Depression representations on the most popular Russian-language YouTube channels

Abstract

This article analyzes the mental health discourse on the most popular Russian-language channels on YouTube. The main research focus is depression representations. In total 345 videos were examined, issued since 2015 and till 2021. Using theoretical thematic analysis, the content creator types are identified, and these types are compared in terms of their portrayals of depression. The findings demonstrate that the most popular Russian-language content was made by (1) specialists on mental health, (2) influencers and celebrities, (3) documentalists, and (4) experientialists. The channels of popular science, those with TV recordings, religious, esoteric, and artistic channels were found to be watched less, despite also featuring mental health. The results regarding depression representations showed that most content creators describe depression as an illness. Additionally, the depression portrayals from the contemporary, popular Russian-language YouTube channels generally correspond with contemporary medical perspectives on depression, and the authors discussed depression using words and collocations from the medical discourse. Therefore, it could be assumed that the Russian-language representations of depression on this platform are based on the medical explanatory model of depression and are highly medicalized. The paper contributes to studies of mental health discourse reception across cultures and media, as well as the literature on depression representations.