Framing mental health through language: metaphors and idioms in everyday communication and media discourse

This study examines how mental health is linguistically framed through metaphors and idioms in everyday communication and media discourse. Drawing on insights from cognitive linguistics and sociolinguistics, the study explores how figurative language shapes the understanding and communication of psychological distress in Tanzania. A qualitative discourse analysis design was employed, analysing Swahili expressions commonly used in everyday interactions alongside texts from digital media platforms published between 2020 and 2025. The analysis combined thematic analysis with metaphor identification procedures to identify recurring linguistic patterns. Findings reveal three dominant frames through which mental health is expressed: mental distress as excessive thinking, mental suffering as an emotional burden and mental illness as a loss of mental balance or control. In addition, conflict metaphors portraying distress as an internal struggle and journey metaphors framing recovery as a gradual process were commonly identified. These metaphorical and idiomatic expressions provide culturally meaningful ways of communicating emotional experiences while also shaping social attitudes towards mental health. The study highlights the importance of language in constructing public understandings of psychological wellbeing and calls for culturally sensitive mental health communication in both everyday discourse and media narratives.