Soundwaves of Support: Exploring Youth Engagement with Mental Health Awareness Messages on Pamoja FM’s Pass the Mic Show in Kibra Sub-County, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Mental health continues to pose serious challenges in many countries of the Global South, such as Kenya, where there is often no dedicated budget for mental health care. In such settings, public awareness plays a key role in mitigating these challenges by enhancing people’s understanding, which is always necessary for early intervention. Radio has proven effective in raising such awareness due to its immediacy and wide reach. In light of this understanding, the study examined how audience engagement with mental health messages aired on Pamoja FM’s Pass the Mic Show contributes to mental health awareness among youth in Kibra Sub-County. The study focused on three forms of engagement: behavioral, cognitive, and affective. A qualitative research design was adopted, and content analysis was conducted on eight purposively selected episodes of Pass the Mic Show, alongside in-depth interviews with nine youth listeners of the program selected through snowball sampling. The data from the two sources was analyzed, with findings presented in a narrative format. The findings revealed that the program effectively created mental health awareness among the audience through their engagement. Behavioral engagement was facilitated through SMS, Facebook, and call-ins, with SMS preferred for its anonymity. Cognitive engagement manifested in listeners asking follow-up questions and seeking clarification, while affective engagement was evident as listeners emotionally connected with the program, often sharing personal struggles and seeking help. The study recommended the need for strategies to enhance affective engagement, as such instances were relatively few.