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Research papers on Social media and adolescent mental health

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  2. Prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Nader Salari, Amin Hosseinian‐Far, Rostam Jalali, et al. · 2020 · Globalization and Health · 3,678 citations

    Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on public mental health. Therefore, monitoring and oversight of the population mental health during crises such as a panedmic is an immediate priority. The aim of this study is to analyze the existing research works and findings in relation to the prevalence of stress, anxiety and depression in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method In this systematic review and meta-analysis, articles that have focused on stress and anxiety prevalence among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic were searched in the Science Direct, Embase, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science (ISI) and Google Scholar databases

  5. Delivering Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Young Adults With Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety Using a Fully Automated Conversational Agent (Woebot): A Randomized Controlled Trial

    Kathleen Kara Fitzpatrick, Alison Darcy, Molly Vierhile · 2017 · JMIR Mental Health · 2,609 citations

    Background Web-based cognitive-behavioral therapeutic (CBT) apps have demonstrated efficacy but are characterized by poor adherence. Conversational agents may offer a convenient, engaging way of getting support at any time. Objective The objective of the study was to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a fully automated conversational agent to deliver a self-help program for college students who self-identify as having symptoms of anxiety and depression. Methods In an unblinded trial, 70 individuals age 18-28 years were recruited online from a university community social media site and were randomized to receive either 2 weeks (up to 20 sessions) of self-hel

  6. Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: a review of reviews

    Stuart Biddle, Mavis Asare · 2011 · British Journal of Sports Medicine · 2,415 citations

    OBJECTIVE: To synthesise reviews investigating physical activity and depression, anxiety, self-esteem and cognitive functioning in children and adolescents and to assess the association between sedentary behaviour and mental health by performing a brief review. METHODS: Searches were performed in 2010. Inclusion criteria specified review articles reporting chronic physical activity and at least one mental health outcome that included depression, anxiety/stress, self-esteem and cognitive functioning in children or adolescents. RESULTS: Four review articles reported evidence concerning depression, four for anxiety, three for self-esteem and seven for cognitive functioning. Nine primary studies

  7. A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents

    Betul Keles, Niall McCrae, Annmarie Grealish · 2019 · International Journal of Adolescence and Youth · 1,786 citations

    While becoming inextricable to our daily lives, online social media are blamed for increasing mental health problems in younger people. This systematic review synthesized evidence on the influence of social media use on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents. A search of PsycINFO, Medline, Embase, CINAHL and SSCI databases reaped 13 eligible studies, of which 12 were cross-sectional. Findings were classified into four domains of social media: time spent, activity, investment and addiction. All domains correlated with depression, anxiety and psychological distress. However, there are considerable caveats due to methodological limitations of cross-sectional design, sampl

  9. The future of mental health care: peer-to-peer support and social media

    John A. Naslund, Kelly A. Aschbrenner, Lisa A. Marsch, et al. · 2016 · Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences · 1,186 citations

    AIMS: People with serious mental illness are increasingly turning to popular social media, including Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, to share their illness experiences or seek advice from others with similar health conditions. This emerging form of unsolicited communication among self-forming online communities of patients and individuals with diverse health concerns is referred to as peer-to-peer support. We offer a perspective on how online peer-to-peer connections among people with serious mental illness could advance efforts to promote mental and physical wellbeing in this group. METHODS: In this commentary, we take the perspective that when an individual with serious mental illness decide

  10. The growing field of digital psychiatry: current evidence and the future of apps, social media, chatbots, and virtual reality

    John Torous, Sandra Bucci, Imogen Bell, et al. · 2021 · World Psychiatry · 1,133 citations

    As the COVID-19 pandemic has largely increased the utilization of telehealth, mobile mental health technologies - such as smartphone apps, vir-tual reality, chatbots, and social media - have also gained attention. These digital health technologies offer the potential of accessible and scalable interventions that can augment traditional care. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive update on the overall field of digital psychiatry, covering three areas. First, we outline the relevance of recent technological advances to mental health research and care, by detailing how smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence and virtual reality present new opportunities for "digital phenotyping"

  13. Problematic Social Media Use in Adolescents and Young Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

    Holly Shannon, Katie Bush, Paul J. Villeneuve, et al. · 2022 · JMIR Mental Health · 496 citations

    BACKGROUND: Technology is ever evolving, with more and more diverse activities becoming possible on screen-based devices. However, participating in a heavy screen-based lifestyle may come at a cost. Our hypothesis was that problematic social media use increased the prevalence of mental health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to systematically examine problematic social media use in youth and its association with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted to identify studies in adolescents and young adults, using the databases Engineering Village, Psycinfo, Pubmed, and Web of Science. A total of 18 studies were identified, with a total of 9269

  15. There is no evidence that time spent on social media is correlated with adolescent mental health problems: Findings from a meta-analysis.

    Christopher J. Ferguson, Linda K. Kaye, Dawn Branley-Bell, et al. · 2024 · Professional Psychology: Research and Practice · 45 citations

    The issue of whethersocial media use does or does not in fl uence youth internalizingmental health disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression) remains a pressing concern for policymakers, parents, and psychologists. Widespread claims suggest potentially harmful effects of social media use on youth. This was investigated in a meta-analysis of 46 studies of youth social media use and mental health. Results indicated that the current pool of research is unable to support claims of harmful effects for social media use on youth internalizing disorders. Some types of methodological weaknesses, such as evident demand characteristics and lack of preregistration, remain common in this area. It is recommende

  16. Impact of Social Media Use on Mental Health within Adolescent and Student Populations during COVID-19 Pandemic: Review

    Marija Draženović, T. Vukušić Rukavina, L. Machala Poplašen · 2023 · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 43 citations

    The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed our lives. By increased screen time during the pandemic, social media (SM) could have significantly impacted adolescents’ and students’ mental health (MH). This literature review aims to synthesize the research on the impact of SM usage on MH of adolescents and students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A review of the published literature was conducted in April 2021, through a search of PubMed and Web of Science Core Collection databases. The search yielded 1136 records, with 13 articles selected for this review. Most of the included studies observed the negative impact of SM use on MH of adolescents and students, most noticeably o

  17. The Impact of Social Media & Technology on Child and Adolescent Mental Health

    Tariq Masri-zada, Suren Martirosyan, Alexander Abdou, et al. · 2025 · Journal of psychiatry and psychiatric disorders · 23 citations

    The prevalence of mental health disorders among youth and adolescents has been rising at an alarming rate over the past few decades, with conditions such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperreactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder becoming increasingly common. One contributing factor that has received growing attention is the role of social media and technology in shaping adolescent brain development, behavior, and emotional well-being. While digital platforms provide opportunities for social connection, self-expression, and mental health support, they also introduce significant risks, including compulsive social media use, cyberbullying, unreali

  18. Internet Use, Depression, and Anxiety in a Healthy Adolescent Population: Prospective Cohort Study

    Robyn Pauline Thom, David S Bickham, Michael Rich · 2018 · JMIR Mental Health · 21 citations

    Background Psychiatric disorders, including conduct disturbances, substance abuse, and affective disorders, emerge in approximately 20% of adolescents. In parallel with the rise in internet use, the prevalence of depression among adolescents has increased. It remains unclear whether and how internet use impacts mental health in adolescents. Objective We assess the association between patterns of internet use and two mental health outcomes (depression and anxiety) in a healthy adolescent population. Methods

  19. Social Media Activities With Different Content Characteristics and Adolescent Mental Health: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

    Chia-chen Yang, Paul Hunhoff, Yen Lee, et al. · 2025 · Journal of Medical Internet Research · 11 citations

    Background Adolescent mental health concerns are rising in the United States, with social media often cited as a contributing factor, although research findings remain mixed. A key limitation is the simplistic view of social media use, which fails to consistently predict well-being. Scholars call for a more nuanced framework and a better understanding of how social media use influences adolescent mental health through various psychosocial mechanisms. Objective Using the Multidimensional Model of Social Media Use, we explored how 4 activities with various content characteristics (intimate directed communication, intimate broadcasting, positive broadcasting, and positive content consumption) a

  20. Reexploring Problematic Social Media Use and Its Relationship with Adolescent Mental Health. Findings from the “LifeOnSoMe”-Study

    T. R. Finserås, G. J. Hjetland, Borge Sivertsen, et al. · 2023 · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · 11 citations

    Purpose Previous approaches used to assess problematic social media use risk inflating prevalence numbers and classifying unproblematic social media use as problematic. The main aim of this study was to take an exploratory view as to how different types of activities, experiences, and motivations on social media are associated with problematic mental health outcomes in adolescents. Patients and Methods This study is based on a cross-sectional survey of 2023 adolescents (mean age 17.4 years (SD 0.9), 44.4% males) from the year 2020. Exploratory graph analysis and exploratory factor analysis were performed on 28 pre-selected items assessing adolescents’ use of social media, to identify underly

  24. The Impact of Social Media Use on Mental Health Among Adolescents

    Arshad Hussain, F. Luqman, Hashmat Ali, et al. · 2025 · Social Science Review Archives · 3 citations

    The use of social media in adolescent life was evaluated for the potential impact it might have on mental health through aspects such as depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. Because many youths around the world engage actively in using social media, their psychological impacts have to be analyzed thoroughly. A cross-sectional survey design was used, in which 165 adolescents between 18 and 25 years of age were involved. The adopted questionnaire helped in assessing usage patterns of social media and mental health status, mainly discussing depression, anxiety, and self-esteem among adolescents. The results showed that heavy use of social media (over three hours a day) was significantly associ

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