A recent study by researchers from University College London has discovered that undergoing therapy to address issues related to excessive social media usage can lead to positive outcomes in enhancing the emotional wellness of individuals dealing with depression.
Addressing problematic social media usage improves mental health
The study, published in Medical Internet Research, established that interventions targeting social media usage could provide assistance to adults dealing with issues related to problematic social media usage that negatively impacts their psychological well-being. Excessive usage refers to instances where an individual’s excessive focus on social media leads to diversion from essential duties and the disregard of obligations in other spheres of their existence.
According to past studies excessive social media use becomes an issue when it begins to disrupt an individual’s everyday existence, resulting in adverse effects on their psychological welfare. These effects include depression, anxiousness, heightened stress, and isolation.
Researchers have created and assessed interventions aimed at tackling the problems associated with social media usage in order to enhance users’ mental well-being. These interventions encompass strategies like reducing or refraining from social media usage, in addition to therapeutic approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
A review of 23 global studies conducted between 2004 and 2022 revealed that social media interventions had a positive impact on mental well-being in 39% of cases. Notably, depression showed significant improvement in 70% of the studies after such interventions.
Therapy-based interventions effective in addressing problematic social media use
Therapy-based interventions showed the highest effectiveness, enhancing mental well-being in 83% of studies. In contrast, limited social media use led to improvement in only 20% of studies, and complete cessation of social media resulted in improvement in 25% of studies.
Dr. Ruth Plackett from UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health, the lead author, emphasized the increasing mental health concerns alongside the growing use of social media. Plackett explained that healthcare practitioners need to recognize that merely cutting down social media usage doesn’t significantly enhance mental well-being. Instead, adopting a therapeutic strategy, evaluating social media interactions, understanding their purpose, and effectively managing these behaviors could lead to better mental health outcomes.
