Portrayal of Women with Postpartum Depression in Nollywood Movies

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.