scholarly journals Analyzing COVID-2019 Impact on Mental Health Through Social Media Forum

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 3737-3748
Author(s):  
Huma ◽  
Muhammad Khalid Sohail ◽  
Nadeem Akhtar ◽  
Dost Muhammad ◽  
Humaira Afzal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Forum

scholarly journals Analyzing Trends of Loneliness Through Large-Scale Analysis of Social Media Postings: Observational Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keren Mazuz ◽  
Elad Yom-Tov
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Large Scale Analysis ◽  
Interclass Correlation ◽  
Media Forum

BACKGROUND Loneliness has become a public health problem described as an epidemic, and it has been argued that digital behavior such as social media posting affects loneliness. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to expand knowledge of the determinants of loneliness by investigating online postings in a social media forum devoted to loneliness. Specifically, this study aims to analyze the temporal trends in loneliness and their associations with topics of interest, especially with those related to mental health determinants. METHODS We collected a total of 19,668 postings from 11,054 users in the loneliness forum on Reddit. We asked seven crowdsourced workers to imagine themselves as writing 1 of 236 randomly chosen posts and to answer the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale. After showing that these postings could provide an assessment of loneliness, we built a predictive model for loneliness scores based on the posts’ text and applied it to all collected postings. We then analyzed trends in loneliness postings over time and their correlations with other topics of interest related to mental health determinants. RESULTS We found that crowdsourced workers can estimate loneliness (interclass correlation=0.19) and that predictive models are correlated with reported loneliness scores (Pearson <i>r</i>=0.38). Our results show that increases in loneliness are strongly associated with postings to a suicidality-related forum (hazard ratio 1.19) and to forums associated with other detrimental behaviors such as depression and illicit drug use. Clustering demonstrates that people who are lonely come from diverse demographics and from a variety of interests. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that it is possible for unrelated individuals to assess people’s social media postings for loneliness. Moreover, our findings show the multidimensional nature of online loneliness and its correlated behaviors. Our study shows the advantages of studying a hard-to-reach population through social media and suggests new directions for future studies.

scholarly journals Analyzing Trends of Loneliness Through Large-Scale Analysis of Social Media Postings: Observational Study

10.2196/17188 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. e17188
Author(s):  
Keren Mazuz ◽  
Elad Yom-Tov
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Large Scale Analysis ◽  
Interclass Correlation ◽  
Media Forum

Background Loneliness has become a public health problem described as an epidemic, and it has been argued that digital behavior such as social media posting affects loneliness. Objective The aim of this study is to expand knowledge of the determinants of loneliness by investigating online postings in a social media forum devoted to loneliness. Specifically, this study aims to analyze the temporal trends in loneliness and their associations with topics of interest, especially with those related to mental health determinants. Methods We collected a total of 19,668 postings from 11,054 users in the loneliness forum on Reddit. We asked seven crowdsourced workers to imagine themselves as writing 1 of 236 randomly chosen posts and to answer the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale. After showing that these postings could provide an assessment of loneliness, we built a predictive model for loneliness scores based on the posts’ text and applied it to all collected postings. We then analyzed trends in loneliness postings over time and their correlations with other topics of interest related to mental health determinants. Results We found that crowdsourced workers can estimate loneliness (interclass correlation=0.19) and that predictive models are correlated with reported loneliness scores (Pearson r=0.38). Our results show that increases in loneliness are strongly associated with postings to a suicidality-related forum (hazard ratio 1.19) and to forums associated with other detrimental behaviors such as depression and illicit drug use. Clustering demonstrates that people who are lonely come from diverse demographics and from a variety of interests. Conclusions The results demonstrate that it is possible for unrelated individuals to assess people’s social media postings for loneliness. Moreover, our findings show the multidimensional nature of online loneliness and its correlated behaviors. Our study shows the advantages of studying a hard-to-reach population through social media and suggests new directions for future studies.

The Psychology behind Users Mental Health in Social Media

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 309-316
Author(s):  
D. Sridhar ◽  
◽  
◽  
V. Kathiresan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media

Social Media Use in College-age Youth: A Comprehensive Review and a Call to Action

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-143
Author(s):  
Hilary Holmes ◽  
Alba E. Lara ◽  
Gregory S. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Health Awareness ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Call To Action ◽  
College Age ◽  
Mental Health Awareness ◽  
Privacy Breaches

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 Relationship Between Highly Visual Social Media and Young People’s Mental Health: A Scoping Review (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alanna McCrory
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young People ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Published Evidence ◽  
The Impact

UNSTRUCTURED Users of highly visual social media (HVSM), such as Snapchat and Instagram, share their messages through images, rather than relying on words. A significant proportion of people that use these platforms are adolescents. Previous research reveals mixed evidence regarding the impact of online social technologies on this age group’s mental wellbeing, but it is uncertain whether the psychological effects of visual content alone differ from text-driven social media. This scoping review maps existing literature that has published evidence about highly visual social media, specifically its psychological impact on young people. Nine electronic databases and grey literature from 2010 until March 2019 were reviewed for articles describing any aspect of visual social media, young people and their mental health. The screening process retrieved 239 articles. With the application of eligibility criteria, this figure was reduced to 25 articles for analysis. Results indicate a paucity of data that exclusively examines HVSM. The predominance of literature relies on quantitative methods to achieve its objectives. Many findings are inconsistent and lack the richness that qualitative data may provide to explore the reasons for theses mixed findings.

Comparing Representation of Depression on Reddit and Twitter Social Media Platforms (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan Kaji ◽  
Maggie Bushman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Relative Frequency ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Twitter Users

BACKGROUND Adolescents with depression often turn to social media to express their feelings, for support, and for educational purposes. Little is known about how Reddit, a forum-based platform, compares to Twitter, a newsfeed platform, when it comes to content surrounding depression. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to identify differences between Reddit and Twitter concerning how depression is discussed and represented online. METHODS A content analysis of Reddit posts and Twitter posts, using r/depression and #depression, identified signs of depression using the DSM-IV criteria. Other youth-related topics, including School, Family, and Social Activity, and the presence of medical or promotional content were also coded for. Relative frequency of each code was then compared between platforms as well as the average DSM-IV score for each platform. RESULTS A total of 102 posts were included in this study, with 53 Reddit posts and 49 Twitter posts. Findings suggest that Reddit has more content with signs of depression with 92% than Twitter with 24%. 28.3% of Reddit posts included medical content compared to Twitter with 18.4%. 53.1% of Twitter posts had promotional content while Reddit posts didn’t contain promotional content. CONCLUSIONS Users with depression seem more willing to discuss their mental health on the subreddit r/depression than on Twitter. Twitter users also use #depression with a wider variety of topics, not all of which actually involve a case of depression.

scholarly journals Mental Health, Information and Being Connected: Qualitative Experiences of Social Media Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Trans-National Sample

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 735
Author(s):  
Schoultz Mariyana ◽  
Leung Janni ◽  
Bonsaksen Tore ◽  
Ruffolo Mary ◽  
Thygesen Hilde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
National Study ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Information ◽  
The Uk

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict national policies regarding social distancing behavior in Europe, America and Australia, people became reliant on social media as a means for gathering information and as a tool for staying connected to family, friends and work. This is the first trans-national study exploring the qualitative experiences and challenges of using social media while in lockdown or shelter-in-place during the current pandemic. Methods: This study was part of a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, the UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. The manuscript reports on the qualitative free-text component of the study asking about the challenges of social media users during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, USA and Australia. A total of 1991 responses were included in the analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results: Three overarching themes identified were: Emotional/Mental Health, Information and Being Connected. Participants experienced that using social media during the pandemic amplified anxiety, depression, fear, panic, anger, frustration and loneliness. They felt that there was information overload and social media was full of misleading or polarized opinions which were difficult to switch off. Nonetheless, participants also thought that there was an urge for connection and learning, which was positive and stressful at the same time. Conclusion: Using social media while in a shelter-in-place or lockdown could have a negative impact on the emotional and mental health of some of the population. To support policy and practice in strengthening mental health care in the community, social media could be used to deliver practical advice on coping and stress management. Communication with the public should be strengthened by unambiguous and clear messages and clear communication pathways. We should be looking at alternative ways of staying connected.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document