Resepsi Penonton Terhadap Kesehatan Mental pada Drama Korea Can This Love Be Translated?

Abstract

Kesehatan mental merupakan aspek penting yang memengaruhi kualitas hidup seseorang, namun hingga saat ini masih sering dipandang negatif akibat rendahnya pemahaman masyarakat. Media massa, termasuk drama Korea, memiliki peran dalam membentuk cara pandang masyarakat terhadap isu kesehatan mental melalui representasi yang ditampilkan. Drama Korea Can This Love Be Translated? menghadirkan berbagai isu kesehatan mental seperti trauma masa lalu, alter ego, penerimaan diri, dan komunikasi interpersonal dalam proses pemulihan tokohnya. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis bagaimana penonton memaknai representasi kesehatan mental dalam drama tersebut serta mengidentifikasi posisi resepsi penonton berdasarkan teori resepsi Stuart Hall.

Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan teknik pengumpulan data berupa wawancara mendalam kepada enam informan yang dipilih menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Informan merupakan penonton drama Korea yang memenuhi kriteria penelitian dan memiliki latar belakang yang beragam. Data dianalisis melalui tahapan transkripsi hasil wawancara, pengelompokan data berdasarkan tema penelitian, interpretasi menggunakan teori resepsi Stuart Hall, serta triangulasi sumber untuk memperoleh pemahaman yang komprehensif mengenai pemaknaan penonton terhadap representasi kesehatan mental dalam drama.

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa trauma masa lalu dimaknai sebagai pengalaman emosional yang memberikan dampak jangka panjang terhadap kehidupan individu, terutama dalam membangun kepercayaan, mengelola emosi, dan menjalin hubungan interpersonal. Karakter Do Ra-mi dipahami sebagai bentuk alter ego sekaligus mekanisme perlindungan diri yang muncul akibat pengalaman traumatis Cha Mu-hee. Selain itu, penerimaan diri dipandang sebagai proses berdamai dengan pengalaman masa lalu dan menerima diri secara utuh, sedangkan komunikasi interpersonal dinilai berperan penting dalam memberikan dukungan emosional selama proses pemulihan. Analisis menggunakan teori Stuart Hall menunjukkan bahwa penonton berada pada posisi dominant-hegemonic, negotiated, dan oppositional, sehingga pemaknaan yang terbentuk berbeda-beda sesuai pengalaman pribadi, pengetahuan mengenai kesehatan mental, serta latar belakang sosial masing-masing informan.

Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa penonton merupakan audiens yang aktif dalam membangun makna terhadap pesan media. Meskipun menyaksikan drama yang sama, setiap individu dapat menghasilkan interpretasi yang berbeda sesuai dengan pengalaman hidup dan konteks sosialnya. Hasil penelitian ini diharapkan dapat memberikan kontribusi bagi pengembangan kajian komunikasi, khususnya studi resepsi audiens, serta menjadi masukan bagi industri media dalam menghadirkan representasi kesehatan mental yang lebih akurat, empatik, dan bertanggung jawab.

Mental health has become an increasingly important issue in today's society. However, public understanding of mental health remains limited, and stigma toward individuals experiencing mental health problems is still prevalent. As a form of mass media, Korean dramas not only serve as entertainment but also have the potential to shape audiences' perceptions of various social issues, including mental health. Can This Love Be Translated? portrays several mental health-related themes, such as childhood trauma, alter ego, self-acceptance, and interpersonal communication throughout the recovery process. This study aims to analyze how audiences interpret the representation of mental health in the drama and to identify their reception positions based on Stuart Hall's Reception Theory.

This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with six informants selected using purposive sampling. The informants were Korean drama viewers who met the research criteria and had diverse backgrounds. The data were analyzed through transcription, data categorization, interpretation using Stuart Hall's Reception Theory, and source triangulation to ensure the credibility of the findings.

The findings reveal that the informants interpreted trauma as an emotional experience that has long-term effects on an individual's emotional well-being, trust, and interpersonal relationships. The character of Do Ra-mi was perceived as an alter ego and a self-protection mechanism developed by Cha Mu-hee in response to unresolved trauma. Furthermore, self-acceptance was understood as a process of embracing one's past experiences and accepting oneself as a whole, while interpersonal communication was considered essential in providing emotional support throughout the healing process. Based on Stuart Hall's Reception Theory, the audiences' interpretations were categorized into dominant-hegemonic, negotiated, and oppositional positions. These differences in interpretation were influenced by the informants' personal experiences, knowledge of mental health, and social backgrounds.

This study concludes that audiences actively construct meaning from media messages rather than passively accepting them. Although all informants watched the same drama, they interpreted its representation of mental health differently according to their personal experiences and social contexts. The findings are expected to contribute to communication studies, particularly audience reception research, while also providing insights for media creators to develop more accurate, empathetic, and responsible representations of mental health.