Constructing Depression Online: A Frame Semantic Analysis of Philippine Social Media Discourse
Mikee Macasocol and Petervir Paz
Abstract
This study explores how depression becomes framed linguistically in Philippine social media, diverging from Western biomedical models. Analyzing 2,510 public posts on Facebook, X, and Instagram (2023), employing corpus-assisted discourse analysis and frame semantics, the study examines the ways in which depression becomes constructed in Filipino and English posts.
Findings evidence low lexical density, indicating colloquial language rather than technical discourse. Negative framing predominates, with associations to anxiety, stress, postpartum, and sadness: the construct God appears as a neutral coping mechanism. Depression is framed as a mental state, lived struggle, and severe disposition, linked to stressors and symptoms.
In the study, we propose a digital framing-to-action model, recommending Taglish communication, clearer clinical distinctions, and faith-sensitive messaging, in order to promote help-seeking, support, and recovery.
Keywords: Depression, Philippine social media, Corpus-assisted Discourse, Frame Semantics, Semantic prosody