Emotional overattachment to social media may contribute to worsening mental health symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, in young people undergoing treatment, according to new research from UT Southwestern Medical Center.
The study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, revealed that 40% of youth with depression and suicidal thoughts reported struggling with problematic social media use. This was defined as experiencing distress or dissatisfaction when not engaging with social media platforms.
These young people also reported higher screen time, along with increased depressive symptoms, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, which collectively reflected a decline in their overall well-being.
“There has been ongoing speculation about the potential link between excessive social media use and increased suicidal thoughts, but the precise relationship remains unclear,” said Betsy Kennard, Psy.D., lead author of the study and Distinguished Teaching Professor of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern. “Although several studies have explored social media use and mental health symptoms, few have focused on clinical populations. Our findings shed light on the prevalence of problematic social media use among children and adolescents receiving care for depression and suicidal behaviors, offering crucial insight into their intersection.”
Dr. Kennard and her team analyzed responses from a social media questionnaire completed by 489 patients, aged 8 to 20, enrolled in the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Registry. These patients, receiving care for depression, suicidal thoughts, or suicidal behaviors, were treated at 12 academic medical centers statewide, including UT Southwestern and Children’s Health. The study compared mental and physical health indicators between those with and without problematic social media use.
“The right amount of social media use isn’t the same for everyone,” Dr. Kennard noted. “What’s acceptable for one person may not be for another. However, we often see characteristics of problematic use that resemble addiction, including continued use despite the desire to stop, cravings, interference with daily activities, deceptive use, and interpersonal disruptions. Our goal is to leverage these findings, along with data from future studies, to develop better methods for early identification of problematic use.”
Researchers at UT Southwestern are also working on developing interventions to help young people reduce their reliance on social media. One such intervention could involve a family-based social media plan, where family members discuss and agree upon screen time limits and guidelines. These initiatives aim to prevent social media from negatively affecting mental health.
The study also highlights the ongoing commitment of UT Southwestern researchers to further investigate the impact of social media on adolescent mental health.
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