Digital Communication and the Stigmatization of Psychological Disorders: The Role of Social Media Content in Shaping Mental Health Meanings

This study examines how social media content participates in shaping stigma surrounding psychological disorders, viewing platforms not as neutral conduits but as socio-technical arenas where visibility logics, user practices, and platform dynamics intersect in uneven ways. To make sense of these entanglements, a conceptual model is proposed. Empirically, the research draws on an interpretive qualitative design based on 25 semi-structured interviews with active users, exploring their perceptions, emotional responses, and lived encounters with mental health content. The analysis follows an iterative thematic approach. The findings suggest a layered dynamic: while stigma is often reproduced through repetition, simplification, and at times trivialization, social media also enables the emergence of alternative narratives. Users navigate visibility, share experiences, and occasionally push back against dominant framings. Three mechanisms appear central: algorithmic amplification, normalization through repetition, and the performative dimension of self-disclosure, highlighting the need for more reflexive health communication attentive to tone, visibility, and subtle symbolic effects.