Mental Health News during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A 3-year analysis in Paraguay

Authors

  • Cecilia Bogado Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. San Lorenzo, Paraguay.
  • Iván Barrios Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Filial Santa Rosa del Aguaray. Santa Rosa del Aguaray, Paraguay.
  • Anthon Daniel Torres-Romero Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Red de Estudiantes Investigadores en Neurociencias. San Lorenzo, Paraguay.
  • Tomás Caycho-Rodríguez Universidad Científica del Sur. Lima, Perú.
  • Antonio Ventriglio Universidad de Foggia, Departamento de Medicina Clínica y Experimental. Foggia, Italia.
  • João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia Fundación de ABC, Departamento de Neurociencia. Santo André, SP, Brasil.
  • Julio Torales Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. San Lorenzo, Paraguay.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53732/rccsalud/2024.e6130

Keywords:

mental health, news, newspaper article, COVID-19, Paraguay

Abstract

Introduction. The connection between news sources and the connotation of mental health articles in Paraguay during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023) significantly impacted public opinion about mental health. Objective. This study analyzed news on mental health in Paraguay in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods. A descriptive retrospective study of all news articles on mental health published in the three primary newspapers of the country between May 2020 and May 2023 was conducted. The keywords were depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and mental health issues. Results. A total of 534 news were examined, 39.5% published by La Nación newspaper, 33.1% in 2023, and in 88.4% the author's identity and gender were not specified. Of the writing characteristics, 99.8% were written in the third person, 62.7% had a human-interest context, 48.5% had a neutral connotation, 65.7% focused on health and well-being, and 7.5% written by health experts. The year of publication was statistically associated to connotation (p=0.003) and context (p<0.001). Conclusion. The media has paid significant attention to mental health. Despite the objectivity provided by third-person narration, problems arise because of a lack of author identification. To encourage balanced and non-polarized reporting, it is crucial to incorporate expert voices and promote the framing of mental health stories as “human interest”.

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Published

2024-01-30

How to Cite

Bogado, C., Barrios, I., Torres-Romero, A. D., Caycho-Rodríguez, T., Ventriglio, A., Castaldelli-Maia, J. M., & Torales, J. (2024). Mental Health News during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A 3-year analysis in Paraguay. Scientific Journal of Health Sciences, 6, 01–07. https://doi.org/10.53732/rccsalud/2024.e6130

Issue

Vol. 6 (2024): Revista científica ciencias de la salud - ISSN: 2664-2891

Section

Artículos originales