Statistics

• The growing influence of moving image media in the world
• Statistics of inequality for disabled people in the U.K.
• A recent poll
• Mental distress in the UK

The growing influence of moving image media in the world

All over the world, more and more people are able to access old and new films. Although cinema audience admissions in the UK have declined from 1 585 million in 1945 to a low of 72 million in 1985, with a modest rise to 140 million in 1999, TV and video/DVD audiences continue to grow in the UK and around the world.

This decline in cinema attendance is the same all around the world. From 1988 to 1998, world cinema audiences declined by 79%, with only Western Europe, North America and Australia/New Zealand increasing their audiences. This decline is paralleled by an increase in television viewing. In the UK in 1998, 69% of 12-13 year-olds had a television in their room.

It is estimated that 90% of people in rich countries have television and 80% in some poorer countries, such as China, though viewing is often in public. Cable and satellite are fast spreading in countries like India, where half of all homes now have access to television.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion is much less. UNESCO estimates that only 3.5% own a television set, compared with 23% for the world as a whole.

(See the Global Media Atlas 2001, bfi, London.)

Negative attitudes, stereotypes and distorted portrayals of disabled people's lives still predominate in mainstream films. The increasing capacity of the world media system to recycle films and images means that, despite worthy legislation (see A recent poll, below), negative views of disabled people are continually reinforced through moving image media.

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Statistics of inequality for disabled people in the UK

In 2003, the Disability Rights Commission produced a range of statistics that characterise disabled people's lives in the UK.

• Disabled people are twice as likely as non-disabled people to have no qualifications whatsoever. Labour Force Survey Winter 2001/02,ONS
• One in twenty disabled people is at a College of Further or Higher Education, compared to one in ten of the rest of the population. Labour Force Survey Winter 2000/01,ONS
• Only 8% of disabled people have a degree-level qualification, compared to 17% of non-disabled people. Labour Force Survey Winter 2000/01,ONS
• There are more than one million young people aged under 24 who have a disability under the definition of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Household survey 1999, National Office of Statistics. This represents 5.5%-6% of the 18.3 million in this age group. 2001 Census OPC
• Disabled people are around five times as likely as non-disabled people to be out of work and claiming benefits. There are 2.9 million disabled people out of work and claiming benefits. Labour Force Survey 2001/02 ONS
• Only 13% of adults with learning difficulties are in work. White Paper, Valuing People 2001
• Only 39% of Year 11 Pupils in Special Schools in 2002 got one or more GCSEs A*-G, compared to 95% in mainstream education. DfES Area 6P

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A recent poll

A recent opinion poll of young disabled people showed that:

The findings are revealed in interim results of the biggest survey of young disabled people with a variety of mobility and sensory impairments and learning difficulties, between the ages of 16 and 24, in England and Wales. The poll was undertaken by NOP for the Disability Rights Commission (DRC). The survey found that, while many young disabled people were enjoying life, a significant minority had been illegally turned away from work and were unable to go on holiday. All of the young people reported having the same aspirations as non-disabled people, for example, to travel, to get a good job and to start a family.

The poll found that:

• Almost half (47%) of those questioned said that problems with public transport made it difficult for them to participate in activities that other people their age take part in.
• Of this 47%, four fifths (81%) said they missed out on holidays due to transport problems.
• By the time they reach the age of 30, more than a quarter (28%) of young disabled people expect to be earning less than most other people of their age.
• One in six (15%) respondents said they had been turned down for a paid job, and told it was for a reason related to their disability or health problem.
• One in three (31%) young disabled people are not able to join in with things that their friends do.
• 33% said they had been bullied at school.
• 25% said they had been discriminated against.
• 34% said they did not get the help they needed at school.
• 40% said they felt left out and isolated.

In the last 30 years, disabled people have campaigned for and won a human rights-based approach to disability. It is beginning to be accepted that disability discrimination, prejudice, negative attitudes and stereotypes are not acceptable. The struggles of disabled people to gain civil rights have led to legislation in the USA (The Americans with Disabilities Act 1990); in the UK (The Disability Discrimination Act 1995), and similar legislation in many other countries, including South Africa, India and Australia. The United Nations adopted the UN Standard Rules on Equalisation in 1992.

In all of these measures, the onus is on eliminating discrimination by bringing in enforceable civil rights legislation. The legislation is based on the idea that adjustments need to be made to services, buildings, transport, workplaces, environments, communications and equipment to allow disabled people access. Prejudicial attitudes and practices are outlawed and institutional discrimination, where whole organisations exclude disabled people, has begun to be challenged.

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Mental distress in the UK

Estimates of the prevalence of mental distress in Britain (the number of people with a specific diagnosis at any one time) vary between 1 in 6 and 1 in 4 - that's 9.6-14.5 million people.

Mental distress includes:

Neurotic disorders Anxiety, depression, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (eg in the film As Good As It Gets, 1997, James L. Brooks, USA) and panic disorder. For many people, these manifest themselves as sleep problems, fatigue, irritability, worry, lack of concentration, forgetfulness, eating disorders, depression or obsessions.

Psychoses For a much smaller group of people, psychoses are disorders which produce disturbances in thinking and perception which are severe enough to distort the person's perception of the world and relationship to events in it.

These are usually divided into:

• organic psychoses, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease (eg in the film Iris, 2001)
• functional psychoses, which mainly covers schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder (manic depression) (as in the films Psycho,1960, Alfred Hitchcock, USA; Aquirre, Wrath of God, 1973, Werner Herzog, Germany/Peru/Mexico; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1975, Milos Forman, USA; The Butcher Boy, 1997, Neil Jordan, Ireland/USA; Affliction 1997, Paul Schrader, USA).

Personality disorders An even smaller group have a personality disorder, meaning an enduring pattern of inner experience and behaviour that deviates markedly from the experience of the individual's culture. The effects are pervasive and inflexible, usually start in adolescence or early adulthood, remain stable over time and lead to distress or impairment. Although very few people have personality disorders, characters who do are seen as a stereotype of all people with mental health issues and often feature in films, eg as psychopathic killers in Taxi Driver 1976, Martin Scorsese, USA, or Red Dragon, 2002, Brett Ratner, USA/Germany.

Common conditions and their prevalence

Anxiety 4.7% of adults experience generalised anxiety, not including depression, at any one time.

Panic disorders 7 per 1000

Depression 1 in 10 adults, with 1 in 20 having 'clinical' depression.

Eating problems 1% of women aged 15-30 have anorexia nervosa; 1-2% have bulimia nervosa. Many cases go unreported, so this is probably an under-estimate.

Dementia 20% of people aged over 80, and 6% of those over 65 are affected by dementia. There are 650,000 people with dementia known to Health Authorities, and two-thirds of these are diagnosed as having Alzheimer's disease.

Phobias 1.9%, but some studies give a higher rate, with women more prone than men.

Personality disorders 2%, but some studies have put it as high as 13%. The concept is controversial.

Bi-polar disorder(manic depression) 1% have lifelong occurance.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder around 1.2%, though up to 3% may experience OCD at some point in their life.

Schizophrenia Most studies show a lifelong occurance of just under 1%, with 0.2-0.4% being affected at any one time. This affects more men aged 15-24, and women of 24-35 years.

Children and young people and mental distress

Research has shown that 20% of children have some degree of emotional or mental problem. In one third of these, problems persist into adulthood. 35% of physically abused children develop problems. Living in an inner city has a big impact, with 7% of three year-olds in this environment experiencing moderate to severe problems, with minor problems for a further 15%. Amongst older children, levels increase.

• 250 000 children under 16 (2%) are affected by severe mental distress;
• 0.5-1% of teenagers have anorexia;
• 1% of adolescent girls have bulimia;
• 3% of adolescents are self-harming;
• 2-8% have depression, with this affecting girls more;
• 2-4% will attempt suicide, which is more common amongst young men;
• 10% have conduct disorders: stealing, truancy, aggression, fire-setting and persistent delinquency;
• Psychiatric admissions (sections) age 11-16: 2 690; and age 17-25: 24 890.

All these figures are affected by relationships with family and friends. When these are unhappy, unfulfilling or abusive they are very damaging. Children need security and boundaries to thrive, so children in care or in abusive families are very much at risk. Significant numbers of troubled children turn to substance abuse, alcohol or drugs. These children need support and help, not punishment.

Mind infoline 0845 7660163; website: www.mind.org.uk

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