Gina Junhan Fu is a PhD Candidate in Communications in the joint programme between National University of Singapore and King’s College London. Her research interests lie in entertainment education, humour studies and mental health communication. Her PhD dissertation explores the potential of using stand-up comedy for mental health communication.

Thesis

Thesis title: From Stage to Digital Screen: Framing and Reception of Mental Health Narratives in Women’s Stand-Up Comedy

About Gina's research: Gina's thesis addresses crucial gaps in current scholarship by bridging humour research, women’s studies, and mental health communication. While existing research has examined these domains separately, this thesis uniquely integrates research from different fields of study to investigate how comedy can reshape public discourse around mental health. This thesis argues that framing operates as a critical bridging concept between three key dimensions related to this topic: (1) the linguistic construction of comedic narratives about mental health; (2) the socially constructed nature of mental illness stigma and associated gender stereotypes; and (3) the psychological mechanisms through which stand-up comedy persuades audiences to reconsider stigmatising attitudes towards mental illness. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach combining frame analysis, message-embedded survey and in-depth interviews, this thesis aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of how humorous narratives can challenge mental illness stigma while navigating complex gender dynamics. The theoretical framework synthesises insights from framing scholarship, discourse studies, humour studies, and health communication research to create new knowledge about the potential of stand-up comedy for mental health communication.

Principal supervisor: Dr Olivia Knapton