Otto Wahl


Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; Professor and Program Director

Public attitudes toward mental illnesses; media depiction of mental illnesses; mental illness stigma.




Dr. Wahl has served as Director of Clinical Training for the clinical doctoral program at George Mason University prior to coming to the University of Hartford in 2003. Dr. Wahl’s work includes numerous research articles and two books, Media Madness: Public Images of Mental Illness (about the media portrayal 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 and the National Mental Health Association (NMHA). 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. He also works with the Carter Center Mental Health Journalism Fellowship program to select and mentor journalists in their coverage of mental health issues.

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

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Wahl, O., Hanrahan, E., Karl, K, Lasher, E., & Swaye, J. (in press). The depiction of mental illnesses in chldren's television programs. Journal of Community Psychology.

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. (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.

SELECTED PUBLIC EDUCATION ARTICLES

Wahl, O. F. (Spring 2003). Mental illness education on campus: Breaking down the barriers of stigma. NAMI Advocate, 31-32.

Wahl, O. F. (June 2001). Newspapers can mislead about mental illness. The Bell (newsletter of the National Mental Health Association).

Wahl, O. F. (Sept./Oct. 2000). Humor in the media can exacerbate the stigma of mental illness. The Bell (newsletter of the National Mental Health Association).

Wahl, O. F. (June 2000). Mental illness stigma and work. World Mental Health Day Planning Kit (of the World Federation for Mental Health).

Wahl, O. F. (September 1999). Stigmatizing media images affect children. The Bell (newsletter of the National Mental Health Association).

Wahl, O. F. (June 1999). The stigma of mental illness. World Health Day Planning Kit (of the World Federation for Mental Health).

Wahl, O. F. (March 1999). Straitjackets are no laughing matter. The Bell (newsletter of the National Mental Health Association).

Wahl, O. F. (September 1998). Violence stereotype hurts people with mental health needs. The Bell (newsletter of the National Mental Health Association.

Wahl, O. F. (1998). Psychologists vs. stigma. Journal of the California Alliance for the Mentally Ill, 9, 59-60.

Wahl, O. F. (June 1998). People First Language matters. The Bell (newsletter of the National Mental Health Association).

SELECTED PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Wahl, O. F. Confronting stigma. Presentation for Sound Community Services Annual Meeting, New London, CT, November 14, 2005.

Wahl, O., Hanrahan, E., Karl, K, Lasher, E., & Swaye, J. What television teaches children about mental illness. Poster presentation at the Connecticut Psychological Association Convention, Windsor, CT, October 21, 2005.

Wahl, O., Bechtel, A., Donnelly, K., & Sorey-Gregory, E. Messages from first person accounts of schizophrenia. Poster presentation at the Connecticut Psychological Association Convention, Windsor, CT, October 21, 2005.

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. Maddeining images of mental illnesses. Presentation for NAMI-Champlain Valley and Behavioral Health Services North, Plattsburgh, NY, May 6, 2005.

Wahl, O.F. Confronting stigma. Presentation. Presentation for President's Speaker Forum, Plattsburgh State University of New York, Plattsburgh, NY, May 6, 2005.

Wahl, O.F. Media images of mental illness. Presentation for Monadnock Family Services, Keene, NH, April, 11, 2005.

Wahl, O.F. Confronting stigma. Presentation for Sinnissippi Centers, Dixon, IL, October 19, 2004.

Wahl, O.F. Mental illness and the media. Presentation for Mount union College, Alliance, OH, October 19, 2004.

Wahl, O.F. Mental illness stigma and ways to change it.Presentation for NAMI-Fairfield (CT), Fairfield, CT, October 6, 2004.

Wahl, O.F., & Wood, A.L. Research on the effectiveness of the In Our Voice program. Presentation for the NAMI Annual Convention, Washington, DC, September 10, 2004.

Wahl, O.F. Confronting Sstigma. Presentation for the NAMI-CT Annual Meeting, New Haven, CT, June 7, 2004.

Wahl, O.F. What psychologists can do to fight the stigma of mental illness. Presentation for the Connecticut Psychological Association Annual Convention. Westbrook, CT, November 7, 2003.

Wahl, O.F. How reporters can improve coverage of mental illnesses. For the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowships, Sept. 22, 2003.

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. Making progress in reducing stigma. For the Campaign to Address Discrimination and Stigma of Contra Costa County, Concord, CA, October 11, 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. Mass media and mental illness. For Community Hope’s Eight Annual Family Learning Forum, Parsippany, NJ, May 4, 2002.

Wahl, O. F. Confronting stigma. For the Extra Mile, Inc. conference, “Changing Your Mind: An Enlightening Perspective on Mental Health. Monroe, LA, April 5, 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. Media madness: Public perceptions of mental illnesses. For a conference on "The Stigma of Mental Illness: Defeat it through education," sponsored by the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Delaware, the Mental Health Association in Delaware, and the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Wilmington, DE, October 19, 2001.

Wahl, O. F. Television depictions of mental illness. As part of a symposium, "For better or worse? The role of the media in forming public attitudes towards mental illness." For the First International Conference on Reducing Stigma and Discrimination because of Schizophrenia, Leipzig, Germany, Sept. 4, 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 Anti-Discrimination Community Mental Health Promotion Conference of the Mental Health Association of New York State, Albany, NY, May 24, 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

Leadership Award (“for inspiration, vision, and pioneering work”) from the Campaign to Address Discrimination and Stigma of Contra Costa County, October 11,2002.

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.

Finalist for 1997 George Mason University Teaching Award

Selection of book, Media madness: Public images of mental illness, as an "outstanding work on intolerance in North America," by the Gustavus Myers Center for Human Rights. December 1996.

1996 M. Norton Rosner Award as Outstanding Compeer Advisory Board Member, September 28, 1996.

1995 Media Award from the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of New York State, October 21, 1995.

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

Community Service Award from the Mental Health Association of Northern Virginia, May 31, 1990, June 3, 1992.