AFFECTIVE PRAGMATICS AND FASCINATIVE STRATEGIES IN ENGLISH-LANGUAGE MEDIA NARRATIVES ON THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS OF UKRAINIANS

Liana V. Koziarevych-Zozulya,

Email: lianakoziarevich@ukr.net

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1894-7713

PhD in Philology, Associate Professor

Kyiv National Linguistic University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/StudLing2026.28.44-54

PDF  (UKRAINIAN)

ABSTRACT

The article analyzes linguistic strategies employed in English-language mass media discourse to describe mental health challenges faced by Ukrainians during wartime. The study applies the approach of affective pragmatics, which reveals the emotional dimension of speech acts and explains their fascinating potential. Media texts not only inform about the scale of psychological difficulties but also shape public attitudes, mobilize audiences, and serve as a tool for transforming societal perceptions. The analysis demonstrates that metaphorization, empathetic appeals, rhetorical devices, and cultural codes generate emotional effects that sustain attention and foster social transformation. Particular emphasis is placed on the phenomenon of fascination–’the ability of linguistic formulas to captivate, mobilize, and hold attention through rhythm, aphoristic expression, and contrasts. Examples from media texts show that discourse on mental health combines direct terminology with metaphorical imagery, producing a multidimensional effect ranging from information delivery to emotional engagement. Thus, the language of mass media discourse in wartime performs not only a communicative but also an affective function, becoming an instrument of mobilization, support, and the formation of a new culture of mental health in Ukrainian society.

Key words: mental health, mass media discourse, linguistic strategies, affective pragmatics, fascination, metaphor, empathy.

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