Sir, – It is welcome news that Getty Images is collaborating with Sheryl Sandberg on the new empowering "Lean in collection" of stock photographs of women and families ("Getty’s a gas", Emma Somers, February 17th).
I hope the Getty company will soon undertake a similar review of its currently available images for mental-health terms particularly “schizophrenia” and “psychotic”. The former’s webpage is currently peopled by men wrapped in straight-jackets or brandishing knives while the latter degenerates into a collection of killer zombies and men in hockey masks.
Undoubtedly the images on the Getty website reflect the stereotypes related to those with psychotic illnesses. However, many of the images that are part of the new “Lean in collection”, eg people at work, or with their family, could just as easily be linked to schizophrenia. It would be refreshing if the reality for those who live with chronic mental illness could be reflected on Getty’s pages. It has a duty to provide the media with a “healthy option”. – Yours, etc,
Dr ERIC KELLEHER,
Chair, Trainee Committee,
College of Psychiatrists of
Ireland,
Herbert Street,
Dublin 2.