Abstract

Mental health has emerged as a critical public health concern, contributing substantially to the global burden of disease and placing pressure on healthcare systems. Although mental health challenges affect all demographics, youth experience the highest prevalence, which is especially concerning given that they make up approximately 75% of Kenya’s population. There is a growing global consensus on the importance of media framing in shaping public understanding, perceptions, and attitudes towards mental health. In Kenya, Pamoja FM’s Pass the Mic Show actively engages with mental health topics. However, there is a scholarly gap in understanding how such programs use framing to create mental health awareness, particularly within the Kenyan context, thus necessitating this study. Guided by Framing Theory, the study adopted a qualitative research design, utilizing qualitative content analysis and in-depth interviews. Eight purposively selected episodes of the Pass the Mic Show were analyzed alongside in-depth interviews with nine youth listeners selected through snowball sampling. Data analysis involved content analysis of the radio episodes and thematic analysis of the in-depth interviews, with results presented in narrative form. The findings revealed that the program’s framing techniques played a key role in its mental health awareness efforts. The study recommended that the program avoid framings that associate mental illness with criminality or present suicide as a moral failure or a violation of the natural order, as such approaches risk reinforcing stigma, inducing guilt and shame, and discouraging individuals from seeking help.

Key Words: Mental Health, Youth, Framing, Awareness, Stigma

About the Authors

* Allan Muchemi is a postgraduate student in the Faculty of Media and Communication, Multimedia University of Kenya, Kenya. His research interests include mental health communication, political communication, and rhetorical studies.

** Idah Gatwiri Muchunku, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Mass Communication in the Faculty of Media and Communication, Multimedia University of Kenya, Kenya. Her research interests cover five broad areas: new media and online journalism; science and development communication; corporate communication; media influence on society and media ethics; and mental health communication.

*** Paul Mburu Jinaro, Ph.D., is a journalist, corporate communication practitioner and a lecturer in the Faculty of Media and Communication, Multimedia University of Kenya, Kenya. His research interests are in the areas of media audiences and effects, media management, development communication, organizational communication, leadership, resource management and ethics.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 17, No. 2, October 2025, pp. 179-192

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

Article Citation

Muchemi, A., Muchunku, I. G. & Jinaro, P. M. (2025). Analysis of mental health message framing on Pamoja FM’s pass the mic show in creating awareness among youth in Kibra sub-county, Nairobi, Kenya. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 17 (2): 179-192.

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