Social Networking Sites, Depression, and Anxiety: A Systematic Review

What links to psychological needs satisfaction and excessive WeChat use? The mediating role of anxiety, depression and WeChat use intensity

Background

Excessive online social network sites (SNSs) use, such as Facebook or WeChat overuse, has become a severe problem and have caused negative consequences. It is especially important to examine what causes excessive WeChat use in the Chinese population. This study explored the critical role of affective states and WeChat use intensity in the relationship between psychological needs satisfaction and excessive WeChat use based on the self-determination theory and the emotional motivation theory.

Methods

952 Chinese college students aged 18 to 25 completed an online survey that measured psychological needs satisfaction, depression, anxiety, WeChat use intensity, and excessive WeChat use.

Results

Path analysis demonstrated that anxiety, depression, and WeChat use intensity mediated the effect of psychological needs satisfaction on excessive WeChat use. More importantly, the chain mediation model indicated that psychological needs satisfaction could influence excessive WeChat use through the “anxiety—WeChat use intensity” path, but not the “depression—WeChat use intensity” path.

Conclusion

The current study could not only contribute to theoretical development, but also guide mental health practice by showing that improving psychological needs satisfaction may restrain excessive WeChat use through regulating affective states and Wechat use intensity.

Social media use and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Despite considerable public and scholarly debate about the role of social media in self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs), no comprehensive, quantitative synthesis of this literature has previously been undertaken. The current systematic review and meta-analysis examines associations between social media use and SITBs, including suicidal ideation, suicide plans, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). A range of social media behaviors and experiences were identified, including cybervictimization and perpetration, exposure to and generation of SITB-related content, problematic use, sexting, social media importance, and frequency of use. A systematic search of PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, and the references of prior reviews yielded 61 eligible studies. Results largely suggested medium effect sizes for associations between specific social media constructs (cybervictimization, SITB-related social media use, problematic social media use) and SITBs. There was no association between frequency of social media use and SITBs; however, studies on this topic were limited. The majority of studies identified focused on cybervictimization, and results suggested positive associations with all SITBs, with the association between cybervictimization and suicidal ideation stronger for adolescents than adults. Overall, findings highlight the utility of examining specific social media behaviors and experiences, and point to the need for more research in this area.

Technology integration for young children during COVID-19: Towards future online teaching

To support young children's learning during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, preschool educators in Hong Kong were required to teach with digital technologies. In this study, 1035 educators from 169 preschools reported their views and practices in an online survey, which we examined via multilevel mixed-response analysis and thematic analysis. More than half of the respondents (53%) expected future online teaching to continue, and only 11% of educators believed that parents would reject this form of delivery. Administrators and teaching assistants were more likely than teachers to expect online preschool teaching to continue in the future. In addition, respondents with existing online platform experience, who taught the upper levels of preschool, or incorporated specific teaching practices (eg, after the online lesson, they assessed children and assigned homework tasks), were more likely than others to expect online teaching in the future. Many of these respondents also reported (a) difficulty with engaging their children when online and (b) inadequate support from parents for learning activities, which reduced the respondents' perceived likelihood of future online teaching. Administrators and teaching assistants were more likely than teachers to believe that parents would accept online teaching in the future. Respondents who felt they had inadequate training to teach online, children in families with inadequate technical skills and parents who believed that online lessons harmed children's well-being, were less likely than others to believe that parents would accept online teaching in the future. These educators believed that online learning communities could connect parents and schools and foster interaction that could help align with educator's support for children's learning needs.

Assessing the effect of nursing stress factors on turnover intention among newly recruited nurses in hospitals in China

Aim

This study sought to investigate some possible job stress factors that could influence newly recruited nurses’ behaviour to either continue or discontinue their job with their organization.

Design

A cross‐sectional study design was adopted for this study.

Method

Using 654 responses from novice nurses working in 20 county Chinese hospitals, we estimated the effects of six job stressors from the perceived stress scale on the turnover intention with a structural equation model in AMOS version 21 software.

Results

The results showed that four stressors, stress from taking care of patients (β = 0.111, p < .01), stress from roles and workload (β = 0.129, p < .001), stress from co‐workers and daily life (β = 0.323, p < .001) and stress from lack of professional knowledge and skills (β = 0.137, p < .001), from the perceived stress scale had a significant impact on turnover intention among nurses.

eMental health service use among Australian youth: a cross-sectional survey framed by Andersen's model

Objective Young adults aged 18-24 years often delay or avoid seeking help for their mental health concerns. eMental health, the use of the Internet to deliver mental health information, services and care, offers a low-cost, easy-access option. However the factors that influence online help-seeking among this cohort remain unclear. Methods Andersen's healthcare utilisation model was adapted to examine correlates of eMental health use among Australian youth. In all, 161 young adults completed an online survey comprising sociodemographic questions, online feature preferences, the Actual and General Help-seeking Questionnaires, Berkman-Syme Social Network Index, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Service Obstacles Scale and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales. Results Almost 70% of young people reported having previously accessed some form of online support for their personal or emotional problems. This included informal information via social media and formalised counselling services. Notably, perception of service satisfaction was low. Hierarchical logistical regression identified two significant predisposing factors to subsequent online help-seeking: prior face-to-face service use and living or cohabitating with others. Conclusions eMental health is accessed by young people in Australia, yet more needs to be done to better integrate this service model into the healthcare system. This includes training and education for consumers and professionals about existing, effective programs. What is known about this topic? eMental health platforms can bridge the gap between technology and conventional mental health care. Despite its rapidly expanding evidence base, the implementation of eMental health into the Australian healthcare system remains slow. More work needs to be done to elucidate the factors underlying preferences for online help-seeking. What does this paper add? Young adult perspectives on the delivery of mental health information, services and care via the Internet are examined in accordance with a major conceptual model, namely Andersen's behavioural model of health services use. The majority of those surveyed reported having accessed some form of online support for an emotional issue, although dissatisfaction with the quality of this support was expressed. Andersen's model can guide future research in this area and potentially help target eMental health initiatives to individual service users' needs. What are the implications for practitioners? eMental health interventions offer an alternative for young adults who have difficulty accessing traditional mental health care services, but are also an adjunct to those experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of mental illness. Practitioners can introduce young adults to eMental health by discussing the benefits and limitations and by providing information about available and secure online programs delivered by trusted service providers.

Digital Overuse and Addictive Traits and Their Relationship With Mental Well-Being and Socio-Demographic Factors: A National Population Survey for Wales

Introduction: Population health concerns have been raised about negative impacts from overuse of digital technologies. We examine patterns of online activity predictive of Digital Overuse and Addictive Traits (DOAT). We explore associations between DOAT and mental well-being and analyse how both relate to self-reported changes in self-esteem, perceived isolation, and anxiety about health when individuals use the internet for health purposes.

Methods: A cross-sectional nationally representative household survey of adults using stratified random sampling (compliance 75.4%, n = 1,252). DOAT was measured using self-reported questions adapted from a social media addiction scale (failure to cut down use, restlessness when not using, and impact on job/studies and home/social life in the last year), combined into a single DOAT score. Higher DOAT score was defined as >1 standard deviation above population mean. The Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale was used to measure mental well-being. Analyses were limited to those with internet access (n = 1,003).

Results: Negative impacts of digital technology use on work and home/social lives were reported by 7.4% of respondents. 21.2% had tried but failed to cut down use in the past year. Higher DOAT was associated with higher social media and internet use but also independently associated with greater risks of low mental well-being. Higher DOAT was associated with both improvement and worsening of self-esteem, perceived isolation and anxiety about health when using the internet for health reasons, with no change in these outcomes most likely in those with lower DOAT. Lower mental well-being was associated with a similar bi-directional impact on perceived isolation and was also associated with worsening self-esteem.

Conclusions: Substantial proportions of individuals report negative impacts on home, social and working lives from digital technology use, with many trying but failing to cut down use. Individuals with higher DOAT may experience improvements or worsening in self-esteem and other measures of mental well-being when using the internet for health purposes. From a public health perspective, a greater understanding of risk factors for digital overuse, its impacts on well-being and how to reasonably limit use of technology are critical for a successful digital revolution.

The associations between smart device use and psychological distress among secondary and high school students in Kuwait

BACKGROUND

Smart devices (SDs) are widely used among adolescents. Numerous studies have recommended further research on this topic to find out the prevalence of SD overuse among school students and to what extent this is associated with psychological distress. The present study aimed to investigate the pattern of SD use among secondary and high school students in the state of Kuwait, as well as the possible associations with psychological problems, weight, physical activity, and school performance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The correlational study design aimed to survey students from public schools by using a questionnaire and valid instruments, which included: Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) and Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Scale-(DASS-21). Pearson's correlation coefficient, t-tests, one-way ANOVA were applied to find associations or significant differences between the categorical variables, in which p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The study included 1,993 students from secondary schools (48.9%) and high schools (51.1%), of which 47.5% were male and 52.5% were female. There were significant statistical differences in the pattern of use of SDs, addiction to SD use, stress, anxiety, and depression according to gender, school type, school performance, and sport engagement. In addition, there were positive correlations between students' addiction to SD use and stress, anxiety, and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that excessive SD use is associated with addiction among secondary and high school students. In addition, levels of stress, anxiety, and depression differ according to the number of hours of SD use. Strategies should be developed at the community and school levels to avoid the overuse of SDs among school-aged students.

The asymmetries of the biopsychosocial model of depression in lay discourses - Topic modelling online depression forums

BACKGROUND

One of the most comprehensive approaches to depression is the biopsychosocial model. From this wider perspective, social sciences have criticized the reductionist biomedical discourse, which has been dominating expert discourses for a long time. As these discourses determine the horizon of attributions and interventions, their lay interpretation plays a central role in the coping with depression.

METHODS

In order to map these patterns, online depression forums are analyzed with natural language processing methods, where computational tools are complemented with a qualitative approach. Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic model of depression-related posts from the most popular English-speaking online health discussion forums (N = ~70 000) reveals the monolog (attributions and self-disclosures) and interactive (consultations and quasi-therapeutic interactions) patterns.

RESULTS

Following the evaluation of various models 18 topics were differentiated: attributions referring to health, family, partnership and work issues; self-disclosures referring to contemplations, introducing the experience of suffering and well-being, along with diaries of everyday activities and hardships; consultations about psychotherapies, classifications, drugs and the experience; and quasi-therapeutic interactions relying on unconditional positive regards, recovery helpers experience or spirituality. These topics were evaluated from the perspective of the biopsychosocial model: the weight of each dimension was measured along with the discursive function.

CONCLUSIONS

Biomedical discourse is underrepresented in lay discussions, while psychological discourse plays an overall dominant role. Even if actors are initially aware of the social mechanisms contributing to depression, they neglect these factors when it comes to considering the countermeasures.

Adolescents' Exposure to Online Risks: Gender Disparities and Vulnerabilities Related to Online Behaviors

In the last decade, readily available electronic devices have created unprecedented opportunities for teens to access a wide variety of information and media-both positive and negative-on the internet. Despite the increasing number of initiatives taking place worldwide intended to assess and mitigate the online risks encountered by children and adolescents, there is still a need for a better understanding of how adolescents use the internet and their susceptibility to exposure to risks in the online space. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of a convenience sample of 733 8th and 9th grade students in Utah. The survey contained eight questions regarding students' exposure to three types of online risk scenarios: content risk, contact risk, and criminal risk. Independent variables included students' online behaviors, use of social media and private messaging apps, and adult supervision of online activities. Logistic and negative binomial regression models indicated that gender, social media use, and chatting with strangers were associated with exposure to multiple risky online scenarios. Our results provide critical information to educators involved in the development of initiatives focusing on the reduction of youth online risk by identifying correlates of risky online events, allowing them to tailor their initiatives to meet the needs of potentially vulnerable populations.

Mental Health Consequences of Adversity in Australia: National Bushfires Associated With Increased Depressive Symptoms, While COVID-19 Pandemic Associated With Increased Symptoms of Anxiety

High quality monitoring of mental health and well-being over an extended period is essential to understand how communities respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and how to best tailor interventions. Multiple community threats may also have cumulative impact on mental health, so examination across several contexts is important. The objective of this study is to report on changes in mental health and well-being in response to the Australian bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic. This study utilized an Experience-Sampling-Method (ESM), using the smartphone-based mood monitoring application, MoodPrism. Participants were prompted once a day to complete a brief survey inquiring about symptoms of depression and anxiety, and several well-being indices, including arousal, emotional valence, self-esteem, motivation, social connectedness, meaning and purpose, and control. Participants were N = 755 Australians (aged 13 years and above) who downloaded and used MoodPrism, between 2018 and 2020. Results showed that anxiety symptoms significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not during the bushfires. This may be explained by concurrent feelings of social connectedness maintained during the bushfires but not during the pandemic. In contrast, depressive symptoms increased significantly during the bushfires, which maintained during the pandemic. Most indices of well-being decreased significantly during the bushfires, and further again during the pandemic. Study findings highlight the unique responses to the bushfire and COVID-19 crises, revealing specific areas of resilience and vulnerability. Such information can help inform the development of public health interventions or individual clinical treatment, to improve treatment approaches and preparedness for potential future community disasters.

Characterization of time-variant and time-invariant assessment of suicidality on Reddit using C-SSRS

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S (1999-2019). However, predicting when someone will attempt suicide has been nearly impossible. In the modern world, many individuals suffering from mental illness seek emotional support and advice on well-known and easily-accessible social media platforms such as Reddit. While prior artificial intelligence research has demonstrated the ability to extract valuable information from social media on suicidal thoughts and behaviors, these efforts have not considered both severity and temporality of risk. The insights made possible by access to such data have enormous clinical potential-most dramatically envisioned as a trigger to employ timely and targeted interventions (i.e., voluntary and involuntary psychiatric hospitalization) to save lives. In this work, we address this knowledge gap by developing deep learning algorithms to assess suicide risk in terms of severity and temporality from Reddit data based on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). In particular, we employ two deep learning approaches: time-variant and time-invariant modeling, for user-level suicide risk assessment, and evaluate their performance against a clinician-adjudicated gold standard Reddit corpus annotated based on the C-SSRS. Our results suggest that the time-variant approach outperforms the time-invariant method in the assessment of suicide-related ideations and supportive behaviors (AUC:0.78), while the time-invariant model performed better in predicting suicide-related behaviors and suicide attempt (AUC:0.64). The proposed approach can be integrated with clinical diagnostic interviews for improving suicide risk assessments.

Changes over time in mental health symptoms among adolescents in Tampere, Finland

Background:

Mental health problems are common in adolescence and seeking help for them is becoming more common. Referrals to adolescent mental healthcare have recently increased in Finland.

Objective:

To examine time trends in internalizing and externalizing mental health symptoms among Finnish adolescents.

Method:

A time-trend school survey was conducted among 9^th graders (15-year-olds) in Tampere, Finland, in three time periods: 2002–03, 2012–13 and 2018–19 (N = 4,162).

Results:

Compared to the period 2002–03, prevalence of externalizing symptoms decreased in the period 2012–13 and further in 2018–19. The prevalence of internalizing symptoms did not change significantly between 2002–03 and 2012–13; however, in 2018–19, depression, social anxiety, general anxiety, poor subjective health, stress symptoms among boys, and poor self-esteem increased compared to earlier time periods. The increases were more marked among girls. However, suicidal ideation did not increase in 2018–19 compared to earlier time periods.

Conclusion:

Whereas the prevalence of externalizing symptoms decreased among Finnish adolescents between 2002–03 and 2018–19, the prevalence of internalizing symptoms increased between 2012–13 and 2018–19. To help to understand the causes of these increases and to prevent internalizing problems, further research on the underlying causes is needed.

Mediating role of positivity in the relationship between state anxiety and problematic social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study investigated the mediating role of positivity in the relationship between state anxiety and problematic social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Positivity Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale were used to collect data from 834 social media users. SEM-based mediation analysis was used to test hypothesized relationships. Results indicated that positivity has a direct negative effect on problematic social media use. Furthermore, the results indicated that state anxiety has a direct negative effect on positivity and state anxiety has a direct positive effect on problematic social media use. Positivity significantly mediates the relationship between state anxiety and problematic social media use.

Digital Data Sources and Their Impact on People's Health: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews

Background: Digital data sources have become ubiquitous in modern culture in the era of digital technology but often tend to be under-researched because of restricted access to data sources due to fragmentation, privacy issues, or industry ownership, and the methodological complexity of demonstrating their measurable impact on human health. Even though new big data sources have shown unprecedented potential for disease diagnosis and outbreak detection, we need to investigate results in the existing literature to gain a comprehensive understanding of their impact on and benefits to human health. Objective: A systematic review of systematic reviews on identifying digital data sources and their impact area on people's health, including challenges, opportunities, and good practices. Methods: A multidatabase search was performed. Peer-reviewed papers published between January 2010 and November 2020 relevant to digital data sources on health were extracted, assessed, and reviewed. Results: The 64 reviews are covered by three domains, that is, universal health coverage (UHC), public health emergencies, and healthier populations, defined in WHO's General Programme of Work, 2019-2023, and the European Programme of Work, 2020-2025. In all three categories, social media platforms are the most popular digital data source, accounting for 47% (N = 8), 84% (N = 11), and 76% (N = 26) of studies, respectively. The second most utilized data source are electronic health records (EHRs) (N = 13), followed by websites (N = 7) and mass media (N = 5). In all three categories, the most studied impact of digital data sources is on prevention, management, and intervention of diseases (N = 40), and as a tool, there are also many studies (N = 10) on early warning systems for infectious diseases. However, they could also pose health hazards (N = 13), for instance, by exacerbating mental health issues and promoting smoking and drinking behavior among young people. Conclusions: The digital data sources presented are essential for collecting and mining information about human health. The key impact of social media, electronic health records, and websites is in the area of infectious diseases and early warning systems, and in the area of personal health, that is, on mental health and smoking and drinking prevention. However, further research is required to address privacy, trust, transparency, and interoperability to leverage the potential of data held in multiple datastores and systems. This study also identified the apparent gap in systematic reviews investigating the novel big data streams, Internet of Things (IoT) data streams, and sensor, mobile, and GPS data researched using artificial intelligence, complex network, and other computer science methods, as in this domain systematic reviews are not common.

Social networking and symptoms of depression and anxiety in early adolescence

BACKGROUND

Use of social networking in later childhood and adolescence has risen quickly. The consequences of these changes for mental health are debated but require further empirical evaluation.

METHODS

Using data from the Childhood to Adolescence Transition Study (n = 1,156), duration of social networking use was measured annually at four time points from 11.9 to 14.8 years of age (≥1 h/day indicating high use). Cross-sectional and prospective relationships between social networking use and depressive and anxiety symptoms were examined.

RESULTS

In adjusted (age, socioeconomic status, prior mental health history) cross-sectional analyses, females with high social networking use had greater odds of depressive (odds ratio [OR]: 2.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.58-2.91) and anxiety symptoms (OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.32-3.00) than those that used a few minutes at most, while males with high social networking use had 1.60 greater odds of reporting depressive symptoms (95% CI: 1.09-2.35). For females, an increased odds of depressive symptoms at age 14.8 was observed for high social networking use at one previous wave and at two or three previous waves, even after adjustment (OR: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.11-2.78; OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.27-3.37, respectively) compared to no wave of high use.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest weak to moderate increased odds of depression and anxiety in girls and boys with high social networking use versus low/normal use. These findings indicate that prevention programs for early mental health problems might benefit from targeting social networking use in early adolescence.

Belonging: A Review of Conceptual Issues, an Integrative Framework, and Directions for Future Research

Objective

A sense of belonging-the subjective feeling of deep connection with social groups, physical places, and individual and collective experiences-is a fundamental human need that predicts numerous mental, physical, social, economic, and behavioural outcomes. However, varying perspectives on how belonging should be conceptualised, assessed, and cultivated has hampered much-needed progress on this timely and important topic. To address these critical issues, we conducted a narrative review that summarizes existing perspectives on belonging, describes a new integrative framework for understanding and studying belonging, and identifies several key avenues for future research and practice.

Method

We searched relevant databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, and ClinicalTrials.gov, for articles describing belonging, instruments for assessing belonging, and interventions for increasing belonging.

Results

By identifying the core components of belonging, we introduce a new integrative framework for understanding, assessing, and cultivating belonging that focuses on four interrelated components: competencies, opportunities, motivations, and perceptions.

Conclusion

This integrative framework enhances our understanding of the basic nature and features of belonging, provides a foundation for future interdisciplinary research on belonging and belongingness, and highlights how a robust sense of belonging may be cultivated to improve human health and resilience for individuals and communities worldwide.

Fear of missing out (FOMO): overview, theoretical underpinnings, and literature review on relations with severity of negative affectivity and problematic technology use

This article discusses the fear of missing out (FOMO) on rewarding experiences, an important psychological construct in contemporary times. We present an overview of the FOMO construct and its operational definition and measurement. Then, we review recent empirical research on FOMO’s relationship with levels of online social engagement, problematic technology and internet communication use, negative affectivity, and sociodemographic variables. Additionally, we discuss theoretical conceptualizations regarding possible causes of FOMO and how FOMO may drive problematic internet technology use. Finally, we discuss future directions for the empirical study of FOMO.

Learning the Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 in the United States With Explainable Artificial Intelligence: Observational Study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the health, economic, and social fabric of many nations worldwide. Identification of individual-level susceptibility factors may help people in identifying and managing their emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

OBJECTIVE

This study is focused on learning a ranked list of factors that could indicate a predisposition to a mental disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

In this study, we have used a survey of 17,764 adults in the United States from different age groups, genders, and socioeconomic statuses. Through initial statistical analysis and Bayesian network inference, we have identified key factors affecting mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Integrating Bayesian networks with classical machine learning approaches led to effective modeling of the level of mental health prevalence.

RESULTS

Overall, females were more stressed than males, and people in the age group 18-29 years were more vulnerable to anxiety than other age groups. Using the Bayesian network model, we found that people with a chronic mental illness were more prone to mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new realities of working from home; homeschooling; and lack of communication with family, friends, and neighbors induces mental pressure. Financial assistance from social security helps in reducing mental stress during the COVID-19-generated economic crises. Finally, using supervised machine learning models, we predicted the most mentally vulnerable people with ~80% accuracy.

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple factors such as social isolation, digital communication, and working and schooling from home were identified as factors of mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regular in-person communication with friends and family, a healthy social life, and social security were key factors, and taking care of people with a history of mental disease appears to be even more important during this time.

Moderated Online Social Therapy for Young People With Active Suicidal Ideation: Qualitative Study

Background

Web-based interventions are a promising approach to support youth at risk of suicide, and those incorporating peer-to-peer social networking may have the added potential to target interpersonal states of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Owing to feasibility and safety concerns, including fear of contagion, this had not been tested until recently. In 2018, we conducted a pilot evaluation to test the feasibility, safety, and acceptability of a Moderated Online Social Therapy intervention, called Affinity, with a sample of young people with active suicidal ideation.

Objective

The aim of this study is to report qualitative data collected from study participants regarding their experience of the web-based social network and the consequent safety features.

Methods

Affinity is a closed website incorporating 3 key components: therapeutic content delivered via comics, peer-to-peer social networking, and moderation by peers and clinicians. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 17 young people who participated in the pilot study after 8 weeks of exposure to the intervention. Interview data from 2 young people who did not use Affinity were excluded from the analysis. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, with the frequency of responses characterized using the consensual qualitative research method. The results are reported in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist.

Results

A total of 4 overarching themes were identified: a safe and supportive environment, the importance of mutual experiences, difficulty engaging and connecting, and the pros and cons of banning discussions about suicide. Interestingly, although Affinity was perceived to be safe and free of judgment, concerns about negative evaluation and triggering others were significant barriers to posting on the social network. Participants generally supported the banning of conversations about suicide, although for some this was perceived to reinforce stigma or was associated with frustration and distress.

Conclusions

The results not only support the safety and potential therapeutic benefit of the social networking aspect of Affinity but also highlight several implementation challenges. There is a need to carefully balance the need for stringent safety and design features while ensuring that the potential for therapeutic benefit is maximized.

Problematic social media use and mental health (depression, anxiety, and insomnia) among Lebanese adults: Any mediating effect of stress?

PURPOSE

To examine the association between problematic social media use with depression, anxiety, insomnia, and stress in a sample of young Lebanese adults.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was achieved between January and May 2019; 466 out of 600 adults completed the questionnaire.

RESULTS

Higher problematic social media use was significantly associated with higher depression, anxiety, and insomnia, but not stress. Stress mediated the relation between depression, anxiety, insomnia, and problematic social media use.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

This study showed that problematic social media use was associated with psychological disorders. Additional research is needed to identify and describe the potential causality between the use of social media and various mental health issues and the interplay between the social media network and other mental health factors.

Understanding Side Effects of Antidepressants: Large-scale Longitudinal Study on Social Media Data

BACKGROUND

Antidepressants are known to show heterogeneous effects across individuals and conditions, posing challenges to understanding their efficacy in mental health treatment. Social media platforms enable individuals to share their day-to-day concerns with others and thereby can function as unobtrusive, large-scale, and naturalistic data sources to study the longitudinal behavior of individuals taking antidepressants.

OBJECTIVE

We aim to understand the side effects of antidepressants from naturalistic expressions of individuals on social media.

METHODS

On a large-scale Twitter data set of individuals who self-reported using antidepressants, a quasi-experimental study using unsupervised language analysis was conducted to extract keywords that distinguish individuals who improved and who did not improve following the use of antidepressants. The net data set consists of over 8 million Twitter posts made by over 300,000 users in a 4-year period between January 1, 2014, and February 15, 2018.

RESULTS

Five major side effects of antidepressants were studied: sleep, weight, eating, pain, and sexual issues. Social media language revealed keywords related to these side effects. In particular, antidepressants were found to show a spectrum of effects from decrease to increase in each of these side effects.

CONCLUSIONS

This work enhances the understanding of the side effects of antidepressants by identifying distinct linguistic markers in the longitudinal social media data of individuals showing the most and least improvement following the self-reported intake of antidepressants. One implication of this work concerns the potential of social media data as an effective means to support digital pharmacovigilance and digital therapeutics. These results can inform clinicians in tailoring their discussion and assessment of side effects and inform patients about what to potentially expect and what may or may not be within the realm of normal aftereffects of antidepressants.

Machine Learning for Mental Health in Social Media: Bibliometric Study

Background

Social media platforms provide an easily accessible and time-saving communication approach for individuals with mental disorders compared to face-to-face meetings with medical providers. Recently, machine learning (ML)-based mental health exploration using large-scale social media data has attracted significant attention.

Objective

We aimed to provide a bibliometric analysis and discussion on research trends of ML for mental health in social media.

Methods

Publications addressing social media and ML in the field of mental health were retrieved from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. We analyzed the publication distribution to measure productivity on sources, countries, institutions, authors, and research subjects, and visualized the trends in this field using a keyword co-occurrence network. The research methodologies of previous studies with high citations are also thoroughly described.

Results

We obtained a total of 565 relevant papers published from 2015 to 2020. In the last 5 years, the number of publications has demonstrated continuous growth with Lecture Notes in Computer Science and Journal of Medical Internet Research as the two most productive sources based on Scopus and Web of Science records. In addition, notable methodological approaches with data resources presented in high-ranking publications were investigated.

Conclusions

The results of this study highlight continuous growth in this research area. Moreover, we retrieved three main discussion points from a comprehensive overview of highly cited publications that provide new in-depth directions for both researchers and practitioners.

Nodding off but can't disconnect: development and validation of the iNOD index of Nighttime Offline Distress

BACKGROUND

There is a pressing need to update sleep models, education and treatment to better reflect the realities of sleep in a 24/7 connected social world. Progress has been limited to date by available measurement tools, which have largely focused on the frequency or duration of individuals' social media use, without capturing crucial sleep-relevant aspects of this inherently social and interactive experience.

METHODS

Survey data from 3008 adolescents (aged 10-18 years) was used to rigorously develop and validate a new self-report measure that quantifies difficulty disengaging from social media interactions at night: the index of Nighttime Offline Distress (iNOD). Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor analyses in a random split sample produced a ten-item two-factor solution, with subscales capturing concerns about Staying Connected and Following Etiquette (Cronbach's alphas = 0.91 and 0.92 respectively).

RESULTS

Those with higher scores on these subscales tended to report using social media for longer after they felt they should be asleep (r_s = 0.41 and 0.26, respectively), shorter sleep duration (r_s = -0.24 and -0.17, respectively) and poorer sleep quality (r_s = -0.33 and -0.31, respectively). Results also pointed towards a potentially fragmented process of sleep displacement for those who may struggle to disconnect - and to stay disconnected - from social interactions in order to allow sufficient uninterrupted sleep opportunity.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings can inform current models for understanding normal and disordered sleep during adolescence, whilst highlighting specific social concerns as important potential targets for sleep education efforts.

The Influence of Photo Editing Applications on Patients Seeking Facial Plastic Surgery Services

BACKGROUND

The utilization of the smartphone and social media have introduced paradigm shifts to cosmetic surgery. Much has been studied regarding social media and its influences in plastic surgery; however, little is known about facial editing applications and how these relate to plastic surgery practices.

OBJECTIVES

The authors sought to discover if face-editing applications influence patients' pursuit of plastic surgery, who utilizes these applications, and why.

METHODS

An anonymous survey was administered between September and December 2019, including questions about demographics, familiarity, and utilization of face-editing applications, motivations in utilization and influences towards pursuing cosmetic procedures, and attitudes towards applications.

RESULTS

Seventy patients completed the survey and 32.9% admitted to utilizing face-editing applications. Patients utilizing applications were significantly younger (36.9 years) than those who did not (54 years [P < 0.001]). Among those familiar with applications, women were significantly more likely than men to utilize them (100% vs 78.6%, respectively [P = 0.047]). Social media was the most common influence for utilizing apps (87%). The majority confirmed that these applications played a role in pursuing cosmetic procedures (56.5%). Most patients did not regret their utilization of these applications (87%).

CONCLUSIONS

Face-editing applications serve a role regarding patient decision-making to pursue cosmetic surgery. Several motivators exist for application utilization, the largest of which is social media. Younger females are the most likely demographic to utilize applications and generally do not express regret in doing so. Plastic surgeons would benefit by understanding patient motivations and expectations created by utilizing these applications.

Social Media Use for Health Purposes by Chronic Disease Patients in the United States

Background

Social media can be a cost-effective instant tool for exchanging health information among those with chronic diseases. However, few studies have analyzed the nexus between chronic disease and patients' use of the internet for health-related purposes.

Objective

The objective of this study is to determine if chronic disease patients in the United States use social media platforms to share health information and/or join groups of similar condition.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional study conducted a secondary analysis of the Health Information Trends Survey dataset 5 (cycle 1 of 2017 and cycle 2 of 2018) (N = 6650), which is nationally representative of American adults. A series of chi-square tests was carried to examine the association between using social media by chronic disease patients and (a) sharing health information and (b) participating in relevant health groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine significant findings.

Results

In terms of sharing health information on social media sites, those who were aged 18-49 years (P < 0.0001) and underweight (P = 0.04) were more likely to share health information on social media, while males were less likely to do so (P < 0.0001). In terms of joining relevant health groups on social media, predictors were being aged 35-49 years (P = 0.008), having a Bachelor's or postbaccalaureate degree (P < 0.02) and having depression or anxiety disorder (P = 0.004); males were less likely to join such groups (P = 0.0004).

Conclusion

Individuals with chronic conditions, except depression or anxiety disorder, were not likely to participate in social media support groups. Future studies should explore how social media can be used to effectively engage those with chronic diseases, which may assist in disease management.

Temporal Associations Between Social Media Use and Depression

INTRODUCTION

Previous studies have demonstrated cross-sectional associations between social media use and depression, but their temporal and directional associations have not been reported.

METHODS

In 2018, participants aged 18-30 years were recruited in proportion to U.S. Census characteristics, including age, sex, race, education, household income, and geographic region. Participants self-reported social media use on the basis of a list of the top 10 social media networks, which represent >95% of social media use. Depression was assessed using the 9-Item Patient Health Questionnaire. A total of 9 relevant sociodemographic covariates were assessed. All measures were assessed at both baseline and 6-month follow-up.

RESULTS

Among 990 participants who were not depressed at baseline, 95 (9.6%) developed depression by follow-up. In multivariable analyses conducted in 2020 that controlled for all covariates and included survey weights, there was a significant linear association (p<0.001) between baseline social media use and the development of depression for each level of social media use. Compared with those in the lowest quartile, participants in the highest quartile of baseline social media use had significantly increased odds of developing depression (AOR=2.77, 95% CI=1.38, 5.56). However, there was no association between the presence of baseline depression and increasing social media use at follow-up (OR=1.04, 95% CI=0.78, 1.38). Results were robust to all sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

In a national sample of young adults, baseline social media use was independently associated with the development of depression by follow-up, but baseline depression was not associated with an increase in social media use at follow-up. This pattern suggests temporal associations between social media use and depression, an important criterion for causality.

Social Media and Depression Symptoms: a Meta-Analysis

Social Networking Sites (SNS) have close to 3 billion users worldwide. Recently, however, SNS have come under media scrutiny for their potential association with depression. Two previous meta-analyses failed to find evidence for a robust concurrent association between SNS use and depression symptoms. However, these analyses focused primarily on the time spent using SNS. The current meta-analysis is the first to consider the multi-dimensional nature of SNS use, and examines separately the quantitative associations of depression symptoms to SNS use in three types of SNS studies examining three distinct constructs of SNS use: time spent using SNS, intensity of SNS use, and problematic SNS use. Sixty-two studies (N = 451, 229) met inclusion criteria. Depression symptoms were significantly, but weakly, associated with time spent using SNS (r = 0.11) and intensity of SNS use (r = 0.09). However, the association of depression symptoms to problematic SNS use was moderate (r = 0.29), was significantly higher than for time spent using SNS (Q_between = 35.85, p < 0.001) or intensity of SNS use (Q_between = 13.95, p < 0.001), and was not significantly moderated by age, gender, year of study publication, or mode of recruitment. These results suggest that future research examining causal models of the relation of SNS use and depression, as well as research on intervention and prevention, should focus in more detail on individuals who are engaging in a pattern of problematic SNS use.

Social Capital-Accrual, Escape-From-Self, and Time-Displacement Effects of Internet Use During the COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Period: Prospective, Quantitative Survey Study

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 has spread like wildfire across the globe, prompting many governments to impose unprecedented stay-at-home orders to limit its transmission. During an extended stay-at-home period, individuals may engage in more online leisure activities. Internet use is a double-edged sword that may have both desirable and undesirable effects on psychological well-being, and this study sought to disentangle adaptive from maladaptive internet use amidst this unusual health crisis.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of probable depression during the COVID-19 stay-at-home period and to test three hypothesized risk reduction or risk elevation mechanisms, namely social capital-accrual, escape-from-self, and time-displacement effects.

METHODS

This study took place from March to May 2020 at the early stage of the pandemic. The study adopted a prospective design, with an online survey administered to 573 UK and 474 US adult residents at two assessment points 2 months apart.

RESULTS

The prevalence of moderate to severe depression was 36% (bootstrap bias-corrected and accelerated [BCa] 95% CI 33%-39%) at Time 1 (ie, initial time point) and 27% (bootstrap BCa 95% CI 25%-30%) at Time 2 (ie, follow-up time point). The results supported the social capital-accrual hypothesis by showing that the approach coping style was inversely associated with Time 2 depression through its positive associations with both social networking and perceived family support. The results also supported the escape-from-self hypothesis by revealing that the avoidant coping style was positively associated with Time 2 depression through its positive associations with both gaming and cyberbullying victimization, but the serial mediation model was no longer significant after Time 1 depression and some demographic risk factors had been controlled for. Finally, the results supported the time-displacement hypothesis by showing that gaming was positively associated with Time 2 depression through its inverse associations with social networking and perceived family support.

CONCLUSIONS

During the extended stay-at-home period in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of probable depression during the 2-month study period was high among the UK and US residents. Individuals with distinct coping styles may engage in different types of online leisure activities and perceive varying levels of social support, which are associated with risks of probable depression.

Higher emotional investment in social media is related to anxiety and depression in university students

Objectives

Most studies that have reported the adverse effects of social media (SM) usage on mental health have been conducted on adolescents. Additionally, such studies have used frequency or duration as the only indicator of SM usage. The present study aims to relate SM usage (frequency, duration, and emotional investment) with anxiety, depression, and self-esteem in university students.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we adapted a non-probability convenience sampling technique. The data from 893 university students was collected through questionnaires, which were developed in Google forms and their links were shared in social media groups. The study tools used were Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Rosenberg self-esteem scale, Social Integration and Emotional Connection subscale of the Social Media Use Integration Scale. We recorded variables for overall SM use (volume and frequency), night-time specific SM usage, emotional investment in SM, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem levels. Based on the scores achieved in SM variables, participants’ data were classified into different quartiles.

Results

We found a significant positive correlation of emotional investment in SM with anxiety (r = 0.71; p-value < 0.001) and depression (r = 0.72; p-value 0.003). The results of the one-way ANOVA revealed significantly increased anxiety and depression scores (p-value 0.03 and 0.02, respectively) in quartile four versus quartile one. The probability or likelihood of being anxious and depressed significantly increased by factors of 1.76 and 1.48, respectively with per unit increase in emotional investment in SM.

Conclusion

Higher Emotional Investment in Social Media is related to Anxiety and Depression in University Students. The probability of being anxious and depressed significantly increases with per unit increase in emotional investment in SM.

Screen Time, Social Media Use, and Adolescent Development

Adolescents spend much of their daily lives online, and fears abound that digital technology use, and social media in particular, is harming their social and emotional development. Findings to date do not support causal or robust associations between social media use and adolescents’ development. Instead, prior studies have produced a mix of small positive, negative, and often null associations. The narrative around social media and adolescent development has been negative, but empirical support for the story of increasing deficits, disease, and disconnection is limited. This article reviews what is known about the association between social media use and adolescent social and emotional well-being, identifies key limitations in current research, and recommends ways to improve science while also minimizing risk and creating opportunities for positive development in an increasingly digital and uncertain age.

Longitudinal association between social media use and psychological distress among adolescents

This study aimed to examine in a longitudinal cohort design whether social media use among adolescents is related to symptoms of social anxiety, depressed mood, and physical symptoms of anxiety over time. As part of the LIFECOURSE study of risk and protective factors for healthy adolescent development, three waves of school-based surveys of adolescents born in Iceland in 2004 were analyzed. Of the 3914 eligible adolescents, 2378 gave informed consent. Complete responses for this study were collected from 2211 students at the first wave, with 2052 responding roughly 12 months later, and 2097 responding in year 3. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze time spent on social media in relation to psychological distress over time. More time spent on social media was weakly but significantly associated with increased symptoms of depressed mood, social anxiety and symptoms of physical anxiety over time. However, the effect size of these relationships suggest they may not be of clinical relevance. The relationship between time spent on social media and symptoms of depressed mood and physical symptoms of anxiety grew stronger over time, although it is not known if this relationship is causal. The relationship between time spent on social media and all outcomes of psychological distress were stronger for girls than boys and increased social media use had a positive relationship with symptoms of depressed mood over time. The relationships found in this study were relatively small and future studies need to focus on the clinical and public health significance of these effects.

The Relationships of Deteriorating Depression and Anxiety With Longitudinal Behavioral Changes in Google and YouTube Use During COVID-19: Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Depression and anxiety disorders among the global population have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, current methods for screening these two issues rely on in-person interviews, which can be expensive, time-consuming, and blocked by social stigma and quarantines. Meanwhile, how individuals engage with online platforms such as Google Search and YouTube has undergone drastic shifts due to COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns. Such ubiquitous daily behaviors on online platforms have the potential to capture and correlate with clinically alarming deteriorations in depression and anxiety profiles of users in a noninvasive manner.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study is to examine, among college students in the United States, the relationships of deteriorating depression and anxiety conditions with the changes in user behaviors when engaging with Google Search and YouTube during COVID-19.

METHODS

This study recruited a cohort of undergraduate students (N=49) from a US college campus during January 2020 (prior to the pandemic) and measured the anxiety and depression levels of each participant. The anxiety level was assessed via the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). The depression level was assessed via the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). This study followed up with the same cohort during May 2020 (during the pandemic), and the anxiety and depression levels were assessed again. The longitudinal Google Search and YouTube history data of all participants were anonymized and collected. From individual-level Google Search and YouTube histories, we developed 5 features that can quantify shifts in online behaviors during the pandemic. We then assessed the correlations of deteriorating depression and anxiety profiles with each of these features. We finally demonstrated the feasibility of using the proposed features to build predictive machine learning models.

RESULTS

Of the 49 participants, 49% (n=24) of them reported an increase in the PHQ-9 depression scores; 53% (n=26) of them reported an increase in the GAD-7 anxiety scores. The results showed that a number of online behavior features were significantly correlated with deteriorations in the PHQ-9 scores (r ranging between -0.37 and 0.75, all P values less than or equal to .03) and the GAD-7 scores (r ranging between -0.47 and 0.74, all P values less than or equal to .03). Simple machine learning models were shown to be useful in predicting the change in anxiety and depression scores (mean squared error ranging between 2.37 and 4.22, R2 ranging between 0.68 and 0.84) with the proposed features.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggested that deteriorating depression and anxiety conditions have strong correlations with behavioral changes in Google Search and YouTube use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though further studies are required, our results demonstrate the feasibility of using pervasive online data to establish noninvasive surveillance systems for mental health conditions that bypasses many disadvantages of existing screening methods.

Investigating the effect of social networking site use on mental health in an 18-34 year-old general population; a cross-sectional study using the 2016 Scania Public Health Survey

BACKGROUND

Social Networking Sites (SNS) are commonly used, especially by young adults. Their impact on mental health is unclear. Moreover, little is known about how social factors, e.g. Perceived Emotional Support (PES), may affect this association. Mental health issues are increasingly burdening the young generation and society as a whole. This study aims to investigate the association between frequency of SNS use and number of SNS contacts with the mental health of a young, Swedish population. Additionally, the potential effect modification of PES will be analysed in regard to these relationships.

METHOD

This cross-sectional study applied logistic regression analyses to data on 1341 participants (aged 18-34), retrieved from the Scania Public Health Survey (2016). Analyses were stratified by gender and the GHQ-12 scale assessed poor mental health. A 2-way interaction model was used to test for effect modification by PES regarding the association between SNS use and mental health.

RESULTS

Increased risk for poor mental health was found in women only. Using SNS almost hourly vs. less often resulted in an odds ratio (OR) of 1.66 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16-2.38). The corresponding figures for having ≥600 contacts vs. ≤599 were (1.89; 1.21-2.97). Having low PES and using SNS almost hourly was associated with an OR of 3.12 (CI = 1.69-5.76; synergy index (SI) = 1.25). Low PES and ≥ 600 contacts resulted in an OR of 6.07 (CI = 1.73-21.33), whereby interaction was detected (SI = 2.88).

CONCLUSION

Women, but not men, with frequent SNS use and a high number of SNS contacts were more likely to have poor mental health, which was exacerbated in women with low PES. Facilitating PES could be an approach for improving mental health among young adults. Future studies on the use of SNS should focus more on gender analyses.

Patterns of social media use and associations with psychosocial outcomes among breast and gynecologic cancer survivors

PURPOSE

We sought to characterize the use of social media (SM) among breast and gynecologic cancer survivors, as well as associations between patterns of SM use and psychosocial outcomes.

METHODS

Two hundred seventy-three breast and gynecologic cancer survivors recruited at the Stanford Women's Cancer Center completed the study. Participants completed questionnaires to measure quality of life (FACT-G), functional social support (Duke-UNC FSSQ), distress (PHQ-4), decision regret (DRS), and SM use.

RESULTS

In total, 75.8% of the sample reported using SM. There was no difference in quality of life (QOL), functional social support (FSS), distress, or decision regret between SM users and non-users. SM users indicated using SM for social support (34.3%) and loneliness (24.6%) more than for information-seeking (15.9%), coping (18.8%), or self-disclosure (14%). SM use for coping was associated with lower QOL (p < .001), lower FSS (p < .001), and higher decision regret (p = .029). Use for social support was associated with lower FSS (p = .029). Use for information seeking was associated with lower QOL (p = .012). Use of SM when lonely was associated with lower QOL (p < .001), higher distress (p = .007), lower FSS (p < .001), and higher decision regret (p = .020).

CONCLUSIONS

Associations between SM use and psychosocial outcomes are nuanced and dependent on motivation for use. Further research is needed to better characterize SM use and associations with psychosocial outcomes among cancer survivors.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

SM is an important potential avenue for understanding and addressing the psychosocial effects associated with cancer survivorship.

Exposure to coronavirus news on mainstream media: The role of risk perceptions and depression

OBJECTIVE

The mainstream media tend to rely on news content that will increase risk perceptions of pandemic outbreaks to stimulate public response and persuade people to comply with preventive behaviours. The objective of this study was to examine associations between exposure to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news, risk perceptions, and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data were collected from 501 participants who were ≥18 years. Exposure to COVID-19 news was assessed as our exposure variable. We screened for depression (outcome variable) with the Patient Health Questionnaire and examined the roles of risk perceptions. Multiple linear regressions and mediation analysis with 1000 bootstrap resamples were conducted.

RESULTS

Participants were 55.29% female, 67.86% White with mean age 32.44 ± 11.94 years. After controlling for sociodemographic and socio-economic factors, news exposure was positively associated with depressive symptoms β = .11; 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 0.02-0.20. Mediation analysis showed that perceived vulnerability to COVID-19 mediated 34.4% of this relationship (β = .04; 95%CI = 0.01-0.06).

CONCLUSION

Perceived vulnerability to COVID-19 can serve as a pathway through which exposure to COVID-19 news on mainstream media may be associated with depressive symptoms. Based on our findings, we offered recommendations for media-health partnership, practice, and research.

Associations Between Media Exposure and Mental Distress Among U.S. Adults at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic

INTRODUCTION

Exposure to disaster-related media may be a risk factor for mental distress, but this has not been examined in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study assesses whether exposure to social and traditional media during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with mental distress among U.S. adults.

METHODS

Data came from the Understanding America Study, conducted with a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of adults who completed surveys online. Participants included 6,329 adults surveyed between March 10 and March 31, 2020. Regression analyses examined the associations of (1) self-reported average time spent on social media in a day (hours) and (2) number of traditional media sources (radio, TV, and newspaper) consulted to learn about COVID-19 with self-reported mental distress (4-item Patient Health Questionnaire). Data were analyzed in April 2020.

RESULTS

Participants responding at later survey dates reported more time spent on social media (β=0.02, 95% CI=0.01, 0.03), a greater number of traditional media sources consulted to learn about COVID-19 (β=0.01, 95% CI=0.01, 0.02), and greater mental distress (β=0.07, 95% CI=0.04, 0.09). Increased time spent on social media and consulting a greater number of traditional media sources to learn about COVID-19 were independently associated with increased mental distress, even after adjusting for potential confounders (social media: β=0.14, 95% CI=0.05, 0.23; traditional media: β=0.14, 95% CI=0.08, 0.20).

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to a greater number of traditional media sources and more hours on social media was modestly associated with mental distress during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.

Discovery of Novel Indolealkylpiperazine Derivatives as Potent 5-HT1A Receptor Agonists for the Potential Future Treatment of Depression

Depression is a severe psychiatric disorder that affects over 100 million people worldwide. 5-HT_1A receptor agonists have been implicated in the treatment of a variety of central nervous system diseases, especially depression. In this study, based on FW01, a selective potent 5-HT_1AR agonist discovered via dynamic pharmacophore-based virtual screening, a series of indolealkylpiperazine derivatives with a benzamide moiety were designed and synthesized by the modification of the amide tail group as well as indole head group of FW01. Among all tested compounds, 13m displayed potent agonistic activity towards 5-HT_1AR with an EC₅₀ value of 1.01 nM. Molecular docking studies were performed to disclose the mechanism of its potent agonistic activity and high selectivity. Finally, the activation model of 5-HT_1AR induced by 13m was proposed.

The clinical characterization of the adult patient with depression aimed at personalization of management

Depression is widely acknowledged to be a heterogeneous entity, and the need to further characterize the individual patient who has received this diagnosis in order to personalize the management plan has been repeatedly emphasized. However, the research evidence that should guide this personalization is at present fragmentary, and the selection of treatment is usually based on the clinician's and/or the patient's preference and on safety issues, in a trial-and-error fashion, paying little attention to the particular features of the specific case. This may be one of the reasons why the majority of patients with a diagnosis of depression do not achieve remission with the first treatment they receive. The predominant pessimism about the actual feasibility of the personalization of treatment of depression in routine clinical practice has recently been tempered by some secondary analyses of databases from clinical trials, using approaches such as individual patient data meta-analysis and machine learning, which indicate that some variables may indeed contribute to the identification of patients who are likely to respond differently to various antidepressant drugs or to antidepressant medication vs. specific psychotherapies. The need to develop decision support tools guiding the personalization of treatment of depression has been recently reaffirmed, and the point made that these tools should be developed through large observational studies using a comprehensive battery of self-report and clinical measures. The present paper aims to describe systematically the salient domains that should be considered in this effort to personalize depression treatment. For each domain, the available research evidence is summarized, and the relevant assessment instruments are reviewed, with special attention to their suitability for use in routine clinical practice, also in view of their possible inclusion in the above-mentioned comprehensive battery of measures. The main unmet needs that research should address in this area are emphasized. Where the available evidence allows providing the clinician with specific advice that can already be used today to make the management of depression more personalized, this advice is highlighted. Indeed, some sections of the paper, such as those on neurocognition and on physical comorbidities, indicate that the modern management of depression is becoming increasingly complex, with several components other than simply the choice of an antidepressant and/or a psychotherapy, some of which can already be reliably personalized.

Social Networks Consumption and Addiction in College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Educational Approach to Responsible Use

Within the framework of digital sustainability, the increase in Internet consumption, and especially online social networks, offers social benefits, but is not without its drawbacks. For example, it can lead to psychological and/or psychiatric disorders in some people. Numerous researches are highlighting the similarities of these addictions with the consumption of toxic substances. University students are heavy users of the Internet and, in certain situations, addiction to online social networks can be the result of depression, harassment, and anxiety, among others, affecting their daily life, including their academic responsibilities. In recent months, an anomaly has occurred that may have contributed to intensifying this problem, namely the confinement produced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the whole world to a greater or lesser extent. In this cross-sectional study, with a descriptive and quantitative methodology, students from 14 Spanish universities were investigated in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to understand the effects of this situation on the problem described. The results show a high consumption of social networks during that time, with significant incidences of addiction. In parallel, the presence of comorbidity has been determined. In this scenario, it would be necessary to implement university educational programs to redirect these addictive behaviors, as well as preventative recommendations and actions to minimize negative impacts. This is a major problem that is growing, exacerbated by the global pandemic produced by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Situations of this gravity call for the development of preventive and educational measures for the responsible and sustainable use of ICT.

Relationships between Physical and Social Behavioural Changes and the Mental Status of Homebound Residents in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In Hong Kong, social distancing has been adopted in order to minimise the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to examine the changes in physical health, mental health, and social well-being experienced by local residents who were homebound during the pandemic. An online questionnaire in both Chinese and English versions was completed by 590 eligible participants from 24 April to 13 May 2020. The questionnaire found that individuals aged 18 to 25 years spent more time resting and relaxing but experienced more physical strain. Working status was associated with social contact, with participants working full-time jobs scoring higher in “maintaining social communication via electronic means” and “avoiding social activities outside the home”. Additionally, approximately one third of the participants (29.7%) had moderate to severe depression, and participants aged 18 to 25 were found to have higher scores in PHQ-9. Changes in physical health and social contact were significantly associated with developing depressive symptoms. From the results, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to exert a negative impact on the mental health status of individuals.