Portrayal of Women with Postpartum Depression in Nollywood Movies

Abstract

In 21st-century literary and cinematic productions, a notable fracture emerges through the voices of women grappling with the delicate balance between life and career. It surfaces through the imperative to confront issues like baby blues, postpartum depression, infanticide, and various conditions jeopardizing the mother-child relationship. Concurrently, representations of mental health issues, particularly postpartum depression in Nollywood films, tend to perpetuate existing myths,  prejudices, misconceptions, and anxieties surrounding mental illness. Therefore, this study investigates the portrayal of women with postpartum depression in Nollywood movies. The study is guided by Framing Theory and employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative research designs, utilizing content analysis and key informant 
interviews. The non-human population sample comprises 10 Nollywood 
movies released in 2015, depicting women with postpartum depression. 
Key-informant interviews involve professionals from orthodox and 
alternative medicine, as well as the movie industry. Purposive and 
available sampling techniques were utilized, first selecting movies 
available on the Iroko TV app to ensure comprehensive representation. 
Subsequently, a Nollywood movie producer/director and experts from 
orthodox and alternative medicine were purposively sampled. Findings 
reveal that recent stressful life events are a major contributing factor to 
postpartum depression among women in Nollywood movies. The 
majority of afflicted mothers experience challenges in bonding with their 
infants. Content producers believe that counseling serves as a more effective alternative treatment for postpartum depression compared to 
science-based treatments. This study recommends engaging the media to 
promote mental health education, rectifying inaccurate perceptions often 
depicted by auteurs.