Framing Depression: A Content Analysis of Responsibility Attribution of Mass Media Coverage in Japan

When communicating messages about responsibility for mental health issues, media framing serves as an important source that can change public opinion and attention. This study examines how Japanese national newspapers framed causal and treatment responsibility in the coverage of depression over the past 15 years. Using a content analysis of 363 articles, this study analyzed how Japanese newspapers attribute responsibility for depression at the individual, social network, and societal levels. Results show that Japanese media attribute more causal responsibility to the social network level, and more treatment responsibility to the society level. Findings show that Japanese mass media consider the importance of social network-level factors in shaping health outcomes when framing responsibility. Comparisons between different newspapers in terms of their editorial stance influence how responsibility is framed. A significant difference was found in Yomiuri's right-leaning orientation, which helps explain why it attributed less responsibility for treatment to the societal level than Asahi and Mainichi. Findings hope to help public health practitioners and health journalists deliver more effective health communication and promote fairer access to mental health resources.