Symptoms of depression are lessened by social media interventions: Study

According to a recent study by UCL researchers receiving therapy for problematic social media use can be effective in improving the mental wellbeing of people with depressionThe research published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that social media use interventions could help adults for whom social media use has become problematic or interferes with their mental healthProblematic use occurs when a persons preoccupation with social media diverts them from important duties and causes them to overlook obligations in other areas of their lifeAccording to prior research social media use can become problematic when it begins to negatively impact a persons everyday life and results in mental health problems like sadness anxiety tension and lonelinessTo address these issues and improve users mental health social media use interventions have been developed and evaluated by researchers Such techniques include abstaining from or limiting the use of social media alongside therapybased techniques such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy CBTThe researchers analysed 23 studies which featured participants from across the globe between 2004 and 2022 They found that in more than a third of studies 39 per cent social media use interventions improved mental wellbeingImprovements were particularly notable in depression low mood as 70 per cent of studies saw a significant improvement in depression following the interventionTherapybased interventions were most effective improving mental wellbeing in 83 per cent of studies compared to 20 per cent of studies finding an improvement where social media use was limited and 25 per cent where social media was given up entirelyLead author Dr Ruth Plackett UCL Institute of Epidemiology amp Health said Mental health issues are on the rise as is the number of people who use social mediaHealth and care professionals should be aware that reducing time spent on social media is unlikely to benefit mental wellbeing on its ownInstead taking a more therapybased approach and reflecting on how and why we are interacting with social media and managing those behaviours could help improve mental healthStudy author and GP Dr Patricia Schartau UCL Institute of Epidemiology amp Health added As primary care physicians we should proactively explore social media use and its effects on mental health in patients who present with anxiety andor low mood in order to give those patients the opportunity to benefit from treatment including some of the more effective interventions outlined in our reviewIn 2022 it was estimated that 459 billion people globally used at least one form of social media and the sites have dramatically changed how people communicate form relationships and perceive each otherWhile some studies report that social media can be beneficial to users and provide them with increased social support other evidence links social media with depression anxiety and other psychological problems particularly in young peopleThe researchers hope that their findings will help to develop guidance and recommendations for policymakers and clinicians on how best to manage problematic social media useHowever further research is needed in order to investigate who may benefit most from social media use interventionsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever