scholarly journals Social Media Use and Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Nesi ◽  
Taylor A. Burke ◽  
Alexandra Bettis ◽  
Anastacia Kudinova ◽  
Elizabeth C. Thompson ◽  
...  

Despite considerable public and scholarly debate about the role of social media in self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs), no comprehensive, quantitative synthesis of this literature has previously been undertaken. The current systematic review and meta-analysis examines associations between social media use and SITBs, including suicidal ideation, suicide plans, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). A range of social media behaviors and experiences were identified, including cybervictimization and perpetration, exposure to and generation of SITB-related content, problematic or addictive use, sexting, social media importance, and frequency of use. A systematic search of PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, and the references of prior reviews yielded 61 eligible studies. Results largely suggested medium effect sizes for associations between the social media constructs and SITBs examined. The majority of studies identified focused on cybervictimization, and results suggested stronger positive associations between cybervictimization and suicidal ideation and attempts for adolescents compared to adults. No evidence emerged for associations between frequency of social media use and SITBs; however, studies on this topic were limited. Overall, findings highlight the utility of examining specific social media behaviors and experiences, and point to the need for more research in this area.

2021 ◽  
pp. 102038
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Nesi ◽  
Taylor A. Burke ◽  
Alexandra H. Bettis ◽  
Anastacia Y. Kudinova ◽  
Elizabeth C. Thompson ◽  
...  

10.2196/14940 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. e14940
Author(s):  
Xingyun Liu ◽  
Jiasheng Huang ◽  
Nancy Xiaonan Yu ◽  
Qing Li ◽  
Tingshao Zhu

Background A limited number of studies have examined the differences in suicide-related social media use behaviors between suicide ideators and suicide attempters or have sought to elucidate how these social media usage behaviors contributed to the transition from suicidal ideation to suicide attempt. Objective Suicide attempts can be acquired through suicide-related social media use behaviors. This study aimed to propose 3 suicide-related social media use behaviors (ie, attending to suicide information, commenting on or reposting suicide information, or talking about suicide) based on social cognitive theory, which proposes that successive processes governing behavior transition include attentional, retention, production, and motivational processes. Methods We aimed to examine the mediating role of suicide-related social media use behaviors in Chinese social media users with suicidal risks. A sample of 569 Chinese social media users with suicidal ideation completed measures on suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and suicide-related social media use behaviors. Results The results demonstrated that suicide attempters showed a significantly higher level of suicidal ideation (t563.64=5.04; P<.001; two-tailed) and more suicide-related social media use behaviors, which included attending to suicide information (t567=1.94; P=.05; two-tailed), commenting on or reposting suicide information (t567=2.12; P=.03; two-tailed), or talking about suicide (t542.22=5.12; P<.001; two-tailed). Suicidal ideation also affected suicide attempts through the mediational chains. Conclusions Our findings thus support the social cognitive theory, and there are implications for population-based suicide prevention that can be achieved by identifying behavioral signals.


The Lancet ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 398 ◽  
pp. S93
Author(s):  
Amrit Kaur Purba ◽  
Paul M Henery ◽  
Rachel M Thomson ◽  
Anna Pearce ◽  
Marion Henderson ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-23
Author(s):  
Mina Vesal ◽  
◽  
Changiz Rahimi ◽  

Background and Aim: Concerns are increasingly raised about the impact of social media use on depression in adolescents. This article aimed to summarize and synthesize quantitative studies addressing the association between social media and depression in adolescents. Methods & Materials: This systematic review and meta-analysis included studies on the impact of the internet and social media use on depression in adolescents using Persian and English databases. In total, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Ethical Considerations: All ethical principles are considered in this article. Results: The obtained data revealed a slight (0.18) statistically significant correlation (P<0.000) between social media use and depression in adolescents. However, this relationship was complex and associated with multiple psychosocial, behavioral, and individual factors, necessitating further investigation of mediating and moderating variables. Notably, most explored studies were cross-sectional; thus, they failed to infer the causal relationship between social media use and depression. In Iran, research has only investigated internet dependence. Further research is required in this area. Conclusion: Overall, the mechanism of the impact of social media on depression should be further investigated through qualitative and longitudinal studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. e100247
Author(s):  
Matt Pelton ◽  
Matt Ciarletta ◽  
Holly Wisnousky ◽  
Nicholas Lazzara ◽  
Monica Manglani ◽  
...  

BackgroundPeople living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) must contend with a significant burden of disease. However, current studies of this demographic have yielded wide variations in the incidence of suicidality (defined as suicidal ideation, suicide attempt and suicide deaths).AimsThis systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the lifetime incidence and prevalence of suicidality in PLWHA.MethodsPublications were identified from PubMed (MEDLINE), SCOPUS, OVID (MEDLINE), Joanna Briggs Institute EBP and Cochrane Library databases (from inception to before 1 February 2020). The search strategy included a combination of Medical Subject Headings associated with suicide and HIV. Researchers independently screened records, extracted outcome measures and assessed study quality. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were conducted to explore the associated risk factors and to identify the sources of heterogeneity. Main outcomes were lifetime incidence of suicide completion and lifetime incidence and prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt.ResultsA total of 185 199 PLWHA were identified from 40 studies (12 cohorts, 27 cross-sectional and 1 nested case-control). The overall incidence of suicide completion in PLWHA was 10.2/1000 persons (95%CI: 4.5 to 23.1), translating to 100-fold higher suicide deaths than the global general population rate of 0.11/1000 persons. The lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts was 158.3/1000 persons (95%CI: 106.9 to 228.2) and of suicidal ideation was 228.3/1000 persons (95%CI: 150.8 to 330.1). Meta-regression revealed that for every 10-percentage point increase in the proportion of people living with HIV with advanced disease (AIDS), the risk of suicide completion increased by 34 per 1000 persons. The quality of evidence by Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations for the suicide deaths was graded as ‘moderate’ quality.ConclusionsThe risk of suicide death is 100-fold higher in people living with HIV than in the general population. Lifetime incidence of suicidal ideation and attempts are substantially high. Suicide risk assessments should be a priority in PLWHA, especially for those with more advanced disease.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
César G Escobar-Viera ◽  
Darren L Whitfield ◽  
Charles B Wessel ◽  
Ariel Shensa ◽  
Jaime E Sidani ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Over 90% of adults in the United States have at least one social media account, and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons are more socially active on social media than heterosexuals. Rates of depression among LGB persons are between 1.5- and 2-fold higher than those among their heterosexual counterparts. Social media allows users to connect, interact, and express ideas, emotions, feelings, and thoughts. Thus, social media use might represent both a protective and a risk factor for depression among LGB persons. Studying the nature of the relationship between social media use and depression among LGB individuals is a necessary step to inform public health interventions for this population. OBJECTIVE The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize and critique the evidence on social media use and depression among LGB populations. METHODS We conducted a literature search for quantitative and qualitative studies published between January 2003 and June 2017 using 3 electronic databases. Articles were included if they were peer-reviewed, were in English, assessed social media use either quantitatively or qualitatively, measured depression, and focused on LGB populations. A minimum of two authors independently extracted data from each study using an a priori developed abstraction form. We assessed appropriate reporting of studies using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology and the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research for quantitative and qualitative studies, respectively. RESULTS We included 11 articles in the review; 9 studies were quantitative and cross-sectional and 2 were qualitative. Appropriate reporting of results varied greatly. Across quantitative studies, we found heterogeneity in how social media use was defined and measured. Cyberbullying was the most studied social media experience and was associated with depression and suicidality. Qualitative studies found that while social media provides a space to disclose minority experiences and share ways to cope and get support, constant surveillance of one’s social media profile can become a stressor, potentially leading to depression. In most studies, sexual minority participants were identified inconsistently. CONCLUSIONS This review supports the need for research on the role of social media use on depression outcomes among LBG persons. Using social media may be both a protective and a risk factor for depression among LGB individuals. Support gained via social media may buffer the impact of geographic isolation and loneliness. Negative experiences such as cyberbullying and other patterns of use may be associated with depression. Future research would benefit from more consistent definitions of both social media use and study populations. Moreover, use of larger samples and accounting for patterns of use and individuals’ experiences on social media may help better understand the factors that impact LGB mental health disparities.


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