International Journal of Multidisciplinary Health Sciences and Research

Category: Original Article,      DOI: Recived: 12/01/2024, Accepted: 12/03/2024, Published online: 29/03/2024

Association between social media use and symptoms of depression in adolescents: A cross-sectional study

Jaya Prakash1 , Dheerendra Kumar2*

Abstract: Background: The pervasive use of social media among adolescents has raised concerns about its potential impact on mental health, particularly depression. This study aimed to investigate the association between social media use patterns and depressive symptoms among adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 320 adolescents aged 13-19 years from five randomly selected secondary schools. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire comprising demographic information, the Social Media Addiction Scale-Student Form (SMAS-SF), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship between social media use and depressive symptoms. Results: The study found that 36.9% of participants spent more than 3 hours daily on social media, with Instagram being the most popular platform (86.3% usage). A moderate positive correlation was observed between SMAS-SF and PHQ-9 scores (r = 0.42, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that SMAS-SF scores (? = 0.15, p < 0.001), female gender (? = 1.24, p = 0.005), and daily social media use exceeding 3 hours (? = 1.58, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with higher PHQ-9 scores, accounting for 25% of the variance in depressive symptoms. Conclusion: This study provides evidence of a significant association between problematic social media use and depressive symptoms among urban Indian adolescents. The findings highlight the need for increased awareness and interventions to promote healthy social media use in this population, considering cultural contexts and potential gender differences in vulnerability to depressive symptoms