Psychology, 31, 553-560.

Wahl, O. F. (2003). News media portrayal of mental illness: Implications for public policy. American Behavioral Scientist, 46, 1594-1600.

Wahl, O. F. (2003). Depiction of mental illnesses in children' s media. Journal of Mental Health, 13, 249-258.

Wahl, O. F. (2002). Children’s views of mental illness: A review of the literature. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Skills, 6, 134-158.

Wahl, O. F., Wood, A., & Richards, R. (2002). Newspaper coverage of mental illness: Is it changing? Psychiatric Rehabilitation Skills, 6, 9-31.

Wahl, O. F. (2002). Children's views of mental illness: A review of the literature. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Skills, 6, 134-158.

Wahl, O. F. (2000). Obsessive-compulsive disorder in popular periodicals. Community Mental Health Journal, 36, 307-312.

Wahl, O. F. (1999). Mental health consumers' experience of stigma. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 25, 467-478.

Adler, A. K., & Wahl, O. F. (1998). Children's beliefs about people labeled mentally ill. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 68, 321-326.

Thornton, J. A., & Wahl, O. F. (1996). Impact of a newspaper article on attitudes toward mental illness. Journal of Community Psychology, 24, 17-25.

Wahl, O. F., Borostovik, L., & Rieppi, R. (1995). Schizophrenia in popular periodicals. Community Mental Health Journal, 31, 239-248.5.

Wahl, O. F. (1992). Media images of mental illness: A review of the literature. Journal of Community Psychology, 20, 343-352.

Wahl, O. (1987). Public vs. professional conceptions of schizophrenia. Journal of Community Psychology, 15, 285-291.

Wahl, O., & Axelson, G. (1983). A note on news staff views of mental illness and its coverage. Journal of Community Psychology, 13, 80-82.

Wahl, O., & Roth, R. (1982). Television images of mental illness: Results of a metropolitan Washington Media Watch. Journal of Broadcasting, 26, 599-605.

Wahl, O., & Harman, C. (1989). Family views of stigma. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 15, 131-139.



BOOKS AND BOOK CHAPTERS

Wahl, O. F. (2004).  Stop the presses: Journalistic treatment of mental illness.  In Friedman, L. (Ed.).  Cultural sutures: Medicine, morals, and media (pp. 55-69).  Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Wahl, O. F. (1999).  Telling is risky business: Mental health consumers confront stigma.  New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

Wahl, O. F. (1997).  Stigma and mass media.  In Bernheim, K. (Ed.)  Cases and readings in abnormal behavior (pp. 357-361).  Baltimore, MD: Lanahan Publishers.

Wahl, O. F.  (1995)  Media madness: Public images of mental illness.  New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University  Reprinted with new preface, 2003.


CLINICAL/CONSULTATION EXPERIENCE

Stigma and Mental Disorders Section, World Psychiatric Association                                   1/10-present                                           Advisory Board for “Reducing the adverse impact of mental illness stigma
among family caregivers”                                                                                           1/09-present
Advisory Board for COMPEER International                                                                     1/99-1/04
Advisory Board of the National Stigma Clearinghouse                                                       1/90-present
Advisory Board for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships in Mental Health Journalism                     1/97-9/09
Consultant for California Stigma and Discrimination Advisory Committee                               2/09
Accreditation consultant for Dowling College                                                                  2/08 
Consultant for Elimination of Barriers Initiative                                                                1/03-12/05
Consultant for CMHS Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma
Associated with Mental Illnesses (ADS Center)                                                                10/01-10/05
Consultation with NAMI-NYS for evaluation of “Breaking the Silence”
school education program about mental illnesses.                                                            5/01-10/01
Part‑time private practice in psychotherapy and assessment                                              7/74-8/03



SELECTED PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Wahl, O.  Analysis of the stigma and discrimination research from the past ten years.  Presentation for a Meeting of International Mental Illness Stigma and Discrimination Experts, Atlanta, GA, June 23, 2009.

Wahl, O.  Confronting Stigma.  Invited presentation for Ten Thousand Helpers of St. Croix, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, June 18, 2009.

Wahl, O.  Stigma and mass media.  Invited presentation for the Mental Health Commission of Canada and Mt. Royal College, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, March 19, 2009.

Wahl, O., Zatina, D., & Susin, J.  Adolescent views of mental illnesses.  Paper presented at the Fourth International Stigma Conference, London, UK, January 23, 2009. 

Wahl, O. F. Stigma and the mass media. Presentation for the Mental Health Commission of Canada Symposium and Round Table on "Stigma in Mental Health and Addicition." Calgary, Alberta, Canada, June 3, 2008.

Wahl, O. F. Confronting stigma. Presentation for Grand Rounds of the Institute of Living, Hartford CT, April 30, 2008.

Wahl, O. F. Evaluation of stigma reduction efforts. Presentation for workshop, "Bridging Science and Practice: Dialogue on Effective Anti-Stigma Messages and Models for Depression." Milwaukee, WI, October 26-27, 2007.

Wahl, O. F. Overcoming stigma and discrimination. Keynote address for the First Annual Conference of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Ohio, Toledo, OH, June 8, 2007.

Wahl, O. F. Reducing discrimination and stigma related to mental illnesses. Keynote address for the Georgia Mental Health Forum, Atlanta, Georgia, May 18, 2007.

Wahl, O. F. & Narayan. J. Structural discrimination against people with mental illness in Connecticut. Poster presentation at the Connecticut Psychological Association Convention, Windsor, CT, October 13, 2006.

Wahl, O., Hanrahan, E., Karl, K, Lasher, E., & Swaye, J. The depiction of mental illnesses in children's television programs. Presentation for the 45th Annual Meeting of the New England Psychological Association. New Haven, CT, October 15, 2005.

Wahl, O.F. Reducing discrimination and stigma. Presentation for the University of Rochester Medical Center Grand Rounds. Rochester, NY, October 5, 2005.

Wahl, O. F. Discrimination and stigma in the media. For the Elimination of Barriers Initiative National-State Partnership Committee Kick-off Meeting, Washington, DC, January 23, 2003.

Wahl, O.F. Truth or consequences: Media coverage of mental illnesses. For the New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies. Trenton, NJ, December 9, 2002.

Wahl, O. F. Media depiction of mental illness. For “Media & Mental Illness: Shattering the Stigma” for the Alameda Council of Community Mental Health Agencies, Berkeley, CA, October 10, 2002.

Wahl, O. F. Confronting stigma. For the Clubhouse of Suffolk County Mental Illness Awareness Day conference, Huntington, NY, October 21, 2001.

Wahl, O. F. Confronting stigma. For the California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies, San Francisco, CA, August 23, 2001.

Wahl, O. Confronting Stigma. For the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Anti-Stigma Campaign kickoff, Harrisburg, PA, May 23, 2001.

Wahl, O. Stigma and the mass media. Keynote presentation for Stigma Forum of the Mental Health Association of Caddo-Bossier, Shreveport, LA, May 8, 2001.

Wahl, O. Mental illness and the media. Keynote address for the National Mental Health Symposium to Address Discrimination and Stigma. Baltimore, MD, March 27, 2001.


HONORS AND AWARDS

Welcome Back Award for Destigmatization from Eli Lilly. May 18, 2002.

Advocate of the Year, from the Toledo (OH) Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association, October 6, 2000.

Patient Advocacy Award, from the American Psychiatric Association, May 20, 1997.

In My Back Yard (IMBY) Award from the Fairfax/Falls Church United Way, June 1, 1994.

 

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