Depressive symptoms linked to social media use are higher among girls

BMJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. l73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriet Pike
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use

scholarly journals Problematic social media use and depressive symptoms among U.S. young adults: A nationally-representative study

2017 ◽  
Vol 182 ◽  
pp. 150-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel Shensa ◽  
César G. Escobar-Viera ◽  
Jaime E. Sidani ◽  
Nicholas D. Bowman ◽  
Michael P. Marshal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Problematic Social Media Use ◽  
Nationally Representative

scholarly journals Social Media, Depressive Symptoms and Well-Being in Early Adolescence. The Moderating Role of Emotional Self-Efficacy and Gender

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuela Calandri ◽  
Federica Graziano ◽  
Luca Rollé
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Moderating Role

The study of the psychological effects of social media use on adolescents’ adjustment has long been the focus of psychological research, but results are still inconclusive. In particular, there is a lack of research on the positive and negative developmental outcomes and on possible moderating variables, especially concerning early adolescence. To fill these gaps in literature, the present study longitudinally investigated the relationships between social media use, depressive symptoms, affective well-being and life satisfaction, as well as the moderating role of emotional self-efficacy and gender. The study involved 336 Italian early adolescents (mean age = 13, sd = 0.3; 48% girls) who completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire twice within a year. Main results showed that higher social media use was related to higher depressive symptoms, lower affective well-being and lower life satisfaction among girls with lower emotional self-efficacy. Conversely, high social media use was related to higher affective well-being and higher life satisfaction for girls with higher emotional self-efficacy. Results are discussed in relation to their implications for risk prevention and health promotion among early adolescents. In particular, our results suggest that promoting emotional self-efficacy can be very helpful in making the use of social media an opportunity for well-being and life satisfaction rather than a developmental risk.

scholarly journals Association Between LGB Sexual Orientation and Depression Mediated by Negative Social Media Experiences: National Survey Study of US Young Adults

10.2196/23520 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. e23520
Author(s):  
César G Escobar-Viera ◽  
Ariel Shensa ◽  
Jaime Sidani ◽  
Brian Primack ◽  
Michael P Marshal
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Potential Influence ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Unit Increase

Background Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons are disproportionately affected by depression and have high social media use rates. Negative social media experiences may modify depressive symptoms among LGB persons. We sought to assess the potential influence of negative social media experiences on the association between LGB orientation and depression. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the potential influence of negative social media experiences on the association between LGB orientation and depression. Methods We performed a web-based survey of a national sample of US young adults aged 18-30 years. We assessed the respondents’ LGB orientation, negative social media experiences, and depression using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. We used generalized structural equation modeling to assess both the direct and indirect effects (via negative social media experiences) of LGB orientation on depression while controlling for relevant demographic and personal characteristics. Results We found a conditional indirect effect (ab path) of LGB orientation on depressive symptoms via negative social media experience (a: observed coefficient 0.229; P<.001; bias-corrected bootstrapped 95% CI 0.162-0.319, and b: observed coefficient 2.158; P<.001; bias-corrected bootstrapped 95% CI 1.840-2.494). The results show that among LGB respondents, for those who reported negative social media experiences in the past year, a 1 unit increase in these experiences was associated with a 0.494 unit increase in depressive symptomatology. Conclusions Our results suggest that higher rates of depression among LGB young adults are partially explained by negative social media experiences; these results could help inform future patient/provider conversations about mental health risk and protective factors related to social media use. Reducing these experiences and increasing positive social media experiences among LGB persons may mitigate depressive symptomatology in this population.

Passive and Active Social Media Use and Depressive Symptoms Among United States Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 437-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
César G. Escobar-Viera ◽  
Ariel Shensa ◽  
Nicholas D. Bowman ◽  
Jaime E. Sidani ◽  
Jennifer Knight ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use

Emotional responses to social media experiences among adolescents: Longitudinal associations with depressive symptoms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Nesi ◽  
William A. Rothenberg ◽  
Alexandra Bettis ◽  
Maya Massing-Schaffer ◽  
Kara A. Fox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
School Based ◽  
Considerable Debate ◽  
One Year

Objective: The degree to which adolescent social media use is associated with depressive symptoms has been the source of considerable debate. Prior studies have been limited by a reliance on cross-sectional data and measures of overall “screen time.” This study examines prospective associations between adolescents’ emotional responses to social media experiences and depressive symptoms, and examines gender differences in these processes. Method: A school-based sample of 687 adolescents (48.6% girls; Mage = 14.3; 38.1% White, 29.4% Hispanic, 23.0% Black) completed measures of positive and negative emotional responses to social media experiences and depressive symptoms at two time points, one year apart. Results: Higher levels of depressive symptoms were associated with more frequent negative emotional responses to social media experiences one year later, whereas greater positive emotional responses to social media were associated with later depressive symptoms. Girls reported overall greater emotional responses to social media experiences, but gender did not moderate associations between these emotional responses and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of examining adolescents’ positive and negative emotional experiences in the context of social media use, and the ways in which these experiences intersect with depressive symptoms, so as to identify youth who may be most vulnerable to negative effects of social media use.

scholarly journals The Differential Effects of Social Media on Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation Among the Younger and Older Adult Population in Hong Kong During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Population-Based Cross-sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Yang ◽  
Benjamin H K Yip ◽  
Arthur D P Mak ◽  
Dexing Zhang ◽  
Eric K P Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Older People ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Fit Index ◽  
Social Loneliness

BACKGROUND Social media has become a ubiquitous part of daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic isolation. However, the role of social media use in depression and suicidal ideation of the general public remains unclear. Related empirical studies were limited and reported inconsistent findings. Little is known about the potential underlying mechanisms that may illustrate the relationship between social media use and depression and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE This study tested the mediation effects of social loneliness and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on the relationship between social media use and depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, as well as the moderation effect of age on the mediation models. METHODS We administered a population-based random telephone survey in May and June 2020, when infection control measures were being vigorously implemented in Hong Kong. A total of 1070 adults (658 social media users and 412 nonusers) completed the survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and multigroup SEM were conducted to test the mediation and moderation effects. RESULTS The weighted prevalence of probable depression was 11.6%; 1.6% had suicidal ideation in the past 2 weeks. Both moderated mediation models of depressive symptoms (<i>χ</i><sup>2</sup><sub>62</sub>=335.3; <i>P</i>&lt;.05; comparative fit index [CFI]=0.94; nonnormed fit index [NNFI]=0.92; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA]=0.06) and suicidal ideation (<i>χ</i><sup>2</sup><sub>34</sub>=50.8; <i>P</i>&lt;.05; CFI=0.99; NNFI=0.99; RMSEA=0.02) showed acceptable model fit. There was a significantly negative direct effect of social media use on depressive symptoms among older people (β=–.07; <i>P</i>=.04) but not among younger people (β=.04; <i>P</i>=.55). The indirect effect via PTSD symptoms was significantly positive among both younger people (β=.09; <i>P</i>=.02) and older people (β=.10; <i>P</i>=.01). The indirect effect via social loneliness was significant among older people (β=–.01; <i>P</i>=.04) but not among younger people (β=.01; <i>P</i>=.31). The direct effect of social media use on suicidal ideation was not statistically significant in either age group (<i>P</i>&gt;.05). The indirect effects via PTSD symptoms were statistically significant among younger people (β=.02; <i>P</i>=.04) and older people (β=.03; <i>P</i>=.01). Social loneliness was not a significant mediator between social media use and suicidal ideation among either age group (<i>P</i>&gt;.05). CONCLUSIONS Social media may be a “double-edged sword” for psychosocial well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its roles vary across age groups. The mediators identified in this study can be addressed by psychological interventions to prevent severe mental health problems during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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