InstaPositivity: A Study on the impact of Instagram accounts on

Individuals Suffering from Mental Illnesses

Sriaparna Reddy and Sakhi Arun Jagdale

1. Sriaparna Reddy is a final year undergraduate student at the Tata Institute of Social
Sciences, Hyderabad. Email: sriaparna.1998@gmail.com
2. Sakhi Arun Jagdale is a final year undergraduate student at the Tata Institute of Social
Sciences, Hyderabad. Email: sakhiarun23@gmail.com

A lot of academic research and literature is available on the effects of social media on mental
health and wellbeing. A recent study published by the Royal Society for Public Health in the
United Kingdom suggested that the popular media sharing application Instagram scored the
worst amongst the youth on criterions related to mental wellbeing. This paper attempts to
analyse the effects of specific handles and accounts on Instagram which post content
pertaining to mental health and wellbeing on young people with mental health issues.

The aforementioned effects have been analysed through a focus group discussion with
individuals suffering from mental illnesses. Additionally, a thorough review of erstwhile
literature has also been conducted to explore the issues from varied perspectives. Further, an
attempt has also been made to understand the capitalisation and commercialisation of mental
illnesses, and its representation in popular culture.

From the research conducted, it can be inferred that such Instagram accounts are certainly
very problematic, and have contributed not just to the skewed depictions in popular culture,
but also to the steady commercialisation of mental illnesses. However, since the focus group
discussion was conducted only among an urban population, a proper in-depth demographic
understanding of the phenomenon is not included in the scope of this study.

Keywords: Social Media; Mental Health; Wellbeing; Popular Culture; Commercialisation