Social Media Use and Well-being With Bipolar Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Path Analysis

Abstract

Background Reliable and consistent social support is associated with the mental health and well-being of persons with severe mental illness, including bipolar disorder (BD). Yet the COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing measures (eg, shelter in place) reduced access to regular social contacts, while social media use (SMU) increased concomitantly. Little is currently known about associations between the well-being of adults with BD and different types of SMU (eg, passive and active). Objective For this study, we had two goals. First, we report descriptive information regarding SMU by persons with BD during COVID-19 (all platforms). Specific to Facebook, we next developed and tested a hypothesized model to identify direct and indirect associations between BD symptoms, social support, loneliness, life satisfaction, and SMU. Responses were collected during the global spread of the Delta variant and prior/concurrent with the Omicron variant, 20 months after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Methods Over 8 weeks, we obtained responses from an international sample of 102 adults with BD using the Qualtrics online platform. Most had previously participated in the BADAS (Bipolar Affective Disorders and older Adults) Study (n=89, 87.3%); the remainder were recruited specifically for this research (n=13, 2.7%). The subsamples did not differ in age (t100=1.64; P=.10), gender (χ22=0.2; P=.90), socioeconomic status (χ26=9.9; P=.13), or time since BD diagnosis (t97=1.27; P=.21). Both were recruited using social media advertising micro-targeted to adults with BD. On average, participants were 53.96 (SD 13.22, range 20-77) years of age, they had completed 15.4 (SD 4.28) years of education, and were diagnosed with BD 19.6 (SD 10.31) years ago. Path analyses were performed to develop and test our hypothesized model. Results Almost all participants (n=95, 93.1%) reported having both Facebook and LinkedIn accounts; 91.2% (n=93) reported regular use of either or both. During the pandemic, most (n=62, 60.8%) reported accessing social media several times a day; 36.3% (n=37) reported using social media more often since the emergence of COVID-19. Specific to Facebook, the model we hypothesized differed somewhat from what emerged. The resulting model suggests that symptoms of depression predict loneliness and, inversely, social support and life satisfaction. Social support predicts social Facebook use, whereas passive Facebook use predicts life satisfaction. Symptoms of depression emerged as indirect predictors of SMU via social support. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the operational definition of passive-active SMU requires further analysis and refinement. In contrast to theory, passive Facebook use appears positively associated with well-being among certain populations. Longitudinal data collection over multiple points is required to identify associations between BD symptoms, SMU, and well-being over time.

Correlation Between Instagram Use Intensity With Mental Disorder On Medical Students of Pattimura University

“…On Facebook, it has been found that more than half their sample Facebook users chose to represent depression symptom displays on Facebook as adolescents than young adults [25]. But the other research indicates that passive Facebook users with Bipolar Disease during the COVID-19 pandemic show depressive symptoms were negatively associated with both social support and life satisfaction and positively associated with loneliness [26]. As additional information, a new deep learning model with natural language processing methods has been made to identify the users with potential mental illness based on their posts on Reddit.…”

Bipolar Disorder in Social Media: An Examination of Instagram's Role in Disseminating Accurate Information

“…Findings from qualitative studies suggest that people with severe mental health conditions, such as BD, actively seek out ways to communicate with their peers online and that peer support naturally happens among individuals who share their experiences online. Research also points to the potential for social media to confer peer support to those with BD, either as a supplement or alternative to in-person support [ 11 ]. Having more healthcare professionals get involved in using social media platforms to share information about BD will help users find more relevant and reliable information about the disorder and reduce misconceptions on these platforms [ 12 ].…”

“…Research also points to the potential for social media to confer peer support to those with BD, either as a supplement or alternative to in-person support [11]. Having more healthcare professionals get involved in using social media platforms to share information about BD will help users find more relevant and reliable information about the disorder and reduce misconceptions on these platforms [12].…”

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“…For the BADAS study, an international sample of young and older adults with BD was recruited using microtargeted Facebook advertising [17][18][19]. Recruitment notices were sent only to those with "BD interests" (a euphemism used by Facebook to avoid diagnostic labels).…”