scholarly journals Seeking Help From Trusted Adults in Response to Peers’ Social Media Posts About Mental Health Struggles: Qualitative Interview Study Among Latinx Adolescents

10.2196/26176 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e26176
Author(s):  
Celeste Campos-Castillo ◽  
Brian Jason Thomas ◽  
Felipe Reyes ◽  
Linnea Irina Laestadius
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Experiential Knowledge ◽  
School Staff ◽  
Immigrant Parents ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Latinx Adolescents

Background Rather than confiding in adults about their mental health struggles, adolescents may use social media to disclose them to peers. Disclosure recipients are tasked with deciding whether to alert an adult and, if so, whom to alert. Few studies have examined how adolescents decide on a trusted adult to help a friend who posts on social media about his/her mental health struggles. Moreover, Latinx adolescents are underrepresented in research on social media use, which creates gaps in understanding how social media may influence their well-being. Objective This qualitative study presents findings from semistructured interviews with Latinx adolescents to investigate how they seek out trusted adults when a friend posts on social media about their mental health struggles. Specifically, we sought to determine which adult ties they activated, the resources they believed the adult could provide, and the support they expected the adult to provide. Methods We recruited participants through a nonprofit organization serving the Latinx community (primarily of Mexican origin) located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We conducted 43 semistructured interviews, each lasting 60-90 minutes, with Latinx adolescents (25 females, 18 males) aged 13-17 years. All interviews were conducted in English, at the adolescents’ request. Using a grounded theory approach, we identified the nature of the relationship between the trusted adult and either the disclosure recipient or distressed friend, and the resources and support the trusted adult is expected to provide. Results Participants nominated adults who were emotionally or physically proximate to either the disclosure recipient or distressed friend, particularly parents (of the recipient and friend) and school staff. However, some felt that not all parents and school staff were emotionally proximate. Adolescents sought trusted adults with access to two resources: experiential knowledge and authority. Some, particularly males, avoided adults with authority because of the risk of punishment and others thought their immigrant parents did not have relevant experiential knowledge to assist them. Interviewees felt that trusted adults with either resource could provide emotional and instrumental support either directly or indirectly, while those with experiential knowledge could provide informational support. Notably, interviews did not problematize the fact that the disclosure occurred on social media when deliberating about adults. Conclusions To assist a distressed friend posting on social media, Latinx adolescents look not only for trusted adults who are emotionally and physically proximate but also those who have key resources that facilitate support. Efforts should focus on connecting adolescents with trusted adults and training adults who hold positions of authority or experiential knowledge to offer both direct and indirect support. Additionally, efforts should consider how immigrant experiences shape parent-child relations and address the potential long-term consequences of oversurveillance of Latinx youth, particularly males, by school staff for their access to social support.

scholarly journals Seeking Help From Trusted Adults in Response to Peers’ Social Media Posts About Mental Health Struggles: Qualitative Interview Study Among Latinx Adolescents (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celeste Campos-Castillo ◽  
Brian Jason Thomas ◽  
Felipe Reyes ◽  
Linnea Irina Laestadius
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Experiential Knowledge ◽  
School Staff ◽  
Immigrant Parents ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Latinx Adolescents

BACKGROUND Rather than confiding in adults about their mental health struggles, adolescents may use social media to disclose them to peers. Disclosure recipients are tasked with deciding whether to alert an adult and, if so, whom to alert. Few studies have examined how adolescents decide on a trusted adult to help a friend who posts on social media about his/her mental health struggles. Moreover, Latinx adolescents are underrepresented in research on social media use, which creates gaps in understanding how social media may influence their well-being. OBJECTIVE This qualitative study presents findings from semistructured interviews with Latinx adolescents to investigate how they seek out trusted adults when a friend posts on social media about their mental health struggles. Specifically, we sought to determine which adult ties they activated, the resources they believed the adult could provide, and the support they expected the adult to provide. METHODS We recruited participants through a nonprofit organization serving the Latinx community (primarily of Mexican origin) located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We conducted 43 semistructured interviews, each lasting 60-90 minutes, with Latinx adolescents (25 females, 18 males) aged 13-17 years. All interviews were conducted in English, at the adolescents’ request. Using a grounded theory approach, we identified the nature of the relationship between the trusted adult and either the disclosure recipient or distressed friend, and the resources and support the trusted adult is expected to provide. RESULTS Participants nominated adults who were emotionally or physically proximate to either the disclosure recipient or distressed friend, particularly parents (of the recipient and friend) and school staff. However, some felt that not all parents and school staff were emotionally proximate. Adolescents sought trusted adults with access to two resources: experiential knowledge and authority. Some, particularly males, avoided adults with authority because of the risk of punishment and others thought their immigrant parents did not have relevant experiential knowledge to assist them. Interviewees felt that trusted adults with either resource could provide emotional and instrumental support either directly or indirectly, while those with experiential knowledge could provide informational support. Notably, interviews did not problematize the fact that the disclosure occurred on social media when deliberating about adults. CONCLUSIONS To assist a distressed friend posting on social media, Latinx adolescents look not only for trusted adults who are emotionally and physically proximate but also those who have key resources that facilitate support. Efforts should focus on connecting adolescents with trusted adults and training adults who hold positions of authority or experiential knowledge to offer both direct and indirect support. Additionally, efforts should consider how immigrant experiences shape parent-child relations and address the potential long-term consequences of oversurveillance of Latinx youth, particularly males, by school staff for their access to social support.

scholarly journals Remote care for mental health: qualitative study with service users, carers and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e049210
Author(s):  
Elisa Liberati ◽  
Natalie Richards ◽  
Jennie Parker ◽  
Janet Willars ◽  
David Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Comparison Method ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Remote Care

ObjectivesTo explore the experiences of service users, carers and staff seeking or providing secondary mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignQualitative interview study, codesigned with mental health service users and carers.MethodsWe conducted semistructured, telephone or online interviews with a purposively constructed sample; a lived experience researcher conducted and analysed interviews with service users. Analysis was based on the constant comparison method.SettingNational Health Service (NHS) secondary mental health services in England between June and August 2020.ParticipantsOf 65 participants, 20 had either accessed or needed to access English secondary mental healthcare during the pandemic; 10 were carers of people with mental health difficulties; 35 were members of staff working in NHS secondary mental health services during the pandemic.ResultsExperiences of remote care were mixed. Some service users valued the convenience of remote methods in the context of maintaining contact with familiar clinicians. Most participants commented that a lack of non-verbal cues and the loss of a therapeutic ‘safe space’ challenged therapeutic relationship building, assessments and identification of deteriorating mental well-being. Some carers felt excluded from remote meetings and concerned that assessments were incomplete without their input. Like service users, remote methods posed challenges for clinicians who reported uncertainty about technical options and a lack of training. All groups expressed concern about intersectionality exacerbating inequalities and the exclusion of some service user groups if alternatives to remote care are lost.ConclusionsThough remote mental healthcare is likely to become increasingly widespread in secondary mental health services, our findings highlight the continued importance of a tailored, personal approach to decision making in this area. Further research should focus on which types of consultations best suit face-to-face interaction, and for whom and why, and which can be provided remotely and by which medium.

scholarly journals Social media and mental health: Reviewing effects on eudaimonic well-being

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Meier ◽  
Leonard Reinecke
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Self Actualization ◽  
Resilience Factors ◽  
Omission Bias ◽  
Health And Well Being

Do social media affect users’ mental health and well-being? By now, considerable research has addressed this highly contested question. Prior studies have investigated the effects of social media use on hedonic well-being (e.g., affect and life satisfaction), psychopathology (e.g., depressive or anxiety symptoms), or psychosocial risk/resilience factors (e.g., loneliness, stress, self-esteem). Yet, public concern over social media effects often centers on more long-term negative outcomes, which may be better captured by indicators of eudaimonic well-being. Indeed, neglecting the eudaimonic side of well-being may have introduced outcome omission bias, since eudaimonia is both conceptually and empirically distinct from other dimensions of mental health and may be uniquely affected by social media use. Specifically, psychology currently theorizes eudaimonic well-being to be best represented by the experiences of (a) meaningfulness, (b) authenticity, and (c) self-actualization. A research synthesis of how social media use relates to these core indicators of eudaimonia is currently missing, however. We thus present a first narrative review that synthesizes both theoretical and empirical links between three key social media uses (i.e., active, passive, and “screen time”) and eudaimonic well-being. The synthesis shows that while there are indeed several plausible theoretical links, the evidence is too scarce and inconsistent to allow definitive conclusions at this time. We instead give recommendations for how the field can close important gaps by investigating whether social media afford or constrain opportunities to find meaning, live authentically, and grow as a person.

scholarly journals Social Media Activities, Emotion Regulation Strategies, and Their Interactions on People’s Mental Health in COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 8931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Yang ◽  
Keqiao Liu ◽  
Siqi Li ◽  
Man Shu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Regulation Strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the general population’s life worldwide. People may spend more time on social media because of policies like “work at home”. Using a cross-sectional dataset collected through an online survey in February 2020, in China, we examined (1) the relationships between social media activities and people’s mental health status and (2) the moderation effect of emotional-regulation strategies. The sample included people aged ≥18 years from 32 provinces and regions in China (N = 3159). The inferential analyses included a set of multiple linear regressions with interactions. Our results showed that sharing timely, accurate, and positive COVID-19 information, reducing excessive discussions on COVID-19, and promoting caring online interactions rather than being judgmental, might positively associate with the general public’s psychological well-being. Additionally, the relationships between social media activities and psychological well-being varied at different emotion-regulation strategy levels. Adopting the cognitive reappraisal strategy might allay the adverse relationships between certain social media activities and mental health indicators. Our findings expanded the theory of how social media activities can be associated with a human being’s mental health and how it can interact with emotion-regulation strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Association of Social Media Use With Social Well-Being, Positive Mental Health, and Self-Rated Health: Disentangling Routine Use From Emotional Connection to Use

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 69S-80S ◽  
Author(s):  
Mesfin A. Bekalu ◽  
Rachel F. McCloud ◽  
K. Viswanath
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Dose Effect ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Emotional Connection ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Health Related

Most studies addressing social media use as a normal social behavior with positive or negative effects on health-related outcomes have conceptualized and measured social media use and its effects in terms of dose–effect relations. These studies focus on measuring frequency and duration of use, and have seldom considered users’ emotional connections to social media use and the effects associated with such connections. By using a scale with two dimensions capturing users’ integration of social media use into their social routines and their emotional connection to the sites’ use, the present study has brought preliminary evidence that may help map where social media use, as a normal social behavior, may be considered beneficial or harmful. Data from a nationally representative sample ( n = 1,027) of American adults showed that while routine use is associated with positive health outcomes, emotional connection to social media use is associated with negative health outcomes. These associations have been consistent across three health-related outcomes: social well-being, positive mental health, and self-rated health. The data also showed that the strength of the positive and negative associations of routine use and emotional connection with the health outcomes varies across socioeconomic and racial/ethnic population subgroups. Our findings suggest that the link between social media use and health may not only be captured by and explained in terms of conventional dose–effect approaches but may also require a more sophisticated conceptualization and measurement of the social media use behavior.

scholarly journals How do Norwegian adolescents experience the role of social media in relation to mental health and well-being: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland ◽  
Viktor Schønning ◽  
Randi Træland Hella ◽  
Marius Veseth ◽  
Jens Christoffer Skogen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background During the last decade, social media has permeated most parts of society. Adolescents are particularly active users of social media, and their use has been suggested as a contributing factor to mental health issues in this group. Quantitative studies have found associations between the frequency and/or duration of social media use and more mental health issues. However, most studies are cross-sectional and the identified associations are weak and of questionable practical significance. The aim of this study was to investigate adolescents’ lived experiences of using social media, focusing on both negative and positive aspects, using a qualitative approach. Qualitative research enables in-depth explorations of the experiences of individuals, nuance quantitative findings, and offer the perspective of adolescents into policies regarding social media use. Methods Experiences and perspectives of 27 adolescents from two senior high schools in Norway were gathered using focus group interviews (mean age 16.8, range 15–18). The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results According to the participants, social media use catalyse changes to how people communicate and relate to each other (theme 1). Some changes were positive, in terms of facilitating social connectedness, while others were negative, such as people behaving worse than in face-to-face interactions. Further, social media use affected the participants at the individual level (theme 2); positively in terms of a sense of belonging and social support, and negatively in terms of perceived stress, body pressure, and displacing other activities such as sleep and homework. The motivations for using, or not using, social media were multifaceted (theme 3), reflecting the positive and negative aspects of social media in terms of interpersonal and personal consequences. Conclusion Social media was described as an important part of the participants’ everyday life, with both a positive and negative impact on their mental health and well-being. Considering the compelling nature of social media and adolescents’ relatively limited self-regulatory capacities, efforts to modify social media use should avoid relying on self-regulation, while also recognizing the importance of social media as an arena for peer interaction.

scholarly journals Adolescent Social Media User Types and their Mental Health and Well-being: results from a longitudinal survey of 13–14-year-olds in the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizzy Winstone ◽  
Becky Mars ◽  
CMA Haworth ◽  
Jon Heron ◽  
Judi Kidger
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Health And Well Being

Background There is mixed evidence as to the effects of different types of social media use on mental health, but previous research has been platform-specific and has focused on an oversimplified distinction between active and passive use. This study aimed to identify different underlying subgroups of adolescent social media user based on their pattern of social media activities and test associations between user type and future mental health. Methods Students from nineteen schools (N=2,456) in south-west England completed an online survey measuring thirteen social media activities and four psychosocial outcomes (past year self-harm, depression, anxiety and poor well-being) at age 13 years (October 2019) and repeated a year later (October 2020; aged 14 years). Latent class analysis using Mplus identified distinct classes of social media user. A bias-adjusted three-step model was used to test associations between class membership at baseline and mental health at follow-up. Analyses were adjusted for gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, disability, social media screen-time and baseline mental health.Results A four-class model of social media user at baseline was selected based on fit statistics and interpretability. User types were labelled High Communicators; Moderate Communicators; Broadcasters; and Minimal users. Broadcasters at age 13 had the poorest mental health outcomes at age 14, with mental health and well-being generally better in the two Communicator groups. Conclusions Findings suggest that adolescents with high levels of content sharing – in addition to socialising and browsing online – are most likely to be experiencing poor mental health a year later. Recommendations regarding social media use should move beyond screen-time to consider different user types, and mental health implications of their engagement with different online activities.

scholarly journals Social Media and Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Carboni Jiménez ◽  
Monica Vaillancourt ◽  
Patricia Zhu ◽  
Quinta Seon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Longitudinal Studies ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Methodological Challenges ◽  
Short Span ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Buffering Effects

There are seemingly opposing findings on social media’s effect on mental well-being. Some studies report no detrimental effects, others no association and others even positive or buffering effects. However, social media has rapidly evolved in a short span of time and so has people’s use of the platforms. Collecting an accurate measure of social media use and other methodological challenges particularly affect data in this area. In this commentary, we discuss two longitudinal studies to elaborate these contracting findings on social media and mental health.

scholarly journals WOMEN’S RECEPTION ON SOCIAL SUPPORT IN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT @gethappy.id

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Sari Monik Agustin ◽  
Agatha Josephine
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Female Group ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Physical Health Problems

Previous research also shows that social media has positive and negative roles related to interpersonal relationships and mental health. The social media used significantly increases social capital and mental well-being, which benefits people with low self-esteem and life satisfaction. Some psychotherapists even use an Instagram platform as their therapeutic medium. This preliminary study frameworks are Stuart Hall’s reception theory, the concept elaborations of social support and online social support, as well as a discussion of the character of social media, Instagram. This paper is based on a qualitative research with data from interviews with 3 female informants on 20-29 years old and gethappy.id account followers. This research succeeded in identifying 2 receptions that emerged from the female group of Instagram account followers gethappy.id. The dominant reader comes from informants who have severe physical health problems and mental health problems related to these physical health problems. Meanwhile, negotiating reader arise from informants who do not have personal physical and mental health problems, but who have a social environment with physical and mental health problems. Another important finding is that the main social support remains family and friends. Social media support is needed when the two main social supports are not present.

scholarly journals Seeking Mental Health Support Among College Students in Video-Based Social Media: Content and Statistical Analysis of YouTube Videos

10.2196/31944 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. e31944
Author(s):  
Bogeum Choi ◽  
Heejun Kim ◽  
Jina Huh-Yoo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Experiential Knowledge ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Youtube Videos ◽  
Over Time

Background Mental health is a highly stigmatized disease, especially for young people. Due to its free, accessible format, college students increasingly use video-based social media for many aspects of information needs, including how-to tips, career, or health-related needs. The accessibility of video-based social media brings potential in supporting stigmatized contexts, such as college students’ mental health. Understanding which kinds of videos about college students’ mental health have increased viewer engagement will help build a foundation for exploring this potential. Little research has been done to identify video types systematically, how they have changed over time, and their associations on viewer engagement both short term and long term. Objective This study aims to identify strategies for using video-based social media to combat stigmatized diseases, such as mental health, among college students. We identify who, with what perspective, purpose, and content, makes up the videos available on social media (ie, YouTube) about college students’ mental health and how these factors associate with viewer engagement. We then identify effective strategies for designing video-based social media content for supporting college students’ mental health. Methods We performed inductive content analysis to identify different types of YouTube videos concerning college students’ mental health (N=452) according to video attributes, including poster, perspective, and purpose. Time analysis showed how video types have changed over time. Fisher’s exact test was used to examine the relationships between video attributes. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the association between video types and viewer engagement. Lastly, we investigated the difference in viewer engagement across time between two major types of videos (ie, individuals’ storytelling and organization’s informational videos). Results Time trend analysis showed a notable increase in the number of (1) videos by individuals, (2) videos that represent students’ perspectives, and (3) videos that share stories and experiential knowledge over the recent years. Fisher’s exact test found all video attributes (ie, poster, perspective, and purpose) are significantly correlated with each other. In addition, the Mann-Whitney U test found that poster (individual vs organization) and purpose (storytelling vs sharing information) type has a significant association with viewer engagement (P<.001). Lastly, individuals’ storytelling videos had a greater engagement in the short term and the long term. Conclusions The study shows that YouTube videos on college students’ mental health can be well differentiated by the types of posters and the purpose of the videos. Taken together, the videos where individuals share their personal stories, as well as experiential knowledge (ie, tips and advice), engaged more viewers in both the short term and long term. Individuals’ videos on YouTube showed the potential to support college students' mental health in unique ways, such as providing social support, validating experience, and sharing the positive experience of help-seeking.

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