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The present study applies a qualitative thematic analysis method to investigate the portrayal of mental health problems in the Chinese national newspaper, People's Daily, Renmin Ribao 人民日报 during the years 2000 and 2020, with a focus on how the use of the search terms jingshenbing 精神病 and xinli wenti 心理问题 affects the representation of mental health. By using the themes Groups and Context, Symptoms and Consequences, and Causes and Solutions, the study analyzes how the newspaper represents mental health problems in these periods to identify how the portrayal of mental health problems in the articles has changed over time. The study also aims to examine how this representation can influence readers' attitudes and behavior, based on theories such as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, the Theory of Planned Behavior, Piaget's theory of assimilation and accommodation, and the Theory of Structural Stigma. The study finds that articles from 2000 that contain the search term jingshenbing tend to focus on the relationship between mental health problems and stigmatized groups and contexts and describe serious symptoms and consequences. This can lead to a negative attitude towards mental health problems by associating it as a threat to society. Articles from 2000 that use the search term xinli wenti provide a limited picture of mental health problems and lack coverage of symptoms, consequences, causes, and solutions. Compared to 2000, the portrayal of mental health problems in articles from 2020 has improved due to factors like the pandemic. Articles from 2020 that use the search term jingshenbing address symptoms and consequences of mental health problems in a more detailed, respectful, and objective manner but tend to focus on individuals with mental health problems as vulnerable and a burden on society. Articles from 2020 that contain the search term xinli wenti provide a more accepting, nuanced, and detailed representation of mental health problems and focus more on varied and customized solutions. The study highlights that the use of search terms has an impact on how mental health problems are portrayed and can influence readers' attitudes. The search term jingshenbing has a more negative meaning than xinli wenti and generates more articles in People's Daily with a negative representation of mental health problems than xinli wenti. The negative portrayal of mental health problems in People's Daily in 2000 is likely to influence readers' attitudes and behavior towards mental health problems in a negative way, while a more objective, nuanced, detailed, accepting, and respectful representation in 2020 may have the opposite effect. The findings emphasize the importance of newspapers reporting on mental health problems in a way that is objective, nuanced, and respectful.