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Review
. 2022 Jan 11;3(1):11-25.
doi: 10.3390/epidemiologia3010002.

Social Media Use and Mental Health: A Global Analysis

Osman Ulvi  1 , Ajlina Karamehic-Muratovic  2 , Mahdi Baghbanzadeh  3 , Ateka Bashir  4 , Jacob Smith  1 , Ubydul Haque  5
Affiliations
Review

Social Media Use and Mental Health: A Global Analysis

Osman Ulvi et al. Epidemiologia (Basel). .

Abstract

Research indicates that excessive use of social media can be related to depression and anxiety. This study conducted a systematic review of social media and mental health, focusing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Based on inclusion criteria from the systematic review, a meta-analysis was conducted to explore and summarize studies from the empirical literature on the relationship between social media and mental health. Using PRISMA guidelines on PubMed and Google Scholar, a literature search from January 2010 to June 2020 was conducted to identify studies addressing the relationship between social media sites and mental health. Of the 39 studies identified, 20 were included in the meta-analysis. Results indicate that while social media can create a sense of community for the user, excessive and increased use of social media, particularly among those who are vulnerable, is correlated with depression and other mental health disorders.

Keywords: Facebook; Instagram; Twitter; mental health; social media; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA 2009 flowchart showing research of records.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot of the studies.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot of the studies. Grouped by social media platforms.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forest plot of the studies. Grouped by sample size.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Forest plot of the studies. Grouped by year of publication.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Funnel plot for publication bias.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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