Mental illness stigmatization on social media and identity construction. An intersectional case study

Hansen, Laila Souza

4. term

Culture, Communication and Globalization, Master

2022

2022-05-23

112

I 2021 fortalte de kendte atleter Simone Biles og Naomi Osaka på sociale medier, at de trak sig fra store konkurrencer – blandt andet OL i Tokyo og en Grand Slam-turnering i Frankrig – for at passe på deres mentale sundhed. Dette casestudie undersøger, om sådanne offentlige udtalelser kan ændre den brede befolknings syn på psykisk sygdom, som ofte forbindes med stereotype forestillinger om svaghed og uformåen. Undersøgelsen bygger på ni dybdegående interviews med personer i Brasilien, der lever med psykiske problemer. Deltagerne opfatter sociale medier som et vigtigt redskab til at nedbryde stigmatisering – det vil sige negative stereotyper og diskrimination – ved at skabe åbne samtaler og udbrede pålidelig, vidensbaseret information gennem brugerproduceret indhold. Samtidig pegede de på, at stigma ikke rammer alle lige: Social position betyder meget. I Brasilien opleves især sorte og fattige mennesker som hårdest ramt af segregering og barrierer i forbindelse med psykisk sygdom. Disse indsigter giver kontekst for, hvordan synlige udtalelser på sociale medier kan indgå i bredere indsatser mod stigmatisering.

In 2021, high-profile athletes Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka used social media to explain that they stepped back from major competitions—including the Tokyo Olympics and a Grand Slam event in France—to protect their mental health. This case study explores whether such public statements can shift how society views mental illness, which is often stereotyped as a sign of weakness or incapacity. The study draws on nine in-depth interviews with people in Brazil who live with mental health problems. Participants saw social media as a key tool for reducing stigma—that is, negative stereotypes and discrimination—by sparking open conversations and spreading reliable, science-based information through user-generated posts. They also emphasized that stigma is not experienced equally: social position matters. In Brazil, Black and poor people were viewed as facing the most segregation and barriers related to mental health. These insights provide context for how visible online statements can contribute to broader efforts to challenge stigma.

[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]

stigmatization ; intersectionality ; social media ; mental illness ; social representation

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