ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND DEPRESSION AMONG U.S. YOUNG ADULTS
Lin LY, Sidani JE, Shensa A, Radovic A, Miller E, Colditz JB, Hoffman BL, Giles LM, Primack BA
Depression and anxiety · 386 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Cross-sectional study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- Government
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Government
- National Cancer Institute
- Government
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Government
- NCI NIH HHS
- Government
- NICHD NIH HHS
- Government
- AHRQ HHS
- Government
- NIMH NIH HHS
- Grants
- National Cancer Institute (R01-CA140150); Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K24 HD075862); National Institute of Mental Health (R25 MH054318); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (K12HS022989); National Cancer Institute (R21 CA185767)
Based on 8 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2016-01-19 · Depress Anxiety · vol. 33 · issue 4 · pp. 323–331
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Cited
- 1132 citations · more than 100% of similar papers · 182.7× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 54 works
- Access
- Free to read
- Research areas
- Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Digital Mental Health Interventions · Mental Health via Writing
- Keywords
- social media use, depression, young adults, psychological well-being, dose-response relationship
- MeSH
- humans, logistic models, depressive disorder, psychiatric status rating scales, internet, adult, united states, female, male, young adult, self report, social media, surveys and questionnaires
9 authors
From US
- Liu yi LinUniversity of Pittsburgh
- Jaime E. SidaniUniversity of Pittsburgh
- Ariel S. ShensaUniversity of Pittsburgh
- Ana RadovićUniversity of Pittsburgh; Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
- Elizabeth Penland MillerUniversity of Pittsburgh; Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
- Jason B. ColditzUniversity of Pittsburgh
Abstract
Background
Social media (SM) use is increasing among U.S. young adults, and its association with mental well-being remains unclear. This study assessed the association between SM use and depression in a nationally representative sample of young adults.
Methods
We surveyed 1,787 adults ages 19 to 32 about SM use and depression. 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.
Results
The weighted sample was 50.3% female and 57.5% White. Compared to those in the lowest quartile of total time per day spent on SM, participants in the highest quartile had significantly increased odds of depression (AOR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.14-2.42) after controlling for all covariates. Compared with those in the lowest quartile, individuals in the highest quartile of SM site visits per week and those with a higher global frequency score had significantly increased odds of depression (AOR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.86-4.04; AOR = 3.05, 95% CI = 2.03-4.59, respectively). All associations between independent variables and depression had strong, linear, dose-response trends. Results were robust to all sensitivity analyses.
Conclusions
SM use was significantly associated with increased depression. Given the proliferation of SM, identifying the mechanisms and direction of this association is critical for informing interventions that address SM use and depression.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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