• Therapy-Based Interventions Recommended for Addressing Problematic Social Media Use
• Study Shows Reduced Social Media Use Linked to Decreased Melancholy, Anxiety, and Loneliness
• Therapy More Effective Than Abstinence or Limited Use for Improving Mental Health Amid Social Media Concerns

Research suggests that physicians should offer therapy to depressed patients to help them overcome ‘problematic’ social media use and enhance their mental health.

University College London investigated potential interventions for those who are preoccupied with social media.

Those who limited their social media use experienced reductions in melancholy, anxiety, and loneliness.

Researchers discovered that therapy-based interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy were more effective than even total abstinence from social media.

It follows a 2021 Swedish study that linked excessive social media use to other addictive behaviors and psychological distress.

UCL defined “problematic” social media use as “when a person’s preoccupation with social media causes them to neglect their primary responsibilities and other aspects of their lives.”

Previous research has suggested that social media use can become problematic when it interferes with a person’s daily life and contributes to poor mental health, such as depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness.

The researchers combed through more than 2,700 experimental investigations conducted worldwide between 2004 and 2022.

The researchers then assessed the effect of social media interventions on the mental health of adults.

The report, which was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, analysed 23 investigations.

39 percent of respondents found that social media interventions benefited their mental health.

In 83% of studies, therapy-based interventions enhanced mental health more than abstaining from social media (25% of studies) or limiting the use of platforms (20% of studies).

The most studied condition was depression, with 70% of studies demonstrating an improved outcome following the intervention.

The study’s primary author, Dr. Ruth Plackett of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health, stated: ‘Mental health issues are on the rise, as is the number of social media users.

“Health and care professionals should be aware that reducing time spent on social media alone is unlikely to improve mental health.”

‘Instead, adopting a more therapy-based approach and reflecting on how and why we interact with social media and managing these behaviors could help improve mental health,’ the authors write.

Dr. Patricia Schartau, the author of the study and a general practitioner, added, ‘As primary care physicians, we should proactively explore social media use and its effects on mental health in patients who present with anxiety and/or low mood to allow those patients to benefit from treatment, including some of the more effective interventions outlined in our review.’

Researchers acknowledged that ‘further experimental research’ is necessary to determine who may benefit most from social media use interventions.

However, it is anticipated that the findings will aid in the development of recommendations and guidelines for policymakers and clinicians regarding how to best manage problematic social media use.

Researchers at Iowa State University in the United States found in June of this year that young adults who limit their social media use to 30 minutes per day are less likely to have mental health issues.

They recruited 230 college students and asked half of them to reduce their social media use by 85 percent, or from approximately three hours and fifteen minutes per day to just half an hour, for two weeks.

Those who limited their use experienced significant improvements in depression, anxiety, and feelings of isolation.

Additionally, they were more likely to express excitement and confidence.