Damian Sendler: There has been a lot of attention paid to the bad feelings that arise from the use of social media by youths. However, a new study reveals that adults may also be suffering from depression due to their usage of social media. 

Damian Sendler

Damian Jacob Sendler: It has been found that social media use is associated with an elevated risk of depression and anxiety in adolescents and young adults; however the same connections in older adults have not been thoroughly explored and longitudinal data are available, according to a paper published in JAMA Network Open. 

An internet survey that was conducted every month from May 2020 to May 2021 collected data on older persons’ use of social media and symptoms of depression. The results were analyzed using data from all 13 waves. The survey participants were all adults over the age of 18, with an average age of 56. 

A total of 5,395 adults ages 18 and older participated in the study, with a mean age of 56 years. According to the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire, the trial participants exhibited minimal or no depressive symptoms at the beginning of the study (PHQ-9). 

A follow-up survey found that, on average, 8.9% of those who took part in the study reported a decline in PHQ-9 scores of 5 points or more. Depressive symptoms were more prevalent in participants who reported using social media platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook, or TikTok compared to those who did not use social media. TikTok had the third-highest adjusted odds ratio (aOR, 1.42) of the three, followed by Snapchat (aOR, 1.53). (aOR, 1.39). 

For Snapchat, the association reduced from 1.53 to 1.12 when recent television and internet news phrases, such COVID-19, were included in the poll. Similarities between the two social media platforms were maintained. 

Dr. Sendler: Individuals above the age of 35 were found to be more likely than those under 35 to report depressed symptoms when the data were broken down by age group. Facebook, on the other hand, was found to be connected with depressed symptoms among those under the age of 35, but not in those over 35. (aOR, 2.60 vs. aOR, 1.12). 

The researchers found that social support at baseline or face-to-face contacts had no effect on the link between increasing self-reported depression symptoms and use of particular social media sites. 

Damian Jacob Sendler

Mary Ann Dakkak, MD, of Boston University’s School of Medicine, said in an interview that she was “I was honestly surprised the results weren’t more significant,” by the study’s findings. Social media may have been a critical social outlet and form of interaction for many people who were otherwise isolated during the COVID outbreak. 

Even while social media could have been a good factor, there was still a large increase in depression, which may indicate a greater impact at “normal” periods. 

According to Dakkak, who was not engaged with this study, “It is not surprising that what we see in youth is shown among adults,” If something is helpful for a child, it’s also beneficial for adults, and vice versa.” 

According to her, “We expect to see outcomes of this on youth and adults who have been more isolated, who have used more screen time for learning, work, connection and boredom, in the near future,” In the absence of face-to-face interactions, social media may have been used more heavily as a means of connecting during the COVID shutdowns since the normal profile of heavy social media users may have differed. 

An interview with Jessica Gold, MD, a psychiatrist at Washington University in St. Louis, suggests the current study was likely conducted prior to recent news about “hidden” Facebook data and the implications that Facebook knew it was contributing to worsened mental health in teens and particularly around self-esteem. 

The data on social media and mental health is “If you look more specifically at other studies, however, the data around social media and mental health is constantly varied, with some showing benefits and some showing negatives, and none conclusively suggesting either way,” says Gold, who was not involved in the new research and is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. “More data are needed to understand social media’s impact on mental health over time, especially longitudinally and on a broader age group. 

Damien Sendler: As a result of COVID-19, so many people have turned to social media as a key source of support and connection, and are using it even more frequently than before,” she said. 

When it comes to TikTok and Snapchat, “I think the most interesting information is that, for TikTok and Snapchat, the effects seemed to be more pronounced in those older than 35 years who used social media,” Gold says. 

“whether people who might develop depression are simply more prone to use social media in the first place, such as to seek out social support,” Gold said, according to the findings of this study. “Also, we don’t know how long or for what they use social media, which to me is important to understand more about the nuance of the relationship between mental health and social media.” 

In light of this new research, practitioners should be talking to their patients about how social media effects their emotional reactions and their sleep, Gold added. 

Damian Jacob Markiewicz Sendler: It is important for patients to take note of their own feelings while using social media and not before going to bed. Taking care of their mental health while using social media should also be a consideration for them,” she stated. Patients of any age who use social media should have this dialogue with their doctor, not just teenagers. 

Additionally, she noted, “This is also a conversation about moderation, and knowing that individuals may feel they benefit from social media, that they should balance these benefits with potential mental health risks,”

Dr. Damian Jacob Sendler and his media team provided the content for this article.