“I’m Not a Therapist—I Am a Streamer”: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Twitch Partners’ Experience of Mental Health Within Their Communities

Mental health remains a global concern for which the burden of care frequently falls onto non-clinical platforms. This study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore how Twitch.tv is unexpectedly being used to curate communities wherein mental health is discussed and supported. Using semi-structured interviews with six Twitch Partners, we generated three superordinate themes: 1. Positive Experiences of Streaming, 2. Negative Psycho-social Sense-making in Relation to Streaming, and 3. Emotional Dilemmas Regarding Stream-related Payments. Twitch Partners face challenges around balancing pressures of generating and maintaining communities, whilst addressing individual relationships and the needs of members within. This paper documents strategies that Twitch Partners employ to protect their own mental wellbeing whilst supporting their communities, and notes how monetised content can impact such strategies and generate additional stress. These findings highlight the need to explore and evaluate platform support for streamer wellbeing, including signposting, moderation resources, mental health guidance, and training.