Background:
Social media is a relatively new and impactful way to connect
millions of people around the world. The intersection of mental health and social media is
a poorly studied, yet important area of research. Specifically, with regard to college-aged
youth, social media can potentially offer an educational tool to enhance mental health
awareness or augment treatment when it is used for professional purposes by mental health
advocates or healthcare professionals. There is also the added risk of disinformation,
cyberbullying, and privacy breaches.
Objective:
This review aims to assess the current state of social media use and its influence
on mental health, especially in college-age youth.
Methods:
The authors of this paper utilized PubMed and Medline databases to review the
most recent experimental studies and literature reviews available on the topic of mental
health and social media.
Results:
Abstracts and relevant papers were read in full, and information from these studies
was cited accordingly.
Conclusion:
The authors conclude that although more research needs to be conducted, social
media may offer benefits for mental health awareness, education, and treatment, specifically
in populations such as college-age youth.
The present study examines the relationships among burnout, secondary traumatic stress (STS), and race-related stress among a national sample of 250 Black mental health therapists (counselors, social workers, psychologists, and marriage and family therapists). We investigated the predictive nature of the three subscales (Individual Racism, Cultural Racism, and Institutional Racism) of the Index of Race-Related Stress–Brief Version (IRRS-B) and selected demographic variables on therapists’ reports of burnout and STS assessed on the Professional Quality of Life Scale–Version 5 (ProQOL-5). All three forms of race-related stress significantly predicted both burnout and STS for Black mental health therapists. Of the demographic variables, hours worked per week significantly predicted burnout and STS. Additionally, highest degree obtained significantly predicted STS for Black mental health therapists. The utility of these findings in understanding the connections among race-related stress, burnout, and STS are discussed as well as directions for future research.
Dr. Obari Adeye Cartman is an accomplished author, and he serves as the program director for Real Men Charities, Inc. This Chicago-based organization works with men, youth, and families to promote wellness through cultural programming. Dr. Cartman is also the President of the Chicago Association of Black Psychologists, associate editor of South Side Drive Magazine, and maintains a directory of Black mental health providers. Having been raised in a family that honored African traditions, his work marries theory and practice in very intentional and critical ways.
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