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

Is medical training solely to blame? Generational influences on the mental health of our medical trainees

INTRODUCTION

The negative impact of medical training on trainee mental health continues to be a concern. Situated within a sociocultural milieu, Generation Z and Generation Y, defined by their highly involved parents and the widespread use of technology, currently dominate undergraduate and graduate medical education respectively. It is necessary to explore medical trainees' generational characteristics and job-related factors related to stress, burnout, depression, and resilience. This might provide different perspectives and potential solutions to medical trainees' mental health.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical trainees (students and residents) from two institutions in Qatar. A self-administered online survey included measures for trainees' social media overuse, their parent's parenting style, the educational support by the clinical teacher, job (demands, control, and support), and work-life balance and their relation with their stress, burnout, depression, and resilience. Relationships were tested with multiple linear regression analyses.

RESULTS

Of the 326 medical trainees who responded, 142 (44%) trainees - 93 students and 49 residents - completed all items and were included in the analysis. Social media overuse and inability to maintain a work-life balance were associated with higher levels of stress, depression, and student burnout. Higher levels of job support were associated with lower levels of stress, depression, and resident burnout, and a higher level of resilience. Job control was associated with lower burnout levels. Parenting style was unrelated to trainees' mental health.

DISCUSSION

The two generations 'Y' and 'Z' dominating current medical training showed more stress-related complaints when there is evidence of social media overuse and failure to maintain a work-life balance, while job support counterbalances this, whereas parenting style showed no effect. Measures to enhance medical trainees' mental health may include education about the wise use of social media, encouraging spending more quality social time, and enhancing job support and job control.

Anxiety management strategies on TikTok: a discourse analysis of collective coping mechanisms

Background: This study investigates the discourse on anxiety management strategies within the TikTok platform, analyzing a substantial dataset of 45,639 comments collected over a year.

Aims: The primary aim is to explore the various strategies users employ to manage anxiety, focusing on how these strategies are discussed and shared on TikTok.

Methods: A mixed-method approach was utilized, combining Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) for topic modeling with qualitative analysis. This methodology allowed for the identification of nine distinct topics, which were further grouped into three main categories: Self-Empowerment and Coping Strategies, Community Support and Social Connectivity, and Recognizing and Navigating Triggers.

Results: The analysis revealed a diverse range of strategies users employ to manage anxiety, spanning personal coping mechanisms, social support networks, and the recognition and mitigation of triggers. These findings underscore TikTok's role as a dynamic space for sharing, exploring, and validating experiences related to anxiety management.

Conclusions: TikTok offers unique opportunities for identity construction and community support amidst the challenges of anxiety. However, the study acknowledges limitations, such as potential biases in keyword-based data collection and the complexity of capturing multimodal discourse on the platform. The conclusion emphasizes the need for further refinement of digital mental health platforms, calling for sophisticated algorithmic solutions to enhance user support and content relevance.

Too much focus on your health might be bad for your health: Reddit user's communication style predicts their Long COVID likelihood

Long Covid is a chronic disease that affects more than 65 million people worldwide, characterized by a wide range of persistent symptoms following a Covid-19 infection. Previous studies have investigated potential risk factors contributing to elevated vulnerability to Long Covid. However, research on the social traits associated with affected patients is scarce. This study introduces an innovative methodological approach that allows us to extract valuable insights directly from patients' voices. By analyzing written texts shared on social media platforms, we aim to collect information on the psychological aspects of people who report experiencing Long Covid. In particular, we collect texts of patients they wrote BEFORE they were afflicted with Long Covid. We examined the differences in communication style, sentiment, language complexity, and psychological factors of natural language use among the profiles of 6.107 Reddit users, distinguishing between those who claim they have never contracted Covid -19, those who claim to have had it, and those who claim to have experienced Long Covid symptoms. Our findings reveal that people in the Long Covid group frequently discussed health-related topics before the pandemic, indicating a greater focus on health-related concerns. Furthermore, they exhibited a more limited network of connections, lower linguistic complexity, and a greater propensity to employ emotionally charged expressions than the other groups. Using social media data, we can provide a unique opportunity to explore potential risk factors associated with Long Covid, starting from the patient's perspective.

Social media use and its impact on adults' mental health and well-being: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Social media use has grown in importance and prevalence, with its estimated number of users at 4.9 billion worldwide. Social media use research has revealed positive and negative impacts on users' mental health and well-being. However, such impacts among adults have not been examined in any reviews.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted based on the framework by Arksey and O'Malley and reported based on the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Eight databases were searched from 2005 to December 2021. Articles were included after being reviewed by three independent teams, with discrepancies resolved through consensus with the senior author. Publication-related information (i.e., authors, year of publication, aims, study population, methodology, interventions, comparisons, outcome measures and key findings) were extracted from each study. Thematic analysis was conducted to answer the research questions.

RESULTS

Among the 114 eligible articles, young adults (69.6%) represented the main age group. Most studies (78.6%) focused on the negative impacts of social media use on mental health and well-being, with nearly a third (32.1%) assessing such impacts on depression. Notably, this scoping review found that more than three-quarters (78.6%) of the included studies revealed that excessive and passive social media use would increases depression, anxiety, mood and loneliness. Nevertheless, a third (33.0%) also reported positive impacts, where positive and purposeful use of social media contributes to improvements in mental health and well-being, such as increased perceived social support and enjoyment.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

This review has provided an overview of the existing knowledge on how social media use affects adults and identified areas of research that merit investigation in future studies. More attention should be given to maximizing the positive impacts of social media use on mental health and well-being among adults.

Exploring the Relationship Between Instagram Use and Self-Criticism, Self-Compassion, and Body Dissatisfaction in the Spanish Population: Observational Study

BACKGROUND

The widespread use of online social networks, particularly among the younger demographic, has catalyzed a growing interest in exploring their influence on users' psychological well-being. Instagram (Meta), a visually oriented platform, has garnered significant attention. Prior research has consistently indicated that Instagram usage correlates with heightened levels of perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, and diminished self-esteem. Perfectionism is closely linked to self-criticism, which entails an intense self-scrutiny and is often associated with various psychopathologies. Conversely, self-compassion has been linked to reduced levels of perfectionism and stress, while fostering greater positive affect and overall life satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigates the relationship between Instagram usage (time of use and content exposure) and users' levels of self-compassion, self-criticism, and body dissatisfaction.

METHODS

This study comprised 1051 adult participants aged between 18 and 50 years, either native to Spain or residing in the country for at least a decade. Each participant completed a tailored questionnaire on Instagram usage, along with abbreviated versions of the Self-Compassion Scale, the Body Shape Questionnaire, and the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, spanning from January 23 to February 25, 2022.

RESULTS

A positive correlation was observed between daily Instagram usage and self-criticism scores. Participants of all age groups who spent over 3 hours per day on Instagram exhibited higher self-criticism scores than users who spent less than 1 hour or between 1 and 3 hours per day. Contrary to previous findings, no significant relationship was detected between Instagram usage time and levels of self-compassion or body dissatisfaction. Furthermore, content centered around physical appearance exhibited a positive correlation with self-criticism and body dissatisfaction scores. Among younger participants (aged 18-35 years), those who primarily viewed beauty or fashion content reported higher self-criticism scores than those consuming science-related content. However, this association was not significant for participants aged 35-50 years. Conversely, individuals who predominantly engaged with sports or fitness or family or friends content exhibited higher levels of body dissatisfaction than those focusing on science-related content. No significant associations were observed between self-compassion scores and daily Instagram usage or most-viewed content categories.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study underscore the considerable impact of Instagram usage on self-criticism and body dissatisfaction-2 variables known to influence users' psychological well-being and be associated with various symptoms and psychological disorders.

Social media and body image: Relationships between social media appearance preoccupation, self-objectification, and body image

Nearly 85 % of emerging adults report using at least one social media site. Research suggests that viewing and internalizing unrealistic body ideals often displayed online may pose harmful effects on young people's body image. However, studies on the relationships between social media usage and body image have predominantly focused on women's drive for thinness. We sought to explore the relationships between social media appearance-related preoccupation (SMARP), body shame and surveillance, and drives for leanness, muscularity, and thinness, specifically examining the moderating role of gender within these relationships. Data from 939 undergraduate students (n = 240 men) were analyzed using multigroup structural equation modeling. Surveillance significantly mediated the positive associations between SMARP and drive for leanness for women and men. For SMARP and drive for muscularity, surveillance was a mediator for men only. Shame emerged as a significant mediator of the positive association between SMARP and drive for thinness for women and men. Moderated mediation was supported, such that the indirect effect of SMARP on drive for thinness was significantly stronger for women. These results suggest that for men in particular, SMARP is not necessarily associated with increased drives for leanness and muscularity unless men are also engaging in body surveillance.

Smartphone Use and Social Media Involvement in Young Adults: Association with Nomophobia, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) and Self-Esteem

Excessive smartphone use and dependence on social media give rise to multiple issues that negatively affect the overall well-being of individuals. Nomophobia is characterized as a "digital disease" due to the unlimited use of smartphone devices. The aim of this study is to examine smartphone use and social media involvement in association with nomophobia and psychological traits (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress, and self-esteem) of young adults. A cross-sectional investigation was conducted on 1408 Greek undergraduate students aged 18 to 25 years, using an anonymous self-reported questionnaire. Study data were collected through the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Participants' social media engagement was summarized through four variables: use of social media applications, number of friends, number of followers, and number of messages exchanged daily on social media. High levels of nomophobia were associated with high engagement in social media and, thereby, with a high number of friends. The same applies to participants with high/normal self-esteem compared to those with low. Regarding stress, anxiety and depression were not associated with digital network use, while elevated stress and anxiety seemed to play a negative role in the number of online followers. In addition, high levels of anxiety were correlated to an increased number of messages exchanged through social media applications.

Three roots of online toxicity: disembodiment, accountability, and disinhibition

Online communication is central to modern social life, yet it is often linked to toxic manifestations and reduced well-being. How and why online communication enables these toxic social effects remains unanswered. In this opinion, we propose three roots of online toxicity: disembodiment, limited accountability, and disinhibition. We suggest that virtual disembodiment results in a chain of psychological states primed for deleterious social interaction. Drawing from differences between face-to-face and online interactions, the framework highlights and addresses the fundamental problems that result in impaired communication between individuals and explicates its effects on social toxicity online.

Who's most at risk? A person-centered approach to understanding the long-term relationship between early social media use and later depression across adolescence

INTRODUCTION

Person-centered analyses examined the relationship between social media use and depression over an 8-year period. The purpose was to examine the varying ways early social media use was associated with the development of depressive symptoms with a hypothesis that social media would not have a uniform association with depressive symptoms across adolescents.

METHODS

Participants included 488 adolescents (52% female), living in the United States, who were surveyed once a year for 8 years (beginning in 2010 when the average age for participants was 13.33 years old).

RESULTS

Longitudinal mixture regression was used to identify classes of adolescents representing unique ways their early social media use was related to the development of depressive symptoms over an 8-year period. Five classes were found representing unique ways social media use was related to depression. Findings suggest social media use does not impact all adolescents in the same way. Social media use was related to increased depression for adolescents with greater parental hostility, peer bullying, anxiety, reactivity to stressors, and lower parental media monitoring. In other instances, social media use was related to less depression or was unrelated to depression.

CONCLUSIONS

By identifying which adolescents may be most at risk from social media use, health providers, schools, and caregivers can tailor interventions to fit the needs of each adolescent.

The impact of physical activity on social anxiety among college students: the chain mediating effect of social support and psychological capital

Objective

As a topic of widespread concern in the fields of mental health and public health, social anxiety has many negative impacts on the physical and mental health of contemporary college students. Therefore, this study aims to provide new ideas for solving the problem of social anxiety among college students by exploring the potential mediating role of social support and psychological capital in the relationship between physical activity and social anxiety.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 874 college students from five universities in Shandong Province. Various self-report tools such as physical activity rating scale, social support scale, positive psychological capital scale, and social anxiety scale were used to collect information needed for this study. Related data. Use this to conduct descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, and mediation effect analysis.

Results

The results showed that physical activity was significantly positively correlated with college students' social support (r = 0.354, p < 0.01) and psychological capital (r = 0.448, p < 0.01), and social support was significantly positively correlated with psychological capital (r = 0.556, p < 0.01), the above three are significantly negatively correlated with social anxiety (r = -0.326, -0.381, -0.432, p < 0.01); the mediation effect analysis shows that physical activity has a significant direct effect on college students' social anxiety The effect value is -0.136, accounting for 43.31% of the total effect; social support and psychological capital both play a separate mediating role between physical activity and social anxiety among college students, with effect values of -0.064 and -0.073 respectively, accounting for the total effect. 20.38, 23.25%, and also played a chain intermediary role, with an effect value of -0.041, accounting for 13.05% of the total effect.

Conclusion

Current research shows that physical activity can not only directly reduce social anxiety among college students, but also indirectly alleviate social anxiety among college students by increasing the level of social support and psychological capital. This has important reference significance for helping college students in China and even around the world overcome social anxiety.

Social media threats and health among adolescents: evidence from the health behaviour in school-aged children study

BACKGROUND

Social media are immensely popular among adolescents. Thus, concerns have been raised about the threats adolescents encounter on social media and the possible negative health consequences, such as depressive symptoms and anxiety. This study investigated the prevalence of nine social media threats: (1) cyberbullying, (2) sexual harassment, (3) racism, (4) unauthorized distribution of sensitive material, (5) phishing attempts, (6) misinformation, (7) the sale or distribution of drugs, (8) harmful or dangerous social media challenges, (9) content causing appearance pressures. The study also investigated how individual and social factors, problematic social media use (PSMU), and online communication with strangers are associated with social media threat exposure, as well as the association between social media threats and self-rated health, depressive feelings, and anxiety symptoms.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

Nationally representative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) data from Finland were obtained from 2288 respondents aged 11, 13, and 15 years. Fixed effects regression models were applied. The most common threat, encountered daily and weekly, was misinformation. Regression models showed that individual and social factors, PSMU, and online communication with strangers explained adolescent exposure to social media threats in differing ways. Furthermore, certain factors (e.g., emotional intelligence, family support) were associated with encountering social media threats less frequently, whereas other factors (e.g., PSMU, online communication with strangers) were associated with more frequent encounters. Daily and weekly exposure to social media threats was systematically associated with poor self-rated health, frequent depressive feelings, and anxiety symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the need for intervention and health promotion efforts to mitigate adolescent exposure to social media threats and ensuing negative health consequences.

'Nostalgic food heals for us': A qualitative exploration of experiences with nostalgia, food, and mood

ISSUE ADDRESSED

Nostalgia-the bittersweet reliving of the past-has been linked to social connection and psychological wellbeing. Although food consumption is often an intrinsically social experience, relatively little research has examined how individuals experience and understand how food consumption relates to feelings of nostalgia, food and mood.

METHODS

In the current study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Australians from varying cultural backgrounds to explore their experiences with nostalgia, food and mood.

RESULTS

Reflexive thematic analysis identified three key themes from the data: (i) The bittersweet experiences of food-evoked nostalgia-individuals' descriptions of food-evoked nostalgia and how it impacted their mood both positively and negatively (ii) social connection and identity continuity-participants' description of food-evoked nostalgia and how this provides an opportunity for social connection and identity continuity throughout life, which positively influences mood, and (iii) the role and relationship of food-evoked nostalgia and mood-individual descriptions of the important role that nostalgic food plays in their life, in addition to their relationship with food, and how this impacts mood.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding the positive component of nostalgic foods allowed individuals to bolster positive mood states with food-evoked nostalgia, increasing their quality of life. SO WHAT?: Understanding the link between food-evoked nostalgia and mood has significant implications, suggesting that negative mood states altered by nostalgic foods may result in positive mood states. Appropriate use of food-evoked nostalgia may increase the quality of life for individuals experiencing low mood states.

Digital media use, depressive symptoms and support for violent radicalization among young Canadians: a latent profile analysis

BACKGROUND

Despite the prominent role that digital media play in the lives and mental health of young people as well as in violent radicalization (VR) processes, empirical research aimed to investigate the association between Internet use, depressive symptoms and support for VR among young people is scant. We adopt a person-centered approach to investigate patterns of digital media use and their association with depressive symptoms and support for VR.

METHODS

A sample of 2,324 Canadian young people (Mage = 30.10; SDage = 5.44 ; 59% women) responded to an online questionnaire. We used latent profile analysis to identify patterns of digital media use and linear regression to estimate the associations between class membership, depressive symptoms and support for VR.

RESULTS

We identified four classes of individuals with regards to digital media use, named Average Internet Use/Institutional trust, Average internet use/Undifferentiated Trust, Limited Internet Use/Low Trust and Online Relational and Political Engagement/Social Media Trust. Linear regression indicated that individuals in the Online Relational and Political Engagement/Social Media Trust and Average Internet Use/Institutional trust profiles reported the highest and lowest scores of both depression and support for VR, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

It is essential to tailor prevention and intervention efforts to mitigate risks of VR to the specific needs and experiences of different groups in society, within a socio-ecological perspective. Prevention should consider both strengths and risks of digital media use and simulteaneously target both online and offline experiences and networks, with a focus on the sociopolitical and relational/emotional components of Internet use.

Relationship between social media addiction and appearance-related social media consciousness in Turkish adolescents

PURPOSE

This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between social media addiction and appearance-related social media consciousness in adolescents.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This study was conducted in a relational-cross-sectional-descriptive model. The population of the study consists of high schools located in a provincial center in the eastern of Turkey. Cluster sampling method was applied, and the study was completed with 1009 adolescents. The research data were collected by using personal information form, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale and Adolescents' Appearance-Related Social Media Consciousness Scale.

RESULTS

It was determined that the mean scores of adolescents' social media addiction and appearance-related social media consciousness were at a moderate level. It was determined that female adolescents had higher mean scores of social media addiction and appearance-related social media consciousness. The model established with structural equation modelling was found to be compatible with social media usage time, which was found to be related to the level of social media addiction and appearance-related social media consciousness.

CONCLUSIONS

It was found that there was a significant positive relationship between social media addiction and appearance-related social media consciousness. Time spent using social media was found to be a predictor of addiction and social media consciousness about appearance.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Pediatric nurses can educate adolescents about the potential risks of excessive use of social media and help them to act consciously. Suggest implementing school-based interventions to educate adolescents, especially females, about healthy social media use.

Social media & subjectivity: Adolescent lived experiences with social media in a Southern California middle school

The widespread use of social media (SM) platforms among adolescents has raised concerns over its role in increased adverse physical and mental health conditions. However, current research linking SM use with adolescent health relies on tenuous correlational associations, disproportionately focuses on harmful effects of its use, and seldom examines the perspectives of youth themselves (Odgers and Jensen, 2020; Schønning et al., 2020). This article examines adolescent lived experience in relation to SM platform engagement. Drawing from ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 among 75 middle-school adolescents living in an ethnically diverse and low-income Southern California community, we examine adolescent subjective experiences with SM platforms that illuminate adolescent concerns during this developmental stage. By attending to adolescent subjectivity, this article reveals the ways in which engagement with SM platforms is inextricable from cultural, social, political, and socio-emotional milieu.

The Impact of Family Functioning Factors on Smartphone Addiction and Phubbing among Muslim Adolescents in Thailand

BACKGROUND

While there is research on protective factors against smartphone addiction (SA) and phubbing, which impact adolescents' physical, psychological, interpersonal, and academic well-being, focused studies on these issues among Thai Muslim students in Southern Thailand remain scarce.

OBJECTIVES

To bridge this gap, this research aimed to explore the influence of five family functioning factors-discipline, communication and problem-solving (CPS), relationship, emotional status, and family support-guided by family systems theory and the McMaster Model, on SA and phubbing.

METHODS

Data from 825 Thai Muslim adolescent secondary school students (Female N = 459 (55.7%), Mage = 15.11 ± 1.78) across three southern Thai provinces were analyzed utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM).

RESULTS

Significant connections were identified between family functioning factors, particularly emotional status and discipline, and SA, and their impact on phubbing behavior. SA was found to mediate the relationship between these two family factors and phubbing. Interestingly, a higher quality of family relationships was found to be associated with an increased risk of SA, while the other two family functions-CPS and family support-demonstrated no significant association with these digital behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite its limitations, including a cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reports, the study underscores the importance of specific family functions in preventing and addressing adolescent SA and phubbing.

The Social Media Use Scale: Development and Validation

Social media (SM) use has been primarily operationalized as frequency of use or as passive versus active use. We hypothesize that these constructs have shown mixed associations with psychological constructs because the factor structure underlying social media use (SMU) has not been fully identified. We conducted three studies with college students. In Study 1 (N = 176), we collected data about participants' SMU, informing item generation. In Study 2 (N = 311), we tested two factor structures: (a) passive, active social, and active non-social and (b) a hypothesized four-factor structure. Neither confirmatory model produced acceptable fits, but an exploratory factor analysis suggested a four-factor model: belief-based, consumption-based, image-based, and comparison-based SMU. This four-factor structure was supported in Study 3 (N = 397), which was preregistered, via a confirmatory factor analysis. The subscale items showed good internal consistencies, and evidence is presented for convergent validity. These factors represent a novel classification of people's SMU that can be measured with the Social Media Use Scale.

Anxiety connects social media use to food and alcohol disturbance and disordered eating when social support is low

Food and alcohol disturbance (FAD) is an understudied form of disordered eating, in which the consumption of calories is restricted in preparation for drinking alcohol. Guided by previous literature, the present study examined the direct, indirect, and interactive relationships between social media use, anxiety, social support, FAD, and disordered eating among young adults. Recruited from a large southwestern public university, the sample included 679 undergraduate students who completed an online survey in spring of 2022 and who indicated that they consume alcohol and are 18 to 29 years old. Two moderated mediation analyses assessed the indirect effects of anxiety on the relationships between social media use with FAD and disordered eating, and the conditional contribution of social support. Results indicated that social media use was related to disordered eating both directly and indirectly through anxiety, but it was only related to FAD through anxiety. Furthermore, indirect effects connecting social media use to FAD and disordered eating were conditional upon social support. Our findings suggest FAD and disordered eating may be coping mechanisms for anxiety stemming from social media exposure, though these associations appear to be attenuated when social support is high. As such, these findings may be relevant for shaping future intervention and prevention efforts for emerging adults experiencing FAD and disordered eating.

Can social connections become stressful? Exploring the link between social media use and perceived stress in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of 25,053 adults

BACKGROUND

Social media has become a dominant part of daily lives for many, but excessive use may lead to an experience of stress. Only relatively few studies have investigated social media's influence on mental health.

AIMS

We aimed to investigate whether social media use is associated with perceived stress and changes in perceived stress over 18 months.

METHODS

The study population consisted of 25,053 adults (mean age 42.8; 62% women) from the SmartSleep Study. Self-reported frequency of social media use, of 10 specific social media platforms, and of perceived stress (the Perceived Stress Scale 4 item) was obtained at baseline and 18-months follow-up (N = 1745). The associations were evaluated at baseline and follow-up using multiple linear regression models adjusted for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Compared to non-use, high social media use (at least every second hour) was associated with a slightly higher perceived stress level at baseline. No association was found between the frequency of social media use and changes in perceived stress during follow-up. Only small differences in these associations were noted across social media platforms.

CONCLUSIONS

Further studies are needed to comprehensively explore the relationship between excessive social media use and mental health, recognizing different characteristics across social media platforms.

The impact of long-term online learning on social anxiety and problematic smartphone use symptoms among secondary school students with different levels of fear of missing out: Evidence from a symptom network and longitudinal panel network analysis

Background

The advancement of communication technology and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an increased reliance on online education. However, the effects of the long-term use of smart devices for online learning on students' social anxiety and problematic smartphone use (PSU) and the role of fear of missing out (FoMO) in this process have yet to be fully explored.

Methods

This study analysed longitudinal data from 2,356 high school students (female = 1,137 (48.26%), mean age = 13.84, SD age = 1.37) in China, divided into high- and low-FoMO groups based on their scores on the FoMO scale, to examine the impact of four months of online learning on social anxiety and PSU. The Social Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI) were used to assess social anxiety and PSU symptoms.

Results

The undirected symptom networks revealed more bridge symptoms among the students in the high-FoMO group, although their overall symptom scores decreased. The results of the directed cross-lagged panel networks showed that "productivity loss" predicted other symptoms in the low-FoMO group but that "afraid of negative evaluation" was the predictor in the high-FoMO group. Meanwhile, "withdrawal/escape" and "productivity loss" were the symptoms that were most affected by other symptoms in the high-FoMO and low-FoMO groups, respectively.

Conclusions

The current study therefore sheds light on the changes in social anxiety and PSU symptoms among secondary school students during long-term online learning, as well as the moderating role of FoMO.

The association between fear of childbirth and social support through the Internet and Social Networking Services in pregnant women: A cross-sectional study

Social support is an important factor in reducing fear of childbirth (FOC). Recently, the Internet and Social Networking Services (SNS) have become new forms of social support. However, it is unclear whether such support can reduce pregnant women's fear. This study aimed to investigate the association between FOC and social support through the Internet and SNS in pregnant women. A cross-sectional study using a web-based questionnaire including questions about FOC, social support, the Internet and SNS usage, psychological variables, and sociodemographic variables was conducted. Data from 111 participants were analyzed. A greater number of social support from people who are often seen during pregnancy, and becoming relieved by interaction with others through the Internet and SNS were negatively associated with FOC. This study showed that face-to-face social support was associated with lower FOC, while social support through the Internet and SNS was not. Further research is needed on how to use Internet and SNS to reduce FOC in pregnant women.

Browsing throughout pregnancy: The longitudinal course of social media use during pregnancy

BACKGROUND

The number of people using social media has substantially increased over the past years. Previous studies have shown associations between social media overuse and mental health problems during pregnancy. The current study evaluates changes in social media use during pregnancy.

METHODS

Pregnant women were recruited at their first antenatal appointment between January 2020 and July 2022 (N = 1135). The time spent on social media, frequency of social media use and problematic social media use, using the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), were assessed at 12, 20 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. Pearson r correlations and repeated measures ANOVAs were performed to assess possible changes in social media use over the course of pregnancy. Lastly, we stratified social media use throughout pregnancy for parity.

RESULTS

There was a significant change in social media use over time, for the time spent on social media, frequency of social media use and problematic social media use. Mean social media scores were the lowest at 12 weeks of pregnancy and increased significantly at 20 weeks of pregnancy, after which they remained stable at 28 weeks. Compared to multiparous women, primiparous women spent more time on social media at 20 weeks of pregnancy, but not at 12 or 28 weeks.

CONCLUSION

Because overuse of social media has been associated with poor mental health, healthcare professionals should be aware of the intensity of social media use throughout pregnancy.

The role of sleep in prospective associations between parent reported youth screen media activity and behavioral health

BACKGROUND

Screen media activity (SMA) can negatively affect youth behavioral health. Sleep may mediate this association but has not been previously explored. We examined whether sleep mediated the association between SMA and youth behavioral health among a community sample.

METHOD

Parents completed questions about their child (N = 564) ages 3-17 at Wave 1, Wave 2 (4-8 months later), and Wave 3 (12 months later). Path analyses were conducted to examine links between Wave 1 SMA and Wave 3 behavioral health problems (i.e., internalizing, externalizing, attention, peer problems) through Wave 2 sleep disturbance and duration.

RESULTS

SMA was significantly associated with greater sleep disturbance, β = .11, 95% CI [.01, .21] and shorter sleep duration, β = -.16 [-.25, -.06], and greater sleep disturbance was associated with worse youth behavioral health across internalizing, β = .14 [.04, .24], externalizing, B = .23 [.12, .33], attention, β = .24 [.15, .34], and peer problems, β = .25 [.15, .35]. Longer sleep duration was associated with more externalizing, β = .13 [.04, .21], and attention problems, β = .12 [.02, .22], and fewer peer problems, β = -.09 [-.17, -.01], but not with internalizing problems. Lastly, there was a direct effect of SMA on peer problems, β = -.15 [-.23, -.06] such that higher SMA that does not impact sleep may have a positive impact on reducing peer problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep (i.e., disturbances and shorter duration) may partially account for the small associations observed between SMA and worse behavioral health in youth. To continue expanding our understanding, future research should utilize more diverse representative samples, use objective measures of SMA and sleep, and examine other relevant aspects of SMA, including content, device type, and timing of use.

Adolescent coping and social media use moderated anxiety change during the COVID-19 pandemic

INTRODUCTION

Adolescence is a sensitive period during which stressors and social disruptions uniquely contribute to anxiety symptoms. Adolescent's coping strategies (i.e., avoidance and approach) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may be differentially related to anxiety symptom changes. Further, social media use (SMU) is ubiquitous and may serve as an avenue to deploy avoidant and/or approach coping.

METHOD

Participants included 265 adolescents (ages 12-20 years; 55.8% female, 43.8% male) and one parent per adolescent. At two time points separated by ~6 months, adolescents reported on SMU and coping strategies, and parents and adolescents reported demographic information and adolescents' anxiety symptoms. Data were collected online in the United States, from summer 2020 through spring 2021.

RESULTS

Increases in avoidant coping predicted increasing anxiety, particularly when approach coping decreased. Decreases in both avoidant coping and SMU coincided with decreasing anxiety. Older adolescents showed decreasing anxiety when avoidant coping declined and SMU increased.

CONCLUSION

Coping strategies and SMU predicted patterns of adolescent anxiety symptom change across 6 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results highlight that coping and SMU should be contextualized within the time course of stressors.

Association between digital engagement and urban-rural disparities in Chinese women's depressive symptoms: A national-level cross-sectional study

Objectives

This study aims to investigate the impact of digital engagement on urban-rural disparities in depressive symptoms among Chinese women.

Methods

Using a dataset from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) wave 2020, this study analyzes the impact of digital engagement on the urban-rural disparity in women's depressive symptoms using multiple linear regression and recentered influence function (RIF) models. Furthermore, the extent to which digital engagement affects the urban-rural disparity in women's depressive symptoms was calculated using the RIF decomposition method.

Results

Analysis showed that rural women had significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to urban women; digital engagement significantly reduced women's depressive symptoms levels and mitigated the urban-rural disparity for women with moderate to high levels of depressive symptoms, and the mitigating effect was stronger for the highly depressed sample, but still widened the urban-rural disparity in women's depressive symptoms overall. In addition, the results of the RIF decomposition showed that digital engagement explained 28.28% of the urban-rural disparity in women's depressive symptoms.

Conclusion

There is a significant disparity in depressive symptoms levels between urban and rural women in China. Digital engagement reduces women's depressive symptoms, but it also widens the depressive symptoms disparity between urban and rural women overall. Digital engagement is potentially positive for reducing women's depressive symptoms.

Associations of 24-hour movement behaviors with externalizing and internalizing problems among children and adolescents prescribed with eyeglasses/contact lenses

Background

Emerging evidence points towards the psychological benefits of meeting 24-hour movement behavior (24-HMB) guidelines, but such associations have not yet been investigated among children and adolescents of prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses. To this end, we examined associations of meeting 24-HMB guidelines with internalizing and externalizing challenges in this population.

Methods

We used data from the 2021 National Survey of Children's Health, a cross-sectional survey including a representative sample of US children and adolescents. Data on movement behaviors (physical activity [PA], sedentary behavior operationalized via screen time [ST], and sleep duration [SL]) and internalizing and externalizing problems were collected through caregiver proxy reports. Caregivers completed questionnaires for 6030 (2799 girls) US children and adolescents of prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the above-presented associations.

Results

Only 7.1 % of those prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses met all three 24-HMB guidelines, while they were more likely to meet SL guideline alone (32.1 %) in relation to other independent guidelines including PA (2.5 %) and ST (10.9 %). Compared to not meeting any of the three 24-HMB guidelines, meeting at least two guidelines (25.22 %) was significantly linked to lower odds of internalizing problems and externalizing problems.

Conclusion

Meeting at least two components of the 24-HMB guidelines was beneficially linked to internalizing and externalizing problems. Thus, strategies or intervention programs that focus on meeting 24-HMB guidelines should be implemented among children and adolescents of those prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses to foster coping with psychological issues.

Differences in diagnostic rules used to determine borderline personality disorder impact prevalence and associations with clinically relevant variables: Findings from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious and understudied mental health condition associated with profound personal and public health consequences. Methodological differences in characterizing BPD may limit understanding the scope of the disorder's prevalence and effect. For example, using different diagnostic rules for BPD can affect apparent prevalence, comorbidity, and clinical presentation. This study examined how differences in diagnostic rules used to assign BPD diagnosis impacted its prevalence and associations with clinically relevant variables (e.g., demographics, comorbidity, treatment-seeking). Participants were a nationally representative sample of 36,309 noninstitutionalized U.S. adults. All variables were assessed via clinical interview (Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-5). Six diagnostic rules determined BPD status. We used frequencies to examine prevalence rates of and associations between BPD and other clinical variables, and logistic regressions to examine the associations between each BPD variable and the other outcomes. The prevalence of BPD ranged widely-from 0.5% to 11.4%-per the diagnostic rule used. Associations between BPD diagnosis and various outcomes and clinical variables generally remained stable across all diagnostic rules, though effects became more extreme as diagnostic rules became more restrictive. Additionally, meaningful differences emerged as a function of the number of items used (30 vs. 18 items) even with no other changes to diagnostic rules. The field examining BPD and associated problem behaviors should critically consider how to most effectively characterize BPD to understand these problems more accurately and optimize the generalizability of findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

When the clock chimes: The impact of on-the-hour effects on user anxiety content generation in social media platforms

BACKGROUND

The growth of social media platforms has created a plethora of user-generated content, and social media has become an important channel of users to express their emotions. Although many studies have explored the influencing factors on user-generated content, there is an insufficient understanding the impact temporal cues on mental health content generation.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore how the on-the-hour time points affect users' anxiety content generation on social media platforms. Further, this study investigates the difference between weekdays and weekends, and the moderating effects of regional economic levels.

METHODS

We collected information on 2,543,902 user-generated anxiety-related posts from a leading social media platform in China. Then, we used fixed effect models to analyze the relationship between on-the-hour time points and user anxiety content generation.

RESULTS

The results show that on-the-hour time points affect user anxiety-related content generation, especially at the beginning of each hour (β = 894.564, p < 0.01). And the impact is greater on weekdays (β = 774.695, p < 0.01) than on weekends (β = 119.869, p < 0.01). Furthermore, regional economic moderates the impact, the better the economic condition, the greater the impact.

LIMITATIONS

Limitations include incomplete coverage of patient types and a single anxiety dictionary.

CONCLUSIONS

This study uncovers the relationship between temporal cues and user-generated anxiety content, providing new insights into the mental illness observation, and provides insights for mental health services providers and designers of online social platforms.

Current evidence and opportunities in child and adolescent public mental health: a research review

BACKGROUND

A public mental health lens is increasingly required to better understand the complex and multifactorial influences of interpersonal, community and institutional systems on the mental health of children and adolescents.

METHODS

This research review (1) provides an overview of public mental health and proposes a new interactional schema that can guide research and practice, (2) summarises recent evidence on public mental health interventions for children and adolescents, (3) highlights current challenges for this population that might benefit from additional attention and (4) discusses methodological and conceptual hurdles and proposes potential solutions.

RESULTS

In our evidence review, a broad range of universal, selective and indicated interventions with a variety of targets, mechanisms and settings were identified, some of which (most notably parenting programmes and various school-based interventions) have demonstrated small-to-modest positive effects. Few, however, have achieved sustained mental health improvements.

CONCLUSIONS

There is an opportunity to re-think how public mental health interventions are designed, evaluated and implemented. Deliberate design, encompassing careful consideration of the aims and population-level impacts of interventions, complemented by measurement that embraces complexity through more in-depth characterisation, or 'phenotyping', of interpersonal and environmental elements is needed. Opportunities to improve child and adolescent mental health outcomes are gaining unprecedented momentum. Innovative new methodology, heightened public awareness, institutional interest and supportive funding can enable enhanced study of public mental health that does not shy away from complexity.

Viewing of clinical cases on social media by dentists: A cause of motivation or dissatisfaction?

Objective

To evaluate the thoughts and feelings of dentists viewing posted clinical cases (PCCs) on various social media (SM) platforms.

Methods

A questionnaire was developed, validated and its reliability was established. It was distributed (in 2022) to 355 dentists who had graduated at least 2 years prior. It had three sections consisting of 20 items pertaining to general information, SM usage, and feelings. Descriptive data were reported using percentages. The chi-squared test was used for inferential analysis. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The response rate was 92%. The majority of respondents were non-post-graduates (63%), and aged ≤40 years (90%) with clinical experience <5 years (41%). Dentists with the most clinical experience (>15 years) shared their clinical work significantly more than their counterparts (p < 0.05). Most of the dentists did not feel motivated after viewing the PCCs (41%), especially those aged >40 years (p = 0.037), and thought that viewing the PCCs was the reason for personal dissatisfaction (50%). They had a belief that they possess skills (36%) and knowledge (42%), but not the necessary equipment to replicate the PCCs (39%).

Conclusions

The majority of dentists felt that viewing the PCCs on SM can cause personal dissatisfaction and lack of motivation. They had a belief that they possess the skills and knowledge to replicate the PCCs, but lack equipment. Investing resources in clinical workshops, mentorship, and the procurement of modern equipment early in the career of dentists may improve their mental well-being, satisfaction, and quality of treatment delivered to patients.

Adolescents and Social Media: Longitudinal Links Between Types of Use, Problematic Use and Internalizing Symptoms

Studies examining the associations between adolescent social media use and depression/anxiety symptoms show inconsistent results and do not elucidate the direction of associations. Differences in how studies operationalize social media use and consider potential moderating effects of sex and extraversion could contribute to inconsistencies. A distinction has been made between three types of social media use: passive, active and problematic. This study examined longitudinal associations between these types of adolescents' social media use and depression/anxiety symptoms and moderation effects of sex or extraversion. At ages 13 (T1) and 14 (T2), 257 adolescents completed an online questionnaire regarding their depression and anxiety symptoms and problematic social media use as well as three social media use diaries. Cross-lagged panel modeling (CLPM) revealed a positive association between problematic use and later anxiety symptoms (β = .16, p = .010). Extraversion moderated the association between active use and anxiety (β = -.14, p = .032). Specifically, active use predicted higher subsequent anxiety symptoms only in adolescents with low to moderate levels of extraversion. No sex moderation was found. While social media use (active or problematic) predicted later anxiety symptoms (but not depression), the reverse was not the case. However, highly extraverted individuals seem to be less vulnerable to potential negative effects of social media use.

A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of a Primary Care Provider-Delivered Social Media Counseling Intervention

PURPOSE

Evidence and clinical policy support that providers screen and counsel for media use for youth, but most pediatricians lack this training. The purpose of this study was to test a primary care provider (PCP)-delivered intervention to promote safe social media use among youth.

METHODS

We enrolled pediatric PCP practices for this clinical trial to test a social media counseling intervention (SMCI) between 2011 and 2013. Youth were recruited during clinic visits; follow-up interviews were conducted at 6 months. Outcomes included media behaviors and caregiver communication. Multivariate regression models examined associations between social media counseling and PCP counseling score. Multivariate logistic regression evaluated four social media behavior outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 120 practices enrolled; PCPs in the SMCI were more likely to provide social media counseling (B = 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-1.7). Youth whose PCP received the SMCI were twice as likely to report a decrease in online "friending" of strangers (adjusted odds ratio = 2.23, 95% CI 1.17-4.25) and were more likely to report communication with their caregivers about their social media use (adjusted odds ratio = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.1-1.4) compared to youth whose PCPs were in the active control group.

DISCUSSION

Youth whose PCP had received social media counseling training reported a higher receipt of counseling about social media and improved safety behaviors.

Association between flaunting behaviors on social media and among the general population in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

Background and Aims

The number of social media users is growing with each passing day at full tilt, keeping pace with digitalization and technological advances. Despite several advantages, there are also certain negative aspects to using social networking sites (SNS) for communication, amusement, self-expression, impression management, and other purposes. This study sought to investigate the association between mental health status and flaunting behaviors in social media among the general population in Bangladesh.

Methods

We conducted this nationwide cross-sectional online survey among 465 people aged between 18 and 60 between October 15, 2021 and January 15, 2022. Following electronic consent, we collected the socio-demographic profiles and psychometric parameters of the respondents. Additionally, we assessed the diverse perspectives on SNS usage and its relationship to the self-reported symptoms of depression and loneliness.

Results

The estimated prevalence of loneliness and depressive symptoms were 65.16% (mild: 39.57%, moderate: 16.56%, severe: 9.03%) and 55.49% (mild: 26.67%, moderate: 22.15%, severe: 6.67%), respectively. Key factors associated with flaunting on social media were mental health issues such as depression and loneliness. Several social factors were also considered, such as being young, of the male sex, unmarried, illiterate, a student, urban dwelling, average economic status, nuclear family structure, types of SNSs, checking social media first in the morning, and the use of SNS for gaining popularity.

Conclusion

A significant portion of SNS users reported symptoms of mental illness. Current study findings urge for longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes to have a nearly equal distribution of users from each social media platform for in-depth exploration of how user attitudes about SNSs and site usage patterns impact the general public's mental health. We suggest that regulating SNS usage patterns and treatment approaches would improve the situation.

The Stories We Tell Influence the Support We Receive: Examining the Reception of Support-Seeking Messages on Reddit

Although social support facilitates coping and recovering from stressful life events, people do not always get the support that they need. Prior research suggests that the way one talks about stressful events to others may influence the support they receive. Given that people are increasingly relying on online communities for social support, this study adopted a person-centered approach (latent profile analysis) to examine how narrative variables related to the motivational themes, emotional content, and organizational structure of randomly sampled support-seeking messages (N = 495) posted on Reddit (r/Anxiety and r/Depression) influenced the quantity (number of comments and post score) and quality (type of support in comments) of support that they received. We identified five distinct narrative profiles of support-seeking posts, which in turn differentially predicted the quality, but not quantity, of social support people received. While commenters provided high levels of emotional support to all forms of posts, we found that coherence was an important determinant of esteem support. A combination of coherence, as well as agency and affective tone, were important determinants of instrumental, informational, and network support. The ways in which one talks about their problems influence the way others support them.

[Social networks use and risk factors for the development of eating disorders: A systematic review]

OBJECTIVE

Review the available scientific literature on the relationship between the use of social networks and risk factors for the development of eating disorders, such as low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and/or idealization of thinness, in the Spanish population.

DESIGN

A systematic review of scientific literature published between 2010 and 2022 was carried out.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science.

SELECTION OF STUDIES

Only original articles were included, published in Spanish or English, that measured at least one variable of use of social networks and at least one risk factor for eating disorders in the Spanish population.

DATA EXTRACTION

The PRISMA 2009 statement was used as a guide. The quality of selected articles was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist.

RESULTS

Twelve cross-sectional studies that met the inclusion criteria were identified. Evidence suggests that the use and frequency of use of social networks is significantly associated with body dissatisfaction (p≤0,01), drive for thinness (p≤0,001), and low self-esteem (p≤0,05) in adolescents and young adults in the Spanish population.

CONCLUSIONS

Users of social networks, mainly those based on images, are exposed to factors that could increase their risk of developing an eating disorder.

Social media usage and students' social anxiety, loneliness and well-being: does digital mindfulness-based intervention effectively work?

BACKGROUND

The increasing integration of digital technologies into daily life has spurred a growing body of research in the field of digital psychology. This research has shed light on the potential benefits and drawbacks of digital technologies for mental health and well-being. However, the intricate relationship between technology and psychology remains largely unexplored.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the impact of mindfulness-based mobile apps on university students' anxiety, loneliness, and well-being. Additionally, it sought to explore participants' perceptions of the addictiveness of these apps.

METHOD

The research utilized a multi-phase approach, encompassing a correlational research method, a pretest-posttest randomized controlled trial, and a qualitative case study. Participants were segmented into three subsets: correlations (n = 300), treatment (n = 60), and qualitative (n = 20). Data were gathered from various sources, including the social anxiety scale, well-being scale, social media use integration scale, and an interview checklist. Quantitative data was analyzed using Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and t-tests, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The study uncovered a significant correlation between social media use and the variables under investigation. Moreover, the treatment involving mindfulness-based mobile apps led to a reduction in students' anxiety and an enhancement of their well-being. Notably, participants held various positive perceptions regarding the use of these apps.

IMPLICATIONS

The findings of this research hold both theoretical and practical significance for the field of digital psychology. They provide insight into the potential of mindfulness-based mobile apps to positively impact university students' mental health and well-being. Additionally, the study underscores the need for further exploration of the intricate dynamics between technology and psychology in an increasingly digital world.

Motivated and able: when is facebook used to seek friendship and social support?

When employing adaptive behaviors to a changing environment, ability and motivation work hand in hand. Our goal was to investigate how ability and motivation interact when utilizing Facebook for social support and friendship. We predicted that well-being and perceived social support would be negatively related to motivation to use Facebook for social support and friendship. We also predicted that computer-mediated communication (CMC) competence would positively related to these motives. A survey of 282 college students tested our mediational model. Results indicated that perceived social support mediated the relationship between well-being and motivations to use Facebook for social support, but only when CMC competence was high, meaning students experienced this relationship only when both motivated and able to use Facebook for the purpose of seeking social support. The results suggest that interventions to increase CMC competence through Facebook use can help students garner greater social support and improve overall well-being.

Social Media Use Early in the Pandemic Predicted Later Social Well-Being and Mental Health in a National Online Sample of Adults in the United States

Social media use increased early in the Covid-19 pandemic, but little information is available about its impact. The present study examined associations of frequency of use of different social media and the motives for use with subsequent social well-being and mental health. Data were gathered on a nationwide sample of 843 Americans during the first wave of lockdowns and infections in mid-April 2020, and again five weeks later. Participants were adults ages 20 to 88 years old (M = 39.3 years old) recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Controlling for age and gender, greater frequency of Facebook and video chat app use predicted higher levels social support but also higher levels of cumulative Covid-19-related stress appraisals and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Greater use of video chat apps also predicted less loneliness. Greater use of both Instagram and Snapchat predicted more anxiety and cumulative Covid-19-related stress appraisals. Greater use of Instagram also predicted higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Motives for use (e.g., connect with others, waste time/avoid responsibility, online video gaming with others) also differentially predicted social well-being and mental health. Results indicate that greater social media use early in the pandemic was often associated with more distress and lower levels of social well-being but, effects varied depending on types, frequency, and motivations for use. Overall, the study revealed that social media use related to social well-being and mental health in complex ways.

Social media use as a risk factor for depressive symptoms during pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Accumulating research has shown associations between excessive social media use (SMU) with depressive symptoms. Depression is common during pregnancy, but it is not known whether SMU plays a role in the etiology and clinical course of depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

METHODS

The current study is a prospective cohort study with Dutch-speaking pregnant women recruited at the first antenatal appointment (N = 697). Depressive symptoms were measured at each trimester of pregnancy using the Edinburgh Depression Scale. Growth mixture modeling was used to determine classes of women based on longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms. SMU was assessed at 12 weeks of pregnancy, specifically, intensity (time and frequency) and problematic SMU (Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between SMU and trajectories of depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Three trajectories of depressive symptoms during pregnancy were identified: a low stable (N = 489, 70.2 %), intermediate stable (N = 183, 26.3 %), and high stable (N = 25, 3.6 %) class. SMU Time and Frequency were significantly associated with belonging to the high stable class. Problematic SMU was significantly associated with belonging to the intermediate or high stable class.

LIMITATIONS

The study does not allow to draw conclusions about causality. The group sizes of the three trajectories differed considerably. Data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic which may have influenced the results. SMU was measured by self-report.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that both higher intensity of SMU (time and frequency) and problematic SMU may be a risk factor for higher levels of prenatal depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

Association of Screen Time with Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in College Students During COVID-19 Outbreak in Shanghai: Mediation Role of Sleep Quality

The study aimed to investigate the associations between different types of screen time (ST) and anxiety and depressive symptoms in college students during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China; the potential mediation role of sleep quality was also examined. A total of 1,550 college students completed an online survey in May 2022. ST, Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) score, Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) score, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score, and physical activity were self-reported. Multiple linear regression and mediation analysis were conducted. The results showed that more time spent in TV/movie viewing (>2 h/day) and recreational reading (>1 h/day) was associated with higher levels of anxiety, while more time spent in online social media (>2 h/day) was associated with a higher level of depressive symptoms. In contrast, time spent in online social media (1-2 h/day) was associated with a lower level of anxiety. Meanwhile, recreational reading (2-3 h/day) had a significant indirect effect on anxiety and depressive symptoms through sleep quality. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the associations of ST with anxiety and depressive symptoms varied by the type of screen viewing in college students. The associations of slightly excessive time spent on recreational reading with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms were partially mediated by sleep quality.

Factors Affecting Social Media Addiction in University Students and the Relationship of Social Media Addiction with Depression and Fear of Missing Out

Amaç: Araştırma üniversite öğrencilerinde sosyal medya bağımlılığını etkileyen faktörleri ve sosyal medya bağımlılığının depresyon, gelişmeleri kaçırma korkusu ile ilişkisini belirlemek amacı ile kesitsel olarak yapılmıştır. Yöntem: Çalışma 448 üniversite öğrencisi ile yapılmıştır. Veriler; anket formu, Sosyal Medya Bağımlılığı Ölçeği-Yetişkin Formu (SMBÖ-YF), Üsküdar Gelişmeleri Kaçırma Korkusu Ölçeği (ÜGKKÖ) ve Beck Depresyon Ölçeği (BDÖ) kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Bulgular: Kadın öğrencilerin SMBÖ-YF puan ortalamalarının erkek öğrencilere göre yüksek olduğu ve yaş arttıkça SMBÖ-YF puanının azaldığı görülmüştür. Annenin sosyal medya kullanımının artması, öğrencilerin uyuşturucu madde kullanması, sosyal medya kullanım sıklığının ve tek oturumda sosyal medya kullanım süresinin artması, sosyal medyaya akıllı telefon ile bağlanmak, sosyal medyayı paylaşımda bulunmak amacıyla kullanmak SMBÖ-YF puanını arttırmaktadır. Öğrencilerin SMBÖ-YF puanları ile BDÖ puanları arasında pozitif yönde zayıf düzeyde, SMBÖ-YF puanları ile ÜGKKÖ puanları arasında pozitif yönde orta düzeyde anlamlı ilişki saptanmıştır. Sosyal medya bağımlılığının artmasındaki en güçlü 3 etken sırasıyla; ÜGKKÖ puanı, günlük 3 saatten fazla sosyal medya kullanımı ve BDÖ puanıdır. Sonuç: Öğrencilerin orta düzeyde sosyal medya bağımlılığına sahip olduğu bulunmuştur. Depresyon ve sosyal medya bağımlılığı birbirlerini çift taraflı olarak etkilemektedir. Aynı şekilde gelişmeleri kaçırma korkusu ve sosyal medya bağımlılığı da birbirlerini çift taraflı olarak etkilemektedir. Öğrencilerin sosyal medya bağımlılığının olumsuz sonuçları ve sosyal medya okuryazarlığı hakkında bilgilendirilmesi, bağımlılık ile ilgili kamu spotlarının sosyal medya üzerinden yayınlanmasının sağlanması önerilebilir.

Social Networking Site Use and Emotional Eating Behaviors among Chinese Adolescents: The Effects of Negative Social Comparisons and Perspective-Taking

Emotional eating has emerged as a significant disordered eating and public health concern among adolescents. Despite the widespread prevalence of social networking site (SNS) use among this population, research investigating the influence of SNS use on adolescent eating behaviors remains limited. This study is to examine the impact of SNS use on emotional eating among Chinese adolescents, with a specific focus on exploring the mediating role of negative social comparisons and the moderating effect of perspective-taking. Data were obtained through an online survey involving 778 middle school students in China. The findings indicate that SNS use exerts a positive influence on adolescents' engagement in emotional eating, with this association being mediated by the presence of negative social comparisons. Perspective-taking demonstrated a protective role in the context of adolescents' utilization of social media platforms. For individuals characterized by high levels of perspective-taking, the effects of SNS use on negative social comparisons are mitigated, subsequently reducing its impact on emotional eating.

The influence of media use degree on public depressive symptoms: mediating role of big five personality

BACKGROUND

Mixed results have been found regarding the relationship between media use degree and depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between media use degree, big five personality and depressive symptoms with a mediation model.

METHOD

This was a cross-sectional study. With 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), 10-item Big Five Inventory (BFI-10) and self-designed media usage scale, 11,031 participants aged 12 and above in 120 cities in China were collected. Pearson correlation analysis and regression analysis were performed on the data. The Process plug-in was used to construct the mediation model and explore the relationship among media use degree, big five personality and depressive symptoms. The nonparametric percentile Bootstrap method was used to test the mediating effect of personality traits.

RESULTS

The degree of media use was positively correlated with depressive symptoms (r = 0.20, P < 0.001), and big five personality played a mediating role between the degree of media use and depressive symptoms. Among five traits, extroversion (r=-0.12, P < 0.001), conscientiousness (r=-0.23, P < 0.001), openness (r=-0.03, P < 0.01) and agreeableness (r=-0.22, P < 0.001) were negatively correlated with depressive symptoms, and neuroticism (r = 0.25, P < 0.001) were positively correlated with depressive symptoms. In addition, extraversion (-0.004, -0.001), conscientiousness (-0.015, -0.008), agreeableness (-0.008, -0.001) and neuroticism (-0.015, -0.007) in big five personality played a mediating role between media use and depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The degree of media use positively predicted depressive symptoms, and excessive media use may bring risks to mental health. People with high neuroticism, low agreeableness, low conscientiousness and low extroversion are more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms.

A scoping review of social media in child, adolescents and young adults: research findings in depression, anxiety and other clinical challenges

BACKGROUND

Social media and other technologies are reshaping communication and health.

AIMS

This review addresses the relationship between social media use, behavioural health conditions and psychological well-being for youth aged <25 years.

METHOD

A scoping review of 11 literature databases from 2000 to 2020 explored research studies in youth in five areas: clinical depression and anxiety, quantitative use, social media mode, engagement and qualitative dimensions and health and well-being.

RESULTS

Out of 2820 potential literature references, 140 met the inclusion criteria. The foci were clinical depression and anxiety disorders (n = 78), clinical challenges (e.g. suicidal ideation, cyberbullying) (n = 34) and psychological well-being (n = 28). Most studies focused on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Few studies are longitudinal in design (n = 26), had comparison groups (n = 27), were randomised controlled trials (n = 3) or used structured assessments (n = 4). Few focused on different youth and sociodemographic populations, particularly for low-income, equity-seeking and deserving populations. Studies examined association (n = 120; 85.7%), mediating (n = 16; 11.4%) and causal (n = 4; 2.9%) relationships. Prospective, longitudinal studies of depression and anxiety appear to indicate that shorter use (≤3 h/day) and purposeful engagement is associated with better mood and psychological well-being. Depression may predict social media use and reduce perception of support. Findings provide families, teachers and providers ways to engage youth.

CONCLUSIONS

Research opportunities include clinical outcomes from functional perspective on a health continuum, diverse youth and sociodemographic populations, methodology, intervention and privacy issues. More longitudinal studies, comparison designs and effectiveness approaches are also needed. Health systems face clinical, training and professional development challenges.

Cyberloafing: Exploring the Role of Psychological Wellbeing and Social Media Learning

Due to the advances in internet communications technology (ICT), the use of digital devices, such as laptops, tablets, or smartphones, in the educational setting has become very common among young people. A considerable body of research has shown that there are adverse effects of in-class internet usage, termed "cyberloafing" on students' academic performance, making it a rising concern for scholars. Within this context, the present study examines cyberloafing as a multidimensional construct and studies the mediating effects of psychological wellbeing and social media learning between cyberloafing behaviour and cyberloafing activities of students. Using an online survey, data was collected from 240 undergraduate and graduate students at a private university in India. The data were analyzed using structural equation modelling and mediation analysis. The results indicate that cyberloafing behaviour negatively influences student's psychological wellbeing, whereas psychological wellbeing is positively related to cyberloafing activities. It was also found that, on one hand, cyberloafing behaviour negatively influences social media learning, whereas social media learning did not have any effect on cyberloafing activities in students. This study highlights that it is crucial for educators and course instructors to incorporate appropriate practices and interventions to manage the misuse of the internet through cyberloafing in classrooms.

Peer Connectedness and Social Technology Use During COVID-19 Lockdown

During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, adolescents relied on social technology for social connection. Although some research suggests small, negative effects for quantity of social technology use on adolescent mental health, the quality of the interaction may be more important. We conducted a daily diary study in a risk-enriched sample of girls under COVID-19 lockdown to investigate associations between daily social technology use, peer closeness, and emotional health. For 10 days, 93 girls (ages 12-17) completed an online daily diary (88% compliance) assessing positive affect, symptoms of anxiety and depression, peer closeness, and daily time texting, video-chatting and using social media. Multilevel fixed effects models with Bayesian estimation were conducted. At the within-person level, more daily time texting or video-chatting with peers was associated with feeling closer to peers that day, which was associated with more positive affect and fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms that day. At the between-person level, more time video-chatting with peers across the 10 days was indirectly associated with higher average positive affect during lockdown and less depression seven-months later, via higher mean closeness with peers. Social media use was not associated with emotional health at the within- or between-person levels. Messaging and video-chatting technologies are important tools for maintaining peer connectedness during social isolation, with beneficial effects on emotional health.

Methods for Analyzing the Contents of Social Media for Health Care: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Given the rapid development of social media, effective extraction and analysis of the contents of social media for health care have attracted widespread attention from health care providers. As far as we know, most of the reviews focus on the application of social media, and there is a lack of reviews that integrate the methods for analyzing social media information for health care.

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review aims to answer the following 4 questions: (1) What types of research have been used to investigate social media for health care, (2) what methods have been used to analyze the existing health information on social media, (3) what indicators should be applied to collect and evaluate the characteristics of methods for analyzing the contents of social media for health care, and (4) what are the current problems and development directions of methods used to analyze the contents of social media for health care?

METHODS

A scoping review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was conducted. We searched PubMed, the Web of Science, EMBASE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Cochrane Library for the period from 2010 to May 2023 for primary studies focusing on social media and health care. Two independent reviewers screened eligible studies against inclusion criteria. A narrative synthesis of the included studies was conducted.

RESULTS

Of 16,161 identified citations, 134 (0.8%) studies were included in this review. These included 67 (50.0%) qualitative designs, 43 (32.1%) quantitative designs, and 24 (17.9%) mixed methods designs. The applied research methods were classified based on the following aspects: (1) manual analysis methods (content analysis methodology, grounded theory, ethnography, classification analysis, thematic analysis, and scoring tables) and computer-aided analysis methods (latent Dirichlet allocation, support vector machine, probabilistic clustering, image analysis, topic modeling, sentiment analysis, and other natural language processing technologies), (2) categories of research contents, and (3) health care areas (health practice, health services, and health education).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on an extensive literature review, we investigated the methods for analyzing the contents of social media for health care to determine the main applications, differences, trends, and existing problems. We also discussed the implications for the future. Traditional content analysis is still the mainstream method for analyzing social media content, and future research may be combined with big data research. With the progress of computers, mobile phones, smartwatches, and other smart devices, social media information sources will become more diversified. Future research can combine new sources, such as pictures, videos, and physiological signals, with online social networking to adapt to the development trend of the internet. More medical information talents need to be trained in the future to better solve the problem of network information analysis. Overall, this scoping review can be useful for a large audience that includes researchers entering the field.

The satisfaction of elderly people with elderly caring social organizations and its relationship with social support and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

With the deepening of China's aging population, higher demands have been placed on the supply of elderly care services. As one of the main sources of providing elderly care services, the quality of service provided by elderly caring social organizations (SOs) directly affects the quality of life of the elderly. In recent years, mental health issues among the elderly have become increasingly prominent, especially with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Necessitating the need to pay much more attention to the social support and mental health of this population. This study, therefore, explores the mediating role of institutional satisfaction between the social support and anxiety levels of elderly people in Chongqing's elderly caring SOs.

METHOD

This study employed a multi-stage stratified random sampling method to survey 1004 service recipients in elderly caring social organizations from July to August 2022. The self-made sociodemographic questionnaire, institutional satisfaction questionnaire, MSPSS, and GAD-7 were used to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, institutional satisfaction, social support, and anxiety levels of older adults. Exploratory Factor Analysis and Cronbach's alpha were used to test construct validity and scale reliability, respectively. Data features were described with One-Way Analysis of Variance, while Multiple Linear Regression and Structural Equation Modeling were used to evaluate relationships between social support, institutional satisfaction, and anxiety levels.

RESULTS

The average institutional satisfaction score for elderly people in elderly caring SOs was 48.14 ± 6.75. Specifically, the satisfaction score for environmental quality and the satisfaction score for service quality were 16.63 ± 2.56 and 31.52 ± 4.76, respectively. In terms of socio-demographic variables, the presence of visits from relatives, personal annual average income, and self-rated health status all have significant effects on anxiety. Elders who receive visits from relatives have lower levels of anxiety compared to those who do not. Personal annual average income and self-rated health status are negatively correlated with anxiety levels. Social support had significant positive effect on institutional satisfaction, while institutional satisfaction had significant negative effect on anxiety. Institutional satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between social support and anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research demonstrates that improving the quality of organizational services in elderly caring SOs and increasing institutional satisfaction among the elders has significant potential for reducing anxiety levels among the elderly. Additionally, the social support by visits from family members cannot be overlooked. We encourage increasing the frequency of family visits through various means to enhance the support provided to elderly individuals.

Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Anxiety Among University Students in the United Kingdom: Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

The rapid surge in social media platforms has significant implications for users' mental health, particularly anxiety. In the case of social media, the impact on mental well-being has been highlighted by multiple stakeholders as a cause for concern. However, there has been limited research into how the association between social media and anxiety arises, specifically among university students-the generation that has seen the introduction and evolution of social media, and currently lives through the medium. Extant systematic literature reviews within this area of research have not yet focused on university students or anxiety, rather predominantly investigating adolescents or generalized mental health symptoms and disorders. Furthermore, there is little to no qualitative data exploring the association between social media and anxiety among university students.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic literature review of the existing literature and a qualitative study that aims to develop foundational knowledge around the association of social media and anxiety among university students and enhance extant knowledge and theory.

METHODS

A total of 29 semistructured interviews were conducted, comprising 19 male students (65.5%) and 10 female students (34.5%) with a mean age of 21.5 years. All students were undergraduates from 6 universities across the United Kingdom, with most students studying in London (89.7%). Participants were enrolled through a homogenous purposive sampling technique via social media channels, word of mouth, and university faculties. Recruitment was suspended at the point of data saturation. Participants were eligible for the study if they were university students in the United Kingdom and users of social media.

RESULTS

Thematic analysis resulted in 8 second-order themes: 3 mediating factors that decrease anxiety levels and 5 factors that increase anxiety levels. Social media decreased anxiety through positive experiences, social connectivity, and escapism. Social media increased anxiety through stress, comparison, fear of missing out, negative experiences, and procrastination.

CONCLUSIONS

This qualitative study sheds critical light on how university students perceive how social media affects their anxiety levels. Students revealed that social media did impact their anxiety levels and considered it an important factor in their mental health. Thus, it is essential to educate stakeholders, including students, university counselors, and health care professionals, about the potential impact of social media on students' anxiety levels. Since anxiety is a multifactorial condition, pinpointing the main stressors in a person's life, such as social media use, may help manage these patients more effectively. The current research highlights that there are also many benefits to social media, and uncovering these may help in producing more holistic management plans for anxiety, reflective of the students' social media usage.

Heavy social media use and psychological distress among adolescents: the moderating role of sex, age, and parental support

Background

Despite increasing evidence that social media use is associated with adolescents' mental well-being, little is known about the role of various factors in modifying the effect of this association during adolescence. This study examined the association between social media use and psychological distress among adolescents and explored whether sex, age, and parental support moderate this association.

Methods

Data came from a representative sample of middle and high school students in Ontario, Canada. Cross-sectional analyses included 6,822 students derived from the 2019 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey.

Results

Our results showed that 48% of adolescents used social media for 3 h or more per day, and 43.7% had moderate to severe psychological distress, with a higher prevalence among females (54%) than males (31%). After adjustment for relevant covariates, heavy social media use (≥3 h/day) was associated with increased odds of severe psychological distress [odds ratio (OR): 2.01; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.59-2.55]. The association of social media use with psychological distress was modified by age (p < 0.05) but not sex or parental support. The association was stronger among younger adolescents.

Conclusion

Heavy social media use is associated with higher levels of psychological distress, with younger adolescents being the most vulnerable. Longitudinal studies are recommended for future research to examine in more depth the role of sex, age, and parental support in the association between social media use and psychological distress to better determine the strength and of the association.