Programme: English

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A Linguistic Investigation of Mental Health Discourse on Instagram: A Transitivity Approach
(Forum for Linguistic Studies Volume 07 | Issue 06, 2025-06) Anake, Scholastica Andokie; Chimuanya, Lily; Evaristus, Adesina; Kayode, Oluwagbenga A.; Ogbulogo, Charles U.
Online discourse has contributed to the widespread dissemination of mental health awareness (MHA) worldwide. These mental health advocacies are mediated using discourse, also known as language in use. However, studies on online MHA, especially from the perspective of applied linguistics in Nigeria, appear to be few. Therefore, this study examined MHA discourse in two purposively selected Instagram platforms: Sanemind and the NEEM Sanctuary. The study’s objective is to identify the discursive contents in the selected platforms and the lexical resources in the selected MHA texts using a mixed method of data analysis. The data were analysed using the transitivity strand of the systemic functional analysis. The data analysis and discussion of findings identified three main themes of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery communicated through the transitivity processes: material, mental, verbal, relational, behavioural, and existential processes. This study concludes that the material process of ‘doing’ and ‘happening’ are the most used verbs for communicating MHA, followed by the verbal process of ‘saying’ and the relational process of ‘being’, which indicates that mental health concerns are more prone to what people do, say and their relationship with self and others. The study recommends that online content creators must ensure the lexical resources employed in mental health awareness communications are accurate, concise, and clear to avoid misrepresentation and misunderstanding of their intended messages. Thus, they may require the services of language and linguistics experts to review their online content
A Transitivity Analysis of Mental Health Awareness Discourse on Instagram
(Word (Routledge Tailor and Francis Group), 2025) Anake, Scholastica Andokie; Chimuanya, Lily; Ogbulogo, Charles U.
Discourse is dynamic, varied, and tailored to match the communication needs of an environment. In Nigeria, the need to communicate mental health awareness (MHA) is imminent; thus, the advent of social media discourse allows mental health awareness content creators to reach a wider audience. The study aims to identify the predominant MHA themes in two purposively selected Instagram platforms, Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI) and She Writes Woman (SWW), and to analyze the recurrent linguistic resources in the selected MHA texts. The study uses the transitivity framework for descriptive-qualitative and qualitative data analysis. The findings show three major themes: diagnosis, treatment/therapy, and prevention/recovery. It also shows the material process as the most frequently used transitivity in mental health awareness advocacy on both Instagram pages. This suggests that the triggers of mental health issues are majorly related to the verbs ‘doing’ and ‘happening’, from diagnosis and treatment processes to recovery.
Tracking Mental Health: A Social Semiotic Analysis of Instagram Discourse
(Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences 22(2), 2024) Anake, Scholastica Andokie; Chimuanya, Lily; Nnorom, Paulinus N.; Ogbulogo, Charles U.
Mental health issues are increasingly common, affecting millions of people worldwide. This health challenge has both social and economic implications for individuals and society. By examining how language is used in mental health discourse on social media, people can better understand how it shapes perceptions, experiences, and interactions, ultimately informing more effective and supportive communication practices. This study investigates how mental health discourse is represented on two selected Instagram platforms, Sanemind and the NEEM Sanctuary, using a purposive sampling technique to select cases that are intentionally chosen for their relevance to mental health discourse. By combining social semiotics, linguistics, and mental health research, the study bridges the gap between these fields and offers insights into mental health concerns on social media. Using Kress and van Leeuwen's (1996) social semiotics framework, this study examines how language and other semiotic resources facilitate or hinder empathetic understanding, diagnosis, and treatment. Our analysis reveals specific strategies used by users to advocate for mental health awareness and support, such as representation, pigmentation, and framing used to highlight contemporary mental health complexities. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of mental health discourse on social media, informing strategies for promoting awareness, support, and resources. Our findings have implications for mental health promotion, social media platform design, and online support community development.