Nursing students watched Shadow Voices: Finding Hope in Mental Illness for a class assignment. The nursing professor gave permission for these comments to be used but the university asked not to be named for privacy purposes.

“I was quite pleased to see the former First Lady Rosalynn Carter in the video. I always enjoy hearing about the work she is doing for increasing awareness about mental disorders and society's role in treating them. Perhaps the most interesting piece in the video was establishing a link between the faith community and the therapeutic community. Because there is such stigma and lack of information surrounding mental disorders many of those facing a crisis may turn to their churches or clergy. It is important to empower church officials and the faith community as a whole with the correct information and ways to help those facing a mental illness.”

“The recent shootings in Tucson, Ariz., are a reminder that we need better mental healthcare. The Shadow Voices video is a great educational tool and I feel the country is ready to learn more about mental health. This video shows that people with mental health issues can become productive members of society.”

“I was amazed that many mentally ill people are in jail and they may not be getting the appropriate treatment. I believe this kind of video can be educational to reduce social stigma and to create awareness about the life of a mentally ill person.”

“A great point was made in the film about the media’s role in the mental illness stigmas. When something happens to a mentally ill individual, whether or not is has anything to do with their illness, they are quick to point out they have mental problems. However, you never hear the media describe a criminal saying anything about diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or any other illnesses. Very informative and quite an eye opener.”

“The fact that the largest mental illness treatment facilities are jails is alarming.”

“I found this video very insightful on how people with different illnesses can truly lead a better life than how society has portrayed them. There was good information on the history and it was interesting to hear actual patients that went through the change in care that occurred with deinstitutionalization. Overall, it was a very informative and is very inspirational for people who suffer from such illnesses.”

“Really opened my eyes to the stigma surrounding mental illness. I was amazed at the woman who kept the fact that she was institutionalized a secret out of fear of being ostracized.”

“This video will help me to be more compassionate, sensitive, and empathize with patients when I'm caring for them.”

“Touched me personally. I have overcome a lot in my life, and I know what it feels like to be stigmatized. I had no idea that people with mental illnesses were treated so poorly in the past, and it wasn’t that long ago. What I have realized from this video and from what I have seen in clinicals so far is that people have to reach a horrible life threatening situation before they can be sent to a rehabilitation center. I believe that it is [because] the people don’t know what is wrong with them ‘til the cops are involved or they are brought into the emergency room.”

“Goes a long way in teaching us as nursing students how people with mental illnesses feel … in the societies around them. This video will prepare us ... to handle individuals with mental illnesses.”

“This video does a great job at giving viewers an idea of the high quality of life people with mental illnesses can experience. The reality for a large percentage of people with mental illness is not nearly as nice. I have always wondered why there are so many diagnosed (and undiagnosed) yet untreated people in this country with mental illness. The answer lies within the structure of society and the almighty dollar. Health insurance coverage for mental health is limited or excluded. Many Benefit Administrators opt out because it's too costly to add to the health plan. The video, in my opinion, gave me an idea of what life can and should be like for persons with mental illness but certainly not the way life truly is for most of the mentally ill.”

“I think the documentary depicted an even portrayal of mental health by touching on the perceived negatives harbored by those who don't know enough about mental health as well as offering hope for those who are dedicated and committed to conquering one's inner issues and set a goal for being reintroduced back to civil life. It is refreshing and encouraging to hear the afflicted people's stories of suffering from a mental illness and their battle to eradicate what holds them back. The one thing that really stands out for me is that the afflicted cannot tackle or manage their symptoms by themselves, but with a lot of moral support, a patient can become incrementally better and conduct their daily affairs with minimal disruptions.”

“I watched the Shadow Voices video and found it helpful [to see] how people living with mental illnesses are able to somewhat overcome the stigmas and find something that makes them better than the disorder they have. The guy who created beautiful works of art using his disability money or assistance he received and then selling the art to make a living was a good example to me.”

“Despite having taken both general and abnormal psychology, I’ve always had a preconceived notion about the mentally ill. I think those thoughts stem from the fact that I’ve considered the mentally ill to be weird and rather hard to relate to (most of this stems from movies and popular literature). So, as far as this documentary is concerned, what it did right was that it unraveled those preconceived notions. Quite eye opening.”

“After seeing mental illness first hand in the hospital, it looked if there is little hope for these people to have a fulfilling life and that saddened me. This video gave me hope for them!”

“I already have a different idea of what mental illness is than I did at the beginning of the semester. I am sure some of that is due to my brief time speaking with patients in clinical as well as watching the Shadows Voices video.”

“My favorite line from Shadow Voices was ‘people are people.’ I thought this really highlighted the fact that every person deserves to be treated with respect and [be] seen for the combination of all of their abilities and characteristics. Mental illness, like any other illness, should not be a defining characteristic of an individual. I thought the video did a wonderful job illustrating how damaging stigmas are to those suffering from a mental illness who do not seek treatment.”

“I found the Shadow Voices video very enlightening. I have a sibling who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is currently not taking any medication (because his psychiatrist does not find it necessary at the moment). The video gave me hope for my brother’s future. But I wanted to be able to compare him to the patients in the video.”

“My family are Hispanic and no one ever talked about being mentally ill or having a mental illness and now that it's becoming more "acceptable" most of my family is being treated for a mental disorder.”

“I was pretty moved by it. There's something very genuine about real people, with actual names and faces, sharing their stories about something that's very personal despite the fear of stigma. I also liked the fact that it told a complete story.”