Abstract
Introduction: Perinatal mental health disorders (PMHD) affect a substantial proportion of women during pregnancy and the first year after childbirth and are associated with adverse maternal, child, and family outcomes yet they remain under-recognized and under-treated in many low- and middle-income countries, including Ghana. Because news media shape public understanding, stigma, help-seeking, and the policy agenda, the way perinatal mental health (PMH) is portrayed in the Ghanaian media matters; however, this discourse remains largely underexplored.
Methods: This study presents the first scoping review of online news coverage of PMH in Ghana from 2015 to 2024, examining volume, framing, and tone. Guided by Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and Entman’s framing theory, 24 articles from four major Ghanaian news platforms (GhanaWeb, MyJoyOnline, Citi Newsroom, and Graphic Online) were analyzed using a convergent mixed-methods approach.
Results: Coverage was sparse and episodic, with 70.8% (95% CI: 50.8–85.1) of articles published in 2021 and 2024 (n=6 and n=11, respectively), and no coverage in five of the ten years reviewed. Two dominant frames emerged, “Systemic Gaps and Policy” and “Awareness and Advocacy”, portraying PMH as a public health issue linked to institutional shortcomings and stigma while promoting structural and educational responses. Although the tone was largely constructive, important narratives were absent, including economic consequences, community-based support, and recovery stories.
Conclusion: While media attention to PMH has begun, broader, more frequent, and sustained storytelling is needed to inform public understanding and shape responsive policy.