Mental health and emotional labour: Evidence from the EndSARS digital protest

This study examines how protesters in the EndSARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) movement experienced and managed mental health challenges, and how these experiences impacted their online advocacy and psychological well-being. Through interviews with 19 protesters, this research reveals three themes: (a) emotional exhaustion and trauma exposure, (b) online harassment and fear of repression, and (c) burnout and disengagement, which answered the research question. The findings highlight how social and digital media, while instrumental in mobilizing dissent, also functioned as a vector for psychological harm. The paper argues that the intimate act of digitally screening out deceased victims of police brutality and identifying with them as comrades rather than anonymous casualties highlights a collectivized form of emotional labor rooted in relational proximity and shared struggle, especially in the African context, where communal ontologies prevail. By focusing on protesters’ mental health, this study challenges idealized perceptions of digital activism, emphasizing its hidden human costs. The EndSARS case offers critical insights into the challenges of mental health in digital resistance, underscoring the importance of addressing this issue within social justice movements.