Mad, bad or misrepresented? Media, mental illness, and the stories we tell

How do media portrayals shape public views of mental illness and what happens when violence makes the headlines? Join our expert panel of journalists, researchers and people with lived experience as we unpack the challenges of reporting on conditions like schizophrenia and psychosis, the impact on stigma, and how we can shift the narrative toward more accurate, ethical and compassionate storytelling.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to participate in a dynamic exchange of ideas. After the event, enjoy some light refreshments and connect with fellow attendees.This special World Mental Health Day #PsychTalks event is presented by the Mental Ill-Health Stigma Researchers Australia Network (MISRA), the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, and the Melbourne School of Global and Population Health.

Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health

Dr Anna Ross is a senior research fellow at the Centre for Mental Health and Community Wellbeing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. Anna’s research focuses on reducing stigma towards people with complex mental illness in the media. Through her Emerging Leader NHMRC Investigator Grant, she is continuing to implement and evaluate the Mindframe guidelines for responsible reporting of mental illness, violence and crime.

Former NSW Deputy Mental Health Commissioner, Chair, BEING - Mental Health Consumers.

Tim is an experienced Consumer Peer Worker and Chair of Being (NSW Consumer Advisory Group). He was Lived Experience Deputy Commissioner at the Mental Health Commission of NSW (2018–2025) and co-chaired the National Mental Health Commission’s Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Strategy Steering Committee. He also served as Deputy Co-Chair of the National Peer Workforce Development Guidelines Steering Committee. Tim worked over a decade as a Peer Worker with Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD and five years as Peer Coordinator with COORDINARE, the South Eastern NSW PHN. A founding member of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention Collaborative, he received a 2013 Boston University Global Leadership Institute scholarship to develop the “Safety for All” seclusion and restraint reduction project.Some of his poetry can be found at https://timheffo.com/

StigmaWatch Manager, SANE Australia

Gayle McNaught is a scientist and communicator with over two decades of experience in public awareness, community education and advocacy. Gayle has a particular interest in using evidence-based health communication strategies to promote positive behaviour change and better health outcomes. As the Public Affairs and Advocacy Manager at SANE Australia, Gayle is actively working to amplify the voices of those with lived experience, improve public understanding, and build a better life for Australians facing complex mental health challenges.

Distinguished Professor of Forensic Behavioural Science and Executive Dean, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology

Distinguished Professor James Ogloff AM is a lawyer and psychologist with international expertise in forensic behavioural science. He is University Distinguished Professor of Forensic Behavioural Science and Executive Dean of Health Sciences at Swinburne University of Technology, and Strategic Advisor at Forensicare. From 2001–2022, he served as Forensicare’s Executive Director of Psychological Services and Research. Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2015, he has advanced education, law, forensic psychology, and mental health. Professor Ogloff has advised governments in Australia and Canada, including as British Columbia’s first Director of Mental Health Services for Corrections, and has published 18 books and over 400 scholarly works.

Senior Lecturer, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne.

Dr Chris Groot is a Senior Lecturer in the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne. He leads the School’s Mental Ill-Health Stigma and Telehealth Lab, which drives research, teaching, and public engagement programs that focus on stigma about severe and complex experiences of mental ill-health. Chris was the research lead on the National Stigma Report Card and subsequently contributed to the development of the National Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Strategy through commissioned reports and membership of the Measurement Technical Advisory Group. Chris is also the co-founder of the Mental Ill-Health Stigma Researchers Australia Network.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Kathleen Fitzpatrick Theatre, West Wing, Arts West, Parkville, Australia