Know anyone who's always sending clips on Snapchat, posting selfies on Instagram or updating every moment of their life on Facebook? Chances are they're probably depressed.
New research reveals that social media usage can predict depression in young adults. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that the more time an individual spends on social media, the more likely they are to be depressed.
The latest study involved 1,787 U.S. adults between the ages of 19 and 32. Participants were assessed for depressive symptoms and asked to complete questionnaires assessing their social media use on the 11 most popular social media platforms at the time including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Vine, Linkedin, Vine, YouTube and Google Plus.
"Participants were recruited via random digit dialing and address-based sampling. SM use was assessed by self-reported total time per day spent on SM, visits per week, and a global frequency score based on the Pew Internet Research Questionnaire. Depression was assessed using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Depression Scale Short Form. Chi-squared tests and ordered logistic regressions were performed with sample weights," researchers wrote in the study.
Study results revealed that the average time spent on social media usage was 61 minutes per day and the average number of visits was 30 times per week.
Further analysis revealed a positive correlation between social media use and depression. Researchers said the findings held true for both measures of social media use including total time spent and frequency of visits.
The findings revealed that participants who reported checking social media most frequently throughout the week were 2.7 times more likely to be depressed and those who reported spending the most time on social media throughout the day were 1.7 times more likely to be depressed compared to others who checked least frequently and spent least time on social media.
Researchers said that findings held true even after controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, relationship status, household income, educational level and household income.
Researchers said the latest findings are important because they offer insight into how social media influences mental health or vice versa.
"Because social media has become such an integrated component of human interaction, it is important for clinicians interacting with young adults to recognize the balance to be struck in encouraging potential positive use, while redirecting from problematic use," said senior author Brian A. Primack, director of University of Pittsburgh's Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health, according to a university release.
"Our hope is that continued research will allow such efforts to be refined so that they better reach those in need," added Primack. "All social media exposures are not the same. Future studies should examine whether there may be different risks for depression depending on whether the social media interactions people have tend to be more active vs. passive or whether they tend to be more confrontational vs. supportive. This would help us develop more fine-grained recommendations around social media use."
Lead author Lui yi Lin, of University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said it's important to note that the findings prove correlation but not causation.
"It may be that people who already are depressed are turning to social media to fill a void," Lin concluded.
The findings are published in the journal Depression and Anxiety.
