International Journal Of Academic Research In Business And Social Sciences:2024-Portrayal of Mental Illness in Malaysian Newspapers: A Thematic Analysis of Online News Reports

Siti Munirah, Mohd Ali and Wan Farah Wani, Wan Fakhruddin and Wan Nur Asyura, Wan Adnan and Ezzan Amnie, Azizan (2024) International Journal Of Academic Research In Business And Social Sciences:2024-Portrayal of Mental Illness in Malaysian Newspapers: A Thematic Analysis of Online News Reports. International Journal Of Academic Research In Business And Social Sciences, 14 (2). ISSN 2222-6990

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Abstract

Media portrayal of mental illness may influence public stigma and service utilisation. Media, particularly the news media, has become omnipresent for mental illness information to the public. Most of the public's opinions and attitudes towards people with mental illness consume through the news media than direct experience. This study aims to explore prominent themes of news articles on mental illnesses in Malaysian online newspapers, which were collected from January 2017 to December 2021 using qualitative thematic analysis. Several keywords related to mental illness were used to seek news articles in the newspaper portals, and 86 news articles met the inclusion criteria. Results showed three significant themes identified - people with mental illness have undesirable traits, people with mental illness are a menace, and the risk factors of people with mental illness. Overall, the findings indicate that themes produced were stigmatising and derogatory towards individuals with mental illness by highlighting the negative characterisation of people with mental illness, naming them as a threat, and endangering others. These findings are essential for providing practical knowledge for media practitioners to report mental illness-related news. Therefore, this study suggested the need for improving the quality of mental illness media reporting in Malaysia.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	News Media, Mental Illness, Thematic Analysis, Online Newspapers, Health Communication
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
Divisions:	Institute of Graduate Studies (IGS)
Depositing User:	Mrs Shariffah Shuhaiza Syed Mohd Nor
Date Deposited:	19 Jun 2025 08:23
Last Modified:	19 Jun 2025 08:27
URI:	http://eprints.kuptm.edu.my/id/eprint/4502

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