EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF MENTAL HEALTH DISCOURSE THROUGH DIGITAL STORYTELLING IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Mental Health is regarded as the most significant health problem in Singapore. With stress and burnout being a prevalent factor affecting Singaporeans’ mental health, factors such as stigma towards mental health and strict Asian parenting are among the barriers to recovery. However, a prominent barrier to recovery is the time lag that exists before one’s first appointment with a public mental health-care professional due to a strain and shortage of MPHs in Singapore’s mental health sector. Thus, this study explores how the portrayal of lived experiences on mental health discourses done through digital storytelling can be used as a tool for learning and support for people with mental health concerns as well as their caretakers. Content analysis was conducted on 6 YouTube videos, specifically 3 videos from Singapore’s Mainstream Broadcast Media Company, Channel News Asia (CNA), and 3 videos from a Non- Governmental Content-Production Media Company, Our Grandfather Story (OGS), comprising a video with a personal storytelling frame, an expert storytelling frame as well as an educational and awareness storytelling frame. In understanding how mental health issues and experiences are presented through digital storytelling, the analysis will adopt the Representational, Relational, Configurational, and Sociocultural Framework. Thereafter, a thematic analysis was conducted on the top 50 comments from each video. In understanding the function of digital storytelling videos on mental health discourse to Singaporeans, the analysis will adopt Burke’s Dramatism framework, specifically the five key elements of Drama – Scene, Act, Agency, and Purpose. All coding and analyses were performed with Delve. Exploring the Effects of Mental Health Discourse through Digital Storytelling in Singapore The content analysis revealed that videos addressed symptoms, misconceptions, and available resources, serving to empower viewers with knowledge and combat stigma. The examination of the videos revealed a predominant use of the Representational Frame, which focuses on education and awareness about mental health. The thematic analysis of comments highlighted common sentiments such as personal experiences with mental health, the importance of seeking professional help, and the role of social support networks. Burke’s Dramatism framework revealed how digital storytelling videos function as a platform for education, empathy building, and advocacy within the mental health discourse in Singapore. While mental health discourse through digital storytelling has been shown to benefit Singaporeans in several ways, challenges such as access to resources and societal stigma persist, indicating the need for continued efforts to improve mental health awareness and support systems in Singapore. Given that this study is relatively new to the Singapore literature, it would be ideal to establish a standardized theoretical framework when studying the effects of Digital Storytelling on studies of mental health. This will allow a more efficient and productive presentation of the true effects, providing avenues to expand such studies into longitudinal research and further allowing Digital Storytelling practices to be transformed into a supportive and complementary tool for mental health recovery.