Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Karim, Fazida; Oyewande, Azeezat A; Abdalla, Lamis F; Ehsanullah, Reem Chaudhry; Khan, Safeera

doi:10.7759/cureus.8627

Cited by 207 publications

(185 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…More broadly, our findings align with a large body of literature that has linked social media usage with adverse mental health (Karim et al, 2020;Schønning et al, 2020;Sharma et al, 2020). This pattern has been observed both outside and inside the crisis context: for example, even in the current COVID-19 crisis, the frequency of social media usage has been found to predict depression symptoms (Ni et al, 2020).…”

Section: Socio-emotional Vulnerabilitysupporting

confidence: 90%

Tracking private WhatsApp discourse about COVID-19: A longitudinal infodemiology study in Singapore

Tan

Wee

Ern

et al. 2020

Preprint

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During a crisis, the messaging platform WhatsApp allows crisis-related information to be disseminated quickly. Although case studies have documented how WhatsApp has shaped crisis outcomes in both beneficial and harmful ways, little is known about: (i) how crisis-related content is spread; (ii) characteristics of users based on usage patterns; or (iii) how usage patterns link to well-being. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, this study used the experience sampling method to track the daily WhatsApp usage of 151 adults throughout one week (capturing a total of 924 days of crisis-related communication). Each day, participants reported the extent to which they had received, forwarded, or discussed COVID-19- related content. During the week-long monitoring, most participants (94.7%) reported at least one COVID-19 related use of WhatsApp. Those who engaged with more COVID-19 content in personal chats were more likely to report having COVID-19 thoughts throughout the day. We further observed that around 1 in 10 individuals (14%) were chronic users who received and shared forwarded COVID-19 messages at a high volume; this group may represent everyday "super spreaders" of crisis-related content. Together, these findings provide an empirical base for policy makers to manage risk communication during large-scale crises.

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Section: Socio-emotional Vulnerabilitysupporting

confidence: 90%

Tracking private WhatsApp discourse about COVID-19: A longitudinal infodemiology study in Singapore

Tan

Wee

Ern

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Several plausible explanations for the high prevalence of mental disorders in young adults have been previously proposed including the rise of social media use and decrease in face‐to‐face communications among this age group. In addition, early adulthood is the time of establishing independence and taking responsibilities for consequences which may contribute to the high rates of mental disorders in this age group 39 . Similarly, the higher depression and anxiety symptoms among women, unmarried individuals, and those with low income in our study may reflect preexisting trends that may have been exacerbated during the pandemic 22,40,41 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Determinants of mental health outcomes among people with and without diabetes during the COVID‐19 outbreak in the Arab Gulf Region

Al-Sofiani

Albunyan

Alguwaihes

et al. 2021

Journal of Diabetes

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Aims To determine the prevalence and factors associated with depression and anxiety among people with and without diabetes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) outbreak. Methods A cross‐sectional questionnaire‐based study collecting demographic and mental health data from 2166 participants living in the Arab Gulf region (568 with diabetes, 1598 without diabetes). Depression and anxiety were assessed using the 9‐item Patient Health Questionnaire and the 7‐item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, respectively. Results The prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms were 61% and 45%, in people with diabetes (PWD) and 62% and 44%, respectively, in people without diabetes. PWD who have had their diabetes visit canceled by the clinic were more likely to report depression and anxiety symptoms than those without diabetes (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.37 [1.02, 1.84] and 1.37 [1.04, 1.80], for depression and anxiety; respectively). PWD who had no method of telecommunication with their health care providers (HCP) during the pandemic, PWD with A1C of ≥ 10%, women, employees (particularly HCPs), students, unmarried individuals, and those with lower income were more likely to report depression and/or anxiety symptoms (all P < 0.01). Fear of acquiring the coronavirus infection; running out of diabetes medications; or requiring hospitalization for hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, or diabetic ketoacidosis; and lack of telecommunication with HCPs were all associated with significantly higher odds of having depression and anxiety symptoms among PWD. Conclusions The remarkably high prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms during the COVID‐19 pandemic, particularly among subgroups of PWD, calls for urgent public health policies to address mental health during the pandemic and reestablish health care access for PWD.

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“…Indeed, several recent reports link social media use to poorer mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic ( 9 , 54 , 55 ). The relationship between frequent, or excessive, social media use and poor mental health has been shown prior to the pandemic ( 56 , 57 ). In this regard, excessive social media use and its impacts on mental and well-being, including risk of depression, anxiety and suicide, has been of concern for several years ( 50 , 58 , 59 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping With the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining Gender Differences in Stress and Mental Health Among University Students

et al. 2021

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The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a wide variety of unprecedented challenges, many of which appear to be disproportionately affecting the mental health and well-being of young adults. While there is evidence to suggest university students experience high rates of mental health disorders, less is known about the specific impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on student mental health and how they are coping with this stress. To address this gap, we conducted an online study among undergraduate students (n = 366) to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on academics, social isolation, and mental health, as well as the extent to which they have been implementing a variety of coping strategies. The pandemic had a more pronounced negative effect on female students' academics, social isolation, stress and mental health compared to male counterparts. Moreover, for females, frequent use of social media as a coping mechanism was associated with greater perceived negative impacts on their academic performance and stress levels, compared to males. However, frequent social media use related to similar negative mental health effects for both males and females. While male and female students both reported using substances to cope, for males the use of cannabis was associated with greater negative impacts on academic outcomes, stress and mental health compared to females. These findings highlight the need for adequate student support services across the post-secondary sector, and point to the importance of gender informed interventions to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Cited by 207 publications

References 27 publications

Tracking private WhatsApp discourse about COVID-19: A longitudinal infodemiology study in Singapore

Tracking private WhatsApp discourse about COVID-19: A longitudinal infodemiology study in Singapore

Determinants of mental health outcomes among people with and without diabetes during the COVID‐19 outbreak in the Arab Gulf Region

Coping With the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining Gender Differences in Stress and Mental Health Among University Students

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