Young adults who use social media frequently are at higher risk for depression, a recent study finds.
The risk was especially higher in younger women who had a high school education or less, according to research published in April in Depression and Anxiety.
Researchers surveyed more than 1,700 young adults ages 19 to 32 and evaluated their likelihood of depression based on a series of questions from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. Participants then reported an estimate of how much time per day they spent on social media outside of using it for work, and how much they use 11 social media platforms, such as Facebook, if at all.
In a sample that was 50.3 percent female, participants spent an average of 61 minutes a day using social media. About 26 percent of participants had high indicators for depression and about 29 percent had medium indicators, while nearly 45 percent had none.
But the participants who spent the most time on social media had the highest risk of depression, particularly younger women with less education.
“Given the increasing prevalence of social media and the substantial morbidity and mortality associated with depression worldwide, the positive association we found between social media use and depression has important implications for future research and intervention,” study authors wrote.
Social media use may lead to depression and result in an increased use, which could lead to Internet addiction or the belief that peers are more successful, among other effects, researchers said.
Public health practitioners could use social media as a tool to screen for depression and send messages that educate young adults about the symptoms of depression and their link to social media use, the study said.
“Because social media has become an integrated component of human interaction, it is important for clinicians interacting with young adults to recognize the important balance to be struck in encouraging potential positive use but redirecting from problematic use,” researchers wrote.
For more information, visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/da.22466/abstract;jsessionid=2B8E9BC581A2F5BC363F8D51D378DCA1.f03t02.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
