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Effect of Mental Health Podcasts on Mental Health Literacy among Young Adults in Nigeria

Abstract

Mental health literacy is an important component of mental health promotion, early recognition of psychological difficulties, reduction of stigma, and appropriate help-seeking among young adults in Nigeria. Young adults increasingly use digital media, including podcasts, to obtain information, learn about health conditions, and engage with personal experiences and expert discussions. Mental health podcasts may provide accessible information about common mental health conditions, symptoms, risk factors, coping strategies, treatment options, stigma, and available mental health services. However, the quality and accuracy of podcast content may vary depending on the expertise of presenters and guests, potentially exposing listeners to misinformation, oversimplification, or inappropriate mental health advice. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of mental health podcasts on mental health literacy among young adults in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Uses and Gratifications Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Health Belief Model. The Uses and Gratifications Theory explains how young adults actively select podcasts to satisfy information, educational, entertainment, social, and personal development needs. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, social modelling, repeated exposure, self-efficacy, and interaction with social environments in the development of health knowledge and beliefs. The Health Belief Model explains how exposure to mental health information may influence perceptions of susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits of appropriate mental health practices, perceived barriers, and cues to action. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how mental health podcasts may influence mental health literacy among young adults in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise young adults aged 18–35 years residing in selected locations across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, local government areas, communities, educational institutions, workplaces, and eligible participants. Exposure to mental health podcasts will be measured using indicators such as frequency of podcast listening, duration of exposure, frequency of listening to mental health episodes, types of mental health topics accessed, preferred podcast platforms, engagement with podcast content, following of mental health podcast channels, perceived credibility of presenters and guests, exposure to qualified mental health professionals, and participation in podcast-related discussions or activities. Mental health literacy will be assessed using indicators such as knowledge of common mental health conditions, recognition of symptoms and warning signs, understanding of mental health risk factors, knowledge of available treatment options, awareness of mental health promotion strategies, ability to recognize psychological distress, understanding of stigma and misconceptions, knowledge of appropriate help-seeking options, and awareness of available mental health services. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, validated mental health literacy instruments, and podcast exposure measures. Where a quasi-experimental design is used, mental health literacy will be assessed before and after exposure to selected evidence-based mental health podcast content. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' demographic characteristics, podcast listening patterns, exposure to mental health content, and levels of mental health literacy. Inferential statistical techniques, including paired or independent sample tests, chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of mental health podcasts on mental health literacy. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that exposure to accurate and evidence-based mental health podcasts has a significant positive effect on mental health literacy among young adults in Nigeria. Young adults who regularly listen to credible mental health podcasts are expected to demonstrate improved knowledge of common mental health conditions, recognition of symptoms and warning signs, understanding of treatment options, awareness of available services, and knowledge of appropriate help-seeking strategies compared with their baseline literacy or young adults with limited exposure. Podcasts may provide a convenient and engaging method of delivering mental health education through expert interviews, educational discussions, personal experiences, storytelling, and practical explanations of mental health concepts. However, misinformation, unqualified presenters, sensationalized discussions, stigmatizing messages, self-diagnosis content, and oversimplification of complex psychological conditions may reduce the educational value of some podcasts. The study therefore expects exposure to credible, professionally informed, culturally appropriate, and evidence-based mental health podcasts to contribute significantly to improved mental health literacy among young adults in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on mental health podcasts, mental health literacy, young adults, digital health education, health communication, social media and digital media, mental health promotion, stigma reduction, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, mental health professionals, psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, public health practitioners, digital health educators, podcast creators, youth organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding the use of podcasts for mental health promotion. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for developing credible mental health podcast content, encouraging collaboration between qualified mental health professionals and digital media creators, strengthening digital mental health literacy, addressing misinformation, promoting culturally appropriate mental health communication, and developing sustainable podcast-based mental health education programmes for young adults across Nigeria.

Keywords: Mental health podcasts, mental health literacy, young adults, digital health education, health communication, mental health promotion, digital media, mental health awareness, stigma reduction, help-seeking, Nigeria, public health.