Tweeting about mental health to honor Carrie Fisher: How #InHonorOfCarrie reinforced the social influence of celebrity advocacy

Abstract

The hashtag #InHonorOfCarrie went viral on Twitter within hours of Carrie Fisher's death, as people tweeted about their own mental health experiences to honor Fisher. This study analyzed how the hashtag reinforced the social influence of Fisher. The full sample of 2160 tweets – from the initial use of the hashtag on December 27, 2016 through January 16, 2017 – were analyzed using semantic network analysis and CONCOR (convergence of iterated correlations) block modeling. In addition, the 1157 original tweets were hand coded for personal sharing of mental health conditions, as well as comments about Fisher and mental health. The results of semantic network analysis and CONCOR analysis found that the users generated integrated concepts and frames by sharing similar topics such as honoring Fisher's role in mental health advocacy, specific mental disorders they had, and framing mental illness in a positive way. The findings also suggest that the discourse reinforced Fisher's advocacy by echoing her challenge metaphor and sharing their mental health issues. Content analysis of the original tweets found that when describing their personal experiences, users often reported personal difficulties or challenges of dealing with mental health issues, but also often made positive self-references related to their own self-confidence and pride. Many of the tweets focused on Fisher's openness and honesty, her efforts to challenge stigma, her inspiration to others and the legacy she left. These results imply the positive role of Fisher in users' self-disclosures and sharing of mental health issues.