social media and mental health dissertation

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The Impact of Social Media on the Mental Health of Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review

Abderrahman m khalaf.

1 Psychiatry Department, Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, SAU

Abdullah A Alubied

Ahmed m khalaf.

2 College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, SAU

Abdallah A Rifaey

3 College of Medicine, Almaarefa University, Riyadh, SAU

Adolescents increasingly find it difficult to picture their lives without social media. Practitioners need to be able to assess risk, and social media may be a new component to consider. Although there is limited empirical evidence to support the claim, the perception of the link between social media and mental health is heavily influenced by teenage and professional perspectives. Privacy concerns, cyberbullying, and bad effects on schooling and mental health are all risks associated with this population's usage of social media. However, ethical social media use can expand opportunities for connection and conversation, as well as boost self-esteem, promote health, and gain access to critical medical information. Despite mounting evidence of social media's negative effects on adolescent mental health, there is still a scarcity of empirical research on how teens comprehend social media, particularly as a body of wisdom, or how they might employ wider modern media discourses to express themselves. Youth use cell phones and other forms of media in large numbers, resulting in chronic sleep loss, which has a negative influence on cognitive ability, school performance, and socio-emotional functioning. According to data from several cross-sectional, longitudinal, and empirical research, smartphone and social media use among teenagers relates to an increase in mental distress, self-harming behaviors, and suicidality. Clinicians can work with young people and their families to reduce the hazards of social media and smartphone usage by using open, nonjudgmental, and developmentally appropriate tactics, including education and practical problem-solving.

Introduction and background

Humans are naturally social species that depend on the companionship of others to thrive in life. Thus, while being socially linked with others helps alleviate stress, worry, and melancholy, a lack of social connection can pose major threats to one's mental health [ 1 ]. Over the past 10 years, the rapid emergence of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others has led to some significant changes in how people connect and communicate (Table 1 ). Over one billion people are currently active users of Facebook, the largest social networking website, and it is anticipated that this number will grow significantly over time, especially in developing countries. Facebook is used for both personal and professional interaction, and its deployment has had a number of positive effects on connectivity, idea sharing, and online learning [ 2 ]. Furthermore, the number of social media users globally in 2019 was 3.484 billion, a 9% increase year on year [ 3 ].

Mental health is represented as a state of well-being in which individuals recognize their potential, successfully navigate daily challenges, perform effectively at work, and make a substantial difference in the lives of others [ 4 ]. There is currently debate over the benefits and drawbacks of social media on mental health [ 5 ]. Social networking is an important part of safeguarding our mental health. Mental health, health behavior, physical health, and mortality risk are all affected by the quantity and quality of social contacts [ 5 ].

Social media use and mental health may be related, and the displaced behavior theory could assist in clarifying why. The displaced behavior hypothesis is a psychology theory that suggests people have limited self-control and, when confronted with a challenging or stressful situation, may engage in behaviors that bring instant gratification but are not in accordance with their long-term objectives [ 6 ]. In addition, when people are unable to deal with stress in a healthy way, they may act out in ways that temporarily make them feel better but ultimately harm their long-term goals and wellness [ 7 , 8 ]. In the 1990s, social psychologist Roy Baumeister initially suggested the displaced behavior theory [ 9 ]. Baumeister suggested that self-control is a limited resource that can be drained over time and that when self-control resources are low, people are more likely to engage in impulsive or self-destructive conduct [ 9 ]. This can lead to a cycle of bad behaviors and outcomes, as individuals may engage in behaviors that bring short respite but eventually add to their stress and difficulties [ 9 ]. According to the hypothetical terms, those who participate in sedentary behaviors, including social media, engage in fewer opportunities for in-person social interaction, both of which have been demonstrated to be protective against mental illnesses [ 10 ]. Social theories, on the other hand, discovered that social media use influences mental health by affecting how people interpret, maintain, and interact with their social network [ 4 ].

Numerous studies on social media's effects have been conducted, and it has been proposed that prolonged use of social media sites like Facebook may be linked to negative manifestations and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress [ 11 ]. A distinct and important time in a person's life is adolescence. Additionally, risk factors such as family issues, bullying, and social isolation are readily available at this period, and it is crucial to preserve social and emotional growth. The growth of digital technology has affected numerous areas of adolescent lives. Nowadays, teenagers' use of social media is one of their most apparent characteristics. Being socially connected with other people is a typical phenomenon, whether at home, school, or a social gathering, and adolescents are constantly in touch with their classmates via social media accounts. Adolescents are drawn to social networking sites because they allow them to publish pictures, images, and videos on their platforms. It also allows teens to establish friends, discuss ideas, discover new interests, and try out new kinds of self-expression. Users of these platforms can freely like and comment on posts as well as share them without any restrictions. Teenagers now frequently post insulting remarks on social media platforms. Adolescents frequently engage in trolling for amusement without recognizing the potentially harmful consequences. Trolling on these platforms focuses on body shaming, individual abilities, language, and lifestyle, among other things. The effects that result from trolling might cause anxiety, depressive symptoms, stress, feelings of isolation, and suicidal thoughts. The authors explain the influence of social media on teenage well-being through a review of existing literature and provide intervention and preventative measures at the individual, family, and community levels [ 12 ].

Although there is a "generally correlated" link between teen social media use and depression, certain outcomes have been inconsistent (such as the association between time spent on social media and mental health issues), and the data quality is frequently poor [ 13 ]. Browsing social media could increase your risk of self-harm, loneliness, and empathy loss, according to a number of research studies. Other studies either concluded that there is no harm or that some people, such as those who are socially isolated or marginalized, may benefit from using social media [ 10 ]. Because of the rapid expansion of the technological landscape in recent years, social media has become increasingly important in the lives of young people. Social networking has created both enormous new challenges and interesting new opportunities. Research is beginning to indicate how specific social media interactions may impair young people's mental health [ 14 ]. Teenagers could communicate with one another on social media platforms, as well as produce, like, and share content. In most cases, these individuals are categorized as active users. On the other hand, teens can also use social media in a passive manner by "lurking" and focusing entirely on the content that is posted by others. The difference between active and passive social media usage is sometimes criticized as a false dichotomy because it does not necessarily reveal whether a certain activity is goal-oriented or indicative of procrastination [ 15 ]. However, the text provides no justification for why this distinction is wrong [ 16 ]. For instance, one definition of procrastination is engaging in conversation with other people to put off working on a task that is more important. The goal of seeing the information created by other people, as opposed to participating with those same individuals, may be to keep up with the lives of friends. One of the most important distinctions that can be made between the various sorts is whether the usage is social. When it comes to understanding and evaluating all these different applications of digital technology, there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. Combining all digital acts into a single predictor of pleasure would, from both a philosophical and an empirical one, invariably results in a reduction in accuracy [ 17 ].

Methodology

This systematic review was carried out and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and standard practices in the field. The purpose of this study was to identify studies on the influence of technology, primarily social media, on the psychosocial functioning, health, and well-being of adolescents and young adults.

The MEDLINE bibliographical database, PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and Scopus were searched between 1 January 2000 and 30 May 2023. Social media AND mental health AND adolescents AND young adults were included in the search strategy (impact or relation or effect or influence).

Two researchers (AK and AR) separately conducted a literature search utilizing the search method and evaluated the inclusion eligibility of the discovered papers based on their titles and abstracts. Then, the full texts of possibly admissible publications were retrieved and evaluated for inclusion. Disagreements among the researchers were resolved by debate and consensus.

The researchers included studies that examined the impact of technology, primarily social media, on the psychosocial functioning, health, and well-being of adolescents and young adults. We only considered English publications, reviews, longitudinal surveys, and cross-sectional studies. We excluded studies that were not written in English, were not comparative, were case reports, did not report the results of interest, or did not list the authors' names. We also found additional articles by looking at the reference lists of the retrieved articles.

Using a uniform form, the two researchers (AK and AA) extracted the data individually and independently. The extracted data include the author, publication year, study design, sample size and age range, outcome measures, and the most important findings or conclusions.

A narrative synthesis of the findings was used to analyze the data, which required summarizing and presenting the results of the included research in a logical and intelligible manner. Each study's key findings or conclusions were summarized in a table.

Study Selection

A thorough search of electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, was done from 1 January 2000 to 20 May 2023. Initial research revealed 326 potentially relevant studies. After deleting duplicates and screening titles and abstracts, the eligibility of 34 full-text publications was evaluated. A total of 23 papers were removed for a variety of reasons, including non-comparative studies, case reports, and studies that did not report results of interest (Figure ​ (Figure1 1 ).

PRISMA: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

This systematic review identified 11 studies that examined the connection between social media use and depression symptoms in children and adolescents. The research demonstrated a modest but statistically significant association between social media use and depression symptoms. However, this relationship's causality is unclear, and additional study is required to construct explanatory models and hypotheses for inferential studies [ 18 ].

Additional research studied the effects of technology on the psychosocial functioning, health, and well-being of adolescents and young adults. Higher levels of social media usage were connected with worse mental health outcomes [ 19 ], and higher levels of social media use were associated with an increased risk of internalizing and externalizing difficulties among adolescents, especially females [ 20 ]. The use of social media was also connected with body image problems and disordered eating, especially among young women [ 21 ], and social media may be a risk factor for alcohol consumption and associated consequences among adolescents and young adults [ 22 ].

It was discovered that cyberbullying victimization is connected with poorer mental health outcomes in teenagers, including an increased risk of sadness and anxiety [ 23 ]. The use of social media was also connected with more depressive symptoms and excessive reassurance-seeking, but also with greater popularity and perceived social support [ 24 ], as well as appearance comparisons and body image worries, especially among young women [ 25 ]. Children and adolescents' bedtime media device use was substantially related to inadequate sleep quantity, poor sleep quality, and excessive daytime drowsiness [ 26 ].

Online friends can be a significant source of social support, but in-person social support appears to provide greater protection against persecution [ 27 ]. Digital and social media use offers both benefits and risks to the health of children and adolescents, and an individualized family media use plan can help strike a balance between screen time/online time and other activities, set boundaries for accessing content, promote digital literacy, and support open family communication and consistent media use rules (Tables ​ (Tables2, 2 , ​ ,3) 3 ) [ 28 ].

Does Social Media Have a Positive or Negative Impact on Adolescents and Young Adults?

Adults frequently blame the media for the problems that younger generations face, conceptually bundling different behaviors and patterns of use under a single term when it comes to using media to increase acceptance or a feeling of community [ 29 , 30 ]. The effects of social media on mental health are complex, as different goals are served by different behaviors and different outcomes are produced by distinct patterns of use [ 31 ]. The numerous ways that people use digital technology are often disregarded by policymakers and the general public, as they are seen as "generic activities" that do not have any specific impact [ 32 ]. Given this, it is crucial to acknowledge the complex nature of the effects that digital technology has on adolescents' mental health [ 19 ]. This empirical uncertainty is made worse by the fact that there are not many documented metrics of how technology is used. Self-reports are the most commonly used method for measuring technology use, but they can be prone to inaccuracy. This is because self-reports are based on people's own perceptions of their behavior, and these perceptions can be inaccurate [ 33 ]. At best, there is simply a weak correlation between self-reported smartphone usage patterns and levels that have been objectively verified [ 34 , 35 ].

When all different kinds of technological use are lumped together into a single behavioral category, not only does the measurement of that category contribute to a loss of precision, but the category also contributes to a loss of precision. To obtain precision, we need to investigate the repercussions of a wide variety of applications, ideally guided by the findings of scientific research [ 36 ]. The findings of this research have frequently been difficult to interpret, with many of them suggesting that using social media may have a somewhat negative but significantly damaging impact on one's mental health [ 36 ]. There is a growing corpus of research that is attempting to provide a more in-depth understanding of the elements that influence the development of mental health, social interaction, and emotional growth in adolescents [ 20 ].

It is challenging to provide a succinct explanation of the effects that social media has on young people because it makes use of a range of different digital approaches [ 37 , 38 ]. To utilize and respond to social media in either an adaptive or maladaptive manner, it is crucial to first have a solid understanding of personal qualities that some children may be more likely to exhibit than others [ 39 ]. In addition to this, the specific behaviors or experiences on social media that put teenagers in danger need to be recognized.

When a previous study particularly questioned teenagers in the United States, the authors found that 31% of them believe the consequences are predominantly good, 45% believe they are neither positive nor harmful, and 24% believe they are unfavorable [ 21 ]. Teens who considered social media beneficial reported that they were able to interact with friends, learn new things, and meet individuals who shared similar interests because of it. Social media is said to enhance the possibility of (i) bullying, (ii) ignoring face-to-face contact, and (iii) obtaining incorrect beliefs about the lives of other people, according to those who believe the ramifications are serious [ 21 ]. In addition, there is the possibility of avoiding depression and suicide by recognizing the warning signs and making use of the information [ 40 ]. A common topic that comes up in this area of research is the connection that should be made between traditional risks and those that can be encountered online. The concept that the digital age and its effects are too sophisticated, rapidly shifting, or nuanced for us to fully comprehend or properly shepherd young people through is being questioned, which challenges the traditional narrative that is sent to parents [ 41 ]. The last thing that needs to be looked at is potential mediators of the link between social factors and teenage depression and suicidality (for example, gender, age, and the participation of parents) [ 22 ].

The Dangers That Come With Young Adults Utilizing Social Media

The experiences that adolescents have with their peers have a substantial impact on the onset and maintenance of psychopathology in those teenagers. Peer relationships in the world of social media can be more frequent, intense, and rapid than in real life [ 42 ]. Previous research [ 22 ] has identified a few distinct types of peer interactions that can take place online as potential risk factors for mental health. Being the target of cyberbullying, also known as cyber victimization, has been shown to relate to greater rates of self-inflicted damage, suicidal ideation, and a variety of other internalizing and externalizing issues [ 43 ]. Additionally, young people may be put in danger by the peer pressure that can be found on social networking platforms [ 44 ]. This can take the form of being rejected by peers, engaging in online fights, or being involved in drama or conflict [ 45 ]. Peer influence processes may also be amplified among teenagers who spend time online, where they have access to a wider diversity of their peers as well as content that could be damaging to them [ 46 ]. If young people are exposed to information on social media that depicts risky behavior, their likelihood of engaging in such behavior themselves (such as drinking or using other drugs) may increase [ 22 ]. It may be simple to gain access to online materials that deal with self-harm and suicide, which may result in an increase in the risk of self-harm among adolescents who are already at risk [ 22 ]. A recent study found that 14.8% of young people who were admitted to mental hospitals because they posed a risk to others or themselves had viewed internet sites that encouraged suicide in the two weeks leading up to their admission [ 24 ]. The research was conducted on young people who were referred to mental hospitals because they constituted a risk to others or themselves [ 24 ]. They prefer to publish pictures of themselves on social networking sites, which results in a steady flow of messages and pictures that are often and painstakingly modified to present people in a favorable light [ 24 ]. This influences certain young individuals, leading them to begin making unfavorable comparisons between themselves and others, whether about their achievements, their abilities, or their appearance [ 47 , 48 ].

There is a correlation between higher levels of social networking in comparison and depressed symptoms in adolescents, according to studies [ 25 ]. When determining how the use of technology impacts the mental health of adolescents, it is essential to consider the issue of displacement. This refers to the question of what other important activities are being replaced by time spent on social media [ 49 ]. It is a well-established fact that the circadian rhythms of children and adolescents have a substantial bearing on both their physical and mental development.

However, past studies have shown a consistent connection between using a mobile device before bed and poorer sleep quality results [ 50 ]. These results include shorter sleep lengths, decreased sleep quality, and daytime tiredness [ 50 ]. Notably, 36% of adolescents claim they wake up at least once over the course of the night to check their electronic devices, and 40% of adolescents say they use a mobile device within five minutes of going to bed [ 25 ]. Because of this, the impact of social media on the quality of sleep continues to be a substantial risk factor for subsequent mental health disorders in young people, making it an essential topic for the continuation of research in this area [ 44 ].

Most studies that have been conducted to investigate the link between using social media and experiencing depression symptoms have concentrated on how frequently and problematically people use social media [ 4 ]. Most of the research that was taken into consideration for this study found a positive and reciprocal link between the use of social media and feelings of depression and, on occasion, suicidal ideation [ 51 , 52 ]. Additionally, it is unknown to what extent the vulnerability of teenagers and the characteristics of substance use affect this connection [ 52 ]. It is also unknown whether other aspects of the environment, such as differences in cultural norms or the advice and support provided by parents, have any bearing on this connection [ 25 ]. Even if it is probable that moderate use relates to improved self-regulation, it is not apparent whether this is the result of intermediate users having naturally greater self-regulation [ 25 ].

Gains From Social Media

Even though most of the debate on young people and new media has centered on potential issues, the unique features of the social media ecosystem have made it feasible to support adolescent mental health in more ways than ever before [ 39 ]. Among other benefits, using social media may present opportunities for humor and entertainment, identity formation, and creative expression [ 53 ]. More mobile devices than ever before are in the hands of teenagers, and they are using social media at never-before-seen levels [ 27 ]. This may not come as a surprise given how strongly young people are drawn to digital devices and the affordances they offer, as well as their heightened craving for novelty, social acceptance, and affinity [ 27 ]. Teenagers are interacting with digital technology for longer periods of time, so it is critical to comprehend the effects of this usage and use new technologies to promote teens' mental health and well-being rather than hurt it [ 53 ]. Considering the ongoing public discussion, we should instead emphasize that digital technology is neither good nor bad in and of itself [ 27 ].

One of the most well-known benefits of social media is social connection; 81% of students say it boosts their sense of connectedness to others. Connecting with friends and family is usually cited by teenagers as the main benefit of social media, and prior research typically supports the notion that doing so improves people's well-being. Social media can be used to increase acceptance or a feeling of community by providing adolescents with opportunities to connect with others who share their interests, beliefs, and experiences [ 29 ]. Digital media has the potential to improve adolescent mental health in a variety of ways, including cutting-edge applications in medical screening, treatment, and prevention [ 28 ]. In terms of screening, past research has suggested that perusing social media pages for signs of melancholy or drug abuse may be viable. More advanced machine-learning approaches have been created to identify mental disease signs on social media, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidality. Self-report measures are used in most studies currently conducted on adolescent media intake. It is impossible to draw firm conclusions on whether media use precedes and predicts negative effects on mental health because research has only been conducted once. Adults frequently blame the media for the problems that younger generations face [ 30 ]. Because they are cyclical, media panics should not just be attributed to the novel and the unknown. Teenagers' time management, worldview, and social interactions have quickly and dramatically changed as a result of technology. Social media offers a previously unheard-of opportunity to spread awareness of mental health difficulties, and social media-based health promotion programs have been tested for a range of cognitive and behavioral health conditions. Thanks to social media's instant accessibility, extensive possibilities, and ability to reach remote areas, young people with mental health issues have exciting therapy options [ 54 ]. Preliminary data indicate that youth-focused mental health mobile applications are acceptable, but further research is needed to assess their usefulness and effectiveness. Youth now face new opportunities and problems as a result of the growing significance of digital media in their life. An expanding corpus of research suggests that teenagers' use of social media may have an impact on their mental health. But more research is needed [ 18 ] considering how swiftly the digital media landscape is changing.

Conclusions

In the digital era, people efficiently employ technology; it does not "happen" to them. Studies show that the average kid will not be harmed by using digital technology, but that does not mean there are no situations where it could. In this study, we discovered a connection between social media use and adolescent depression. Since cross-sectional research represents the majority, longitudinal studies are required. The social and personal life of young people is heavily influenced by social media. Based on incomplete and contradictory knowledge on young people and digital technology, professional organizations provide guidance to parents, educators, and institutions. If new technologies are necessary to promote social interaction or develop digital and relational (digitally mediated) skills for growing economies, policies restricting teen access to them may be ineffective. The research on the impact of social media on mental health is still in its early stages, and more research is needed before we can make definitive recommendations for parents, educators, or institutions. Reaching young people during times of need and when assistance is required is crucial for their health. The availability of various friendships and services may improve the well-being of teenagers.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

• Open access
• Published: 20 November 2023

Social media psychology and mental health

• Jaafar Omer Ahmed   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5904-3695 1  

Middle East Current Psychiatry volume  30 , Article number:  91 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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Metrics details

Social networks have become a part of individual lives nowadays, and most of the world’s population participates and has accounts on different social networks. This is a new phenomenon specific to the twenty-first century, as a subject entirely related to the human mind in terms of psychology and psychiatry is at the beginning of research. This study aims to provide a psychological interpretation of social networking issues.

The motives for using social networks are summarized within five main motivations: affinity, human needs, self-expression, information acquisition, and personal utility. Individuals use these networks as a source to hide their true personalities and show imaginary and desirable personalities. Despite the enjoyment of networks, individuals face two major risks: revenge porn and online bullying. Online social networks have many effects and dangers on individual mental health, so excessive use causes depression, anxiety, violence, addiction, and body image distortions in individuals. Although researchers focus on the negative effects of social networks, they still have several benefits for individual health.

Introduction

Over the past decade, the media has changed dramatically, from television and radio, which transmit information in a one-way manner and from which the information disseminated by companies and producers must be received by passive viewers, to a new media called social media or interactive media, which provides unprecedented opportunities for users to act as creators and users of media [ 1 ]. Social media is a visual communication method in which topics are created, shared, and exchanged by users, allowing them to interact with each other through text messages, images, videos, and private messages, to which other users can respond and participate [ 2 ]. From a psychosocial perspective, social networks are defined as “digital spaces” that allow users to organize both their social relationships on the network (organization, appearance, and comparison) and the individual’s social identity (identification and definition) [ 1 ].

Globally, the number of Internet users has increased from 361 million in 2000 to about 3.6 billion in 2016. The most widely used network for communication and social interaction is Facebook, which had 1.71 billion monthly active users in 2016 [ 3 ]. Social network Internet sites have become an integral part of adult life. In March 2018, 68% of adults in the USA had a Facebook account, and 75% of them used Facebook daily. Furthermore, 78% of young adults (aged 18 to 24) use Snapchat, and 71% use Instagram [ 4 ]. Twitter is the second most widely used social network after Facebook, with more than 500 million users worldwide. Half of Twitter users log in and tweet daily, resulting in more than 500 million tweets per day [ 2 ].

Technology generally has good and bad consequences. The Internet is a perfect example of this idea. In addition to improving communication with the world and democratizing information, the Internet has also allowed individuals to hide behind masks of anonymity [ 5 ]. From another perspective, consumer behavior through social media can have several unintended consequences for the user [ 3 ]. In this short article on scientific principles within the framework of the use of information, statistics, and scientific research, we will discuss the psychology of social networks and their mental health consequences. So that it can become a source to change attitudes and guide individuals, educators, and academics.

Motivations for social media engagement

Questions like, why do we use online social networks? It is not a simple question and is difficult to answer directly. Psychologists Prochaska and DiClemente, authors of the stages of change, say: “People change if they are under pressure or if the change gives them an important opportunity.” The existence of opportunity is the resource that the environment “gives” to a person who can acquire it [ 1 ]. However, our attraction to online social networks cannot be explained by opportunity alone [ 1 ]. Recent research on social media suggests that users participate in social networks for the following main reasons:

First affiliation

The main motivation for using social media is the individual’s desire to socialize and connect with others; people have a great need to connect, and social relationships are necessary for our well-being. Through the affinity impulse, social networks allow participants to express their affiliation, desire, or relationship with people, products, causes, and groups [ 2 ].

Second meeting human needs

One of the motivations for posting articles on social networks is based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, which believes that participation in networks is to meet human needs, and the relations of consuming social media to these needs, according to the five main levels of the pyramid, are listed below [ 6 ]:

Physiological needs: Individuals sometimes post to benefit the health and well-being of their family and friends.

Safety requirements: Physical, mental, and economic security are essential for people when they select to post some material on their social media.

Love/belonging: Users generally post to feel socially approved by a group or by a particular person.

Esteem: People would like to quell the rewards-oriented portions of their brains, which helps explain why people post “mecentric” content frequently.

Self-actualization: As the most central aspect of the human need’s hierarchy, this aspect of social media posting exhibits when people post their successes in getting a new job, finishing a difficult project, or graduating from college, to name a few examples.

Third self-expression and identity representation

These social networks allow people to express themselves and reproduce their identities. Online networks allow individuals to share personal information, interests, beliefs, thoughts, and images with others, providing a place to express themselves on these social networks [ 2 ]. In other words, social networks are used to keep in touch with friends, make plans, get to know people better, and show off to others [ 6 ].

One of the most important motivations in a person’s life is the drive to create psychological ownership. The sense of psychological ownership, whether for tangible products (such as mobile devices or cars) or spiritual services (a sports team or social networking accounts), is easily recognized. One of the motivations for using social networks is the embodiment of this feeling that is created through activity and influence, self-identity, the presence of place, and excitement, which are available in social networks [ 3 ].

Fourth information retrieval and dissemination

Fast and cost-effective access, collection, and spreading of information through social networks are another motivation. Through it, users can learn about the lives of others and find out about their friends’ marriages, graduations, and upcoming events. One study found that 54% of communication between two friends who infrequently communicate with each other occurs through Facebook birthday reminders. This impulse is sometimes called the curiosity impulse, which is to be consciously satisfied with others by following them or viewing their activities online [ 2 ].

Fifth reward and personal utility impulse

Personal utility impulse.

People are looking for answers to the question “What's in it for me?” and looking for benefits in the form of information, incentives, pleasure, and comfort [ 2 ]. Instead, several studies indicate that the object must be capable of providing intrinsic stimulation to its users. Also defined as “the existence of the ability to experience reward without the existence of causes, it is an effective motivator; the pleasure of doing it becomes the main reward that encourages the person to repeat it” [ 1 ].

Researchers have found that “social and fluctuating incentives play an important role in media participation behavior.” Special studies have shown that the use of online social networks affects several parts of the brain. For example, increased likes on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram cause “brain activation in the reward-related pathway.” A study of the brains of adolescents while using social networks found that “seeing a photo with a lot of likes caused more activity in parts of the nerves involved in the process of motivation and social thinking” [ 6 ]. It is generally possible for an individual to have multiple motives for participating in social networking by posting, commenting, and liking at the same time.

Social media consumer behavior

Consumer behavior means interpreting the behavior of people on social networks, who they are, and how they behave [ 3 ]. In this regard, the following aspects are related to social media consumer behavior:

Personality changes

There are several unintended consequences for social network users. First, we know that the personalities people portray on Facebook are not the person’s true personality in many ways; instead, they do not reflect their true personality. Users try to reflect the personality they want to have [ 3 ]. In a study of Facebook users’ personality changes to answer the question, “How much do users change their identity and personality?”; the results show that, in general, everyone changes their identity to some extent by presenting the desired personality and their beliefs as “safe” or “appropriate.” There are three ways to demonstrate their identity [ 3 ]:

Authenticity: They show the same personality in and out of online social networks.

Facet management: Depending on aspects of their lives, users change their displayed identity on Facebook.

Impression management: Users are trying to be sure that their identity on Facebook is the way they want to be perceived.

Extroverted personalities

Personality is a set of individual traits characterized by the universality and diversity of people’s behaviors such as thoughts, feelings, and activities. Everyone has a unique personality through their thoughts and activities [ 7 ]. The Big Five personality model is the most used theory of personality. It consists of five main factors: extraversion, openness, neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness [ 7 ]. According to research, extraversion traits affect continuity on social media networks [ 1 ]. There are many positive social and economic consequences for consumers and businesses; for example, social networks help to connect with old friends, help to gain information, and give individuals a sense of human connection when they are alone [ 3 ].

Especially young people

Young people are increasingly using social networks such as Facebook and Twitter as an escape from external pressures that pose a threat to their mental health [ 5 ]. In most countries, online social networks have become an integral part of the education, culture, and social lives of young people. Data indicates that approximately 97% of adolescents use social networks [ 8 ]. Social networks allow users to share their thoughts and feelings, often without regard to their respect and values in the relationship [ 3 ]. And this is leading to many problems that are now part of individuals’ lives, such as immoral revenge [ 1 ] and online bullying [ 5 ].

Revenge porn

Due to the convergence of both the power of expression and the visual and auditory material, it has created a new online threat: posting “revenge porn” or posting nude or sexually explicit images of others with the intent to hurt them in this way [ 3 ]. This is new behavior and causes harm to users, disruption of educational plans, and sometimes suicide attempts [ 1 ]. Types of revenge porn posting behavior vary depending on the source, status, and purpose of the post. For example, if someone posts about others, we are not sure about the status of the post or the purpose of the post. Table 1 shows the types of revenge porn posting behaviors [ 3 ].

Online bullying

Traditional bullying is “a psychosocial problem of intentionally and repeatedly harming others and creating an imbalance of power between the victim and the perpetrator, with negative consequences for both parties” [ 3 ]. Traditional bullying mostly involved physical threats by a stronger person or group expressing their power over weaker people, but cyberbullying is often synonymous and generally involves an imbalance of social and psychological abilities [ 3 ]. Online bullying is defined as “Bullying over the Internet or by text message.” Chat rooms, social networks, mobile applications, and electronic games are some examples of online bullying [ 5 ]. According to surveys, the rate of bullying has increased annually, even though most parents reported that children are often bullied at school; 19.2% of children were bullied through social networks and online programs, and 7.9% of children were bullied through electronic video games [ 5 ].

Uses and gratifications theory

According to this theory, people actively strive to obtain a particular media subject for a particular desired purpose. This theory provides insight into when and how a media user becomes active or inactive and what the consequences of participation are. This theory also applies to users of social media. The theory has five main assumptions [ 1 ]:

The listener is active and purposeful in using media.

Media is used for enjoyment.

The media competes with other factors to meet needs.

People understand their uses, motivations, and preferences and even communicate with researchers about their options.

Listeners are the individuals who can judge the value of the material in the media.

Mental health consequences

There is an ongoing debate about the impact of online social networks on mental health. Studies have had mixed results, and several studies indicate that using social networks as an inactive person or using information without direct social contact hurts individual well-being [ 9 ]. In a study with adolescents, participants generally believed that social networks had a negative impact on an individual’s mental health, but the study also reported some positive effects. The authors found that social networks are generally harmful to adolescents’ mental health [ 8 ].

Depression and suicidal thoughts

A study has found that social networks are a threat to individual mental health. Participants felt poor self-confidence, depression, and suicidal thoughts were negative consequences of social networks [ 8 ]. For people under the age of 25 who are victims of online bullying, their risk of suicide attempts is doubled [ 5 ].

Accumulation of information

One of the characteristics of the news of this century is the large amount of information that consumers are exposed to. The news information published in the past 30 years is more than all the information published in the past 5000 years [ 3 ]. The research found that social networks affect the buildup of information in the following ways [ 3 ]:

•Increased amount of news information

•It is very difficult to avoid exposure to the news.

•Uncertainty about the veracity of the news

•Uncertainty about the intentionality of the news

•Presentation of irrelevant material

A study of 143 university students at the University of Pennsylvania found that the group that used social networks (Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat) for 10 min less a day than the other group had lower levels of loneliness and depression. The study concluded that “Limiting the use of social networks to 30 min a day improves an individual's sense of well-being” [ 4 ].

Anxiety and stress

Several studies have shown the negative effect of social networking on stress and anxiety [ 9 ]. One of the problems of social media is the spread of false information, known as fake news, which is a major source of anxiety [ 10 ]. Similarly, excessive use of social media platforms has hidden and invisible harms for the individual, such as decreased sleep, reduced personal happiness, lower academic performance, and undesirable psychological consequences such as anxiety and depression [ 11 ].

Spouses’ jealousy

Providing a lot of information about individuals’ social aspects, emotional relationships, and current activities on social media may cause feelings of jealousy in spouses. Research suggests that excessive use of Facebook or excessive participation in Facebook can lead to jealousy and a lack of marital satisfaction [ 1 ].

Social networking and self-comparison can make people feel inferior to others, jealous, and angry [ 9 ]. A large amount of research has been done on the effect of exposure to violent media on violent behavior, especially in online modes such as gaming sites, Facebook, and chat rooms. Researchers found that exposure to violent media causes individuals to become aggressive and engage in violent behavior [ 2 ].

Social networking addiction

There is ample evidence that excessive use of social networking sites may lead to symptoms of drug addiction, such as the importance of the behavior to the individual, mood changes, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, relapse, and problems due to addictive behavior [ 12 ]. In a study of adolescents, despite being the main users of social networks, most of them reported that social networks are somewhat addictive [ 8 ]. Since the use of social networks is related to the reward system in the human brain, which is a source of abuse such as drug use and gambling, users of social networks should be aware of this risk [ 6 ]. Facebook addiction is one example; an individual is likely to become addicted to using any other social network [ 12 ]. A study of university students in China using a private survey found that 14.8% of respondents were addicted to using social networks. Evidence suggests that the rush to use technology, which is at the heart of technology addiction, including social networking, has an impact on feelings of burnout and emotional boredom caused by social media networking [ 11 ].

Body image distortion

Several studies indicate that traditional media (television, programs, and advertising) influence women’s decisions to undergo cosmetic surgery. This effect is more pronounced on social networks, according to a study of 118 women aged 18–29 about the effect of seeing women who had undergone cosmetic surgery on their self-esteem and desire to undergo cosmetic surgery. The study found that seeing pictures of people who have had cosmetic surgery on social networks affected women’s desire to undergo cosmetic surgery [ 13 ].

As mentioned, in the past, traditional media has influenced changes in an individual’s perception of his or her body image through advertising. Social networks have several differences from traditional media in terms of their impact on body image [ 14 ]:

In social networks, the users are themselves, unlike traditional media, which was dominated by artists and advertisers.

People show their desired imaginary style on social networks. They only post their attractive photos (including beauty), removing unwanted and ugly photos.

Social networks contain pictures of many different people (such as friends, family, strangers, and celebrities), and research suggests that comparing yourself to friends has a big impact on body image.

In addition to posting photos, people often post or comment on social networks related to the person’s appearance, which affects the user’s attitude toward their body.

Research suggests that searching for positive posts by others on social networks affects an individual’s well-being and self-comparison. They compare themselves to people who are higher and lower than themselves. Therefore, the use of social networks easily encourages social comparison [ 9 ]. Social networks such as Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter contain visual and verbal posts about an imaginary body image and encouragement to build a “thin body encourager” culture [ 3 ]. Research has shown that thin advertisers negatively affect an individual’s perception of physical appearance and self-assessment of attractiveness [ 3 ].

Related studies have shown that social networking use (especially Facebook) is associated with body image distortion among young women and men [ 14 ]. Self-comparison of individual appearance also plays a role in the relationship between social networks and body image [ 14 ]. Similarly, frequent use of Instagram is associated with views of body image [ 4 ].

Psychological benefits

Although researchers are focusing on the negative effects of social networks, there are still several benefits for individual mental health. For example, they provide many opportunities for individuals to build friendships and happiness; especially, young people can easily build friendships and strong bonds because of easy access to information and the interests of their friends. They also feel more independent and develop their decision-making and critical thinking skills. Studies have also mentioned the following benefits [ 6 ]:

Social engagement with a group that shares the same interests

Encourage and motivate a positive lifestyle in terms of health and the body

Having support groups on social networks

Keep and build new relationships

Familiarity with new ways of thinking

Online social networks have a great impact on the mind and mental health of individuals; nowadays, most people have accounts on social networks and use them daily and constantly. It is important to understand this issue scientifically and know how to deal with it.

If social networks are used by adults with a sense of responsibility, it is a good opportunity to discuss, improve social relationships, and do business. Conversely, when used irresponsibly by very young people, it can cause problems and discomfort that may not be erased [ 1 ]. Research has been conducted on several psychological aspects of these networks, all of which point to the dangers to the mental health of individuals, especially young people and adolescents, who are the most involved and easily influenced by these networks and large companies and institutions.

There are ways and measures to use social networks worldwide, and researchers and educators are constantly trying to interpret this phenomenon.

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• 29 March 2024

The great rewiring: is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness?

• Candice L. Odgers 0

Candice L. Odgers is the associate dean for research and a professor of psychological science and informatics at the University of California, Irvine. She also co-leads international networks on child development for both the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research in Toronto and the Jacobs Foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland.

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Social-media platforms aren’t always social. Credit: Getty

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness Jonathan Haidt Allen Lane (2024)

Two things need to be said after reading The Anxious Generation . First, this book is going to sell a lot of copies, because Jonathan Haidt is telling a scary story about children’s development that many parents are primed to believe. Second, the book’s repeated suggestion that digital technologies are rewiring our children’s brains and causing an epidemic of mental illness is not supported by science. Worse, the bold proposal that social media is to blame might distract us from effectively responding to the real causes of the current mental-health crisis in young people.

Haidt asserts that the great rewiring of children’s brains has taken place by “designing a firehose of addictive content that entered through kids’ eyes and ears”. And that “by displacing physical play and in-person socializing, these companies have rewired childhood and changed human development on an almost unimaginable scale”. Such serious claims require serious evidence.

Collection: Promoting youth mental health

Haidt supplies graphs throughout the book showing that digital-technology use and adolescent mental-health problems are rising together. On the first day of the graduate statistics class I teach, I draw similar lines on a board that seem to connect two disparate phenomena, and ask the students what they think is happening. Within minutes, the students usually begin telling elaborate stories about how the two phenomena are related, even describing how one could cause the other. The plots presented throughout this book will be useful in teaching my students the fundamentals of causal inference, and how to avoid making up stories by simply looking at trend lines.

Hundreds of researchers, myself included, have searched for the kind of large effects suggested by Haidt. Our efforts have produced a mix of no, small and mixed associations. Most data are correlative. When associations over time are found, they suggest not that social-media use predicts or causes depression, but that young people who already have mental-health problems use such platforms more often or in different ways from their healthy peers 1 .

These are not just our data or my opinion. Several meta-analyses and systematic reviews converge on the same message 2 – 5 . An analysis done in 72 countries shows no consistent or measurable associations between well-being and the roll-out of social media globally 6 . Moreover, findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, the largest long-term study of adolescent brain development in the United States, has found no evidence of drastic changes associated with digital-technology use 7 . Haidt, a social psychologist at New York University, is a gifted storyteller, but his tale is currently one searching for evidence.

Of course, our current understanding is incomplete, and more research is always needed. As a psychologist who has studied children’s and adolescents’ mental health for the past 20 years and tracked their well-being and digital-technology use, I appreciate the frustration and desire for simple answers. As a parent of adolescents, I would also like to identify a simple source for the sadness and pain that this generation is reporting.

A complex problem

There are, unfortunately, no simple answers. The onset and development of mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression, are driven by a complex set of genetic and environmental factors. Suicide rates among people in most age groups have been increasing steadily for the past 20 years in the United States. Researchers cite access to guns, exposure to violence, structural discrimination and racism, sexism and sexual abuse, the opioid epidemic, economic hardship and social isolation as leading contributors 8 .

How social media affects teen mental health: a missing link

The current generation of adolescents was raised in the aftermath of the great recession of 2008. Haidt suggests that the resulting deprivation cannot be a factor, because unemployment has gone down. But analyses of the differential impacts of economic shocks have shown that families in the bottom 20% of the income distribution continue to experience harm 9 . In the United States, close to one in six children live below the poverty line while also growing up at the time of an opioid crisis, school shootings and increasing unrest because of racial and sexual discrimination and violence.

The good news is that more young people are talking openly about their symptoms and mental-health struggles than ever before. The bad news is that insufficient services are available to address their needs. In the United States, there is, on average, one school psychologist for every 1,119 students 10 .

Haidt’s work on emotion, culture and morality has been influential; and, in fairness, he admits that he is no specialist in clinical psychology, child development or media studies. In previous books, he has used the analogy of an elephant and its rider to argue how our gut reactions (the elephant) can drag along our rational minds (the rider). Subsequent research has shown how easy it is to pick out evidence to support our initial gut reactions to an issue. That we should question assumptions that we think are true carefully is a lesson from Haidt’s own work. Everyone used to ‘know’ that the world was flat. The falsification of previous assumptions by testing them against data can prevent us from being the rider dragged along by the elephant.

A generation in crisis

Two things can be independently true about social media. First, that there is no evidence that using these platforms is rewiring children’s brains or driving an epidemic of mental illness. Second, that considerable reforms to these platforms are required, given how much time young people spend on them. Many of Haidt’s solutions for parents, adolescents, educators and big technology firms are reasonable, including stricter content-moderation policies and requiring companies to take user age into account when designing platforms and algorithms. Others, such as age-based restrictions and bans on mobile devices, are unlikely to be effective in practice — or worse, could backfire given what we know about adolescent behaviour.

A third truth is that we have a generation in crisis and in desperate need of the best of what science and evidence-based solutions can offer. Unfortunately, our time is being spent telling stories that are unsupported by research and that do little to support young people who need, and deserve, more.

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Putting the Freak-out Over Social Media and Kids’ Mental Health in Historical Context

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Educating kids in the era of social media feels like uncharted territory—but is it?

The specific challenges of social media are unique: A problematic video can ricochet around the school (or halfway around the world) nearly instantaneously. But technological advances bringing new social problems is a tale as old as time, according to Ioana Literat, a professor of communication media and learning technologies design at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Literat is also the associate director of the Media and Social Change Lab at Columbia where, she said, she spends a lot of time thinking about the social and educational implications of media for young people.

Education Week asked Literat about those implications and what educators may be getting wrong in their assumptions. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What nuance do you think the current debate about social media and youth mental health is missing?

I think an important part of nuancing this discussion, the current debate, is also by historicizing it. We like to think that everything with social media is unprecedented. Even in the name of the technology itself—new media, right?

There’s this myth that it’s new, but actually, we see these [kinds] of moral panics around social media illustrated in previous communication technologies as well.

One of the classes that I teach at Teachers College is history of communication. And that’s exactly how I start: I pick out these quotes that are about moral panics about social media,—or [my students] think they’re about social media—but then I reveal them to be about the telegraph, and the telephone, and the postal service and newspapers. So, it’s not really that new.

Whenever there is a communication technology that has such a huge social impact, there is a tendency to panic, and there is a tendency to go between utopia and dystopia with no middle ground. Often when we do see these moral panics, the object of the panic is young people and women.

Yes, societally we are freaking out, but we’ve freaked out before with every major technology cycle and almost every time it’s about young people and women—especially young girls.

Is there’s some legitimacy to this moral panic? I’m thinking about multiple investigations into how men use social media to contact young girls.

I don’t mean say, ‘Oh, everything’s exactly the same,’ just that this historical perspective definitely matters. And because the reach and the scale is so grand with social media, we need to pay particular attention to the harmful effects, whether these effects are deliberate or not, whether they are direct or less direct.

On the one hand, [there are] the safety issues that you mentioned. There are challenges with misinformation, cyberbullying, the negative impact on young people’s self-esteem, which we see a lot more with young girls and female-identifying youth than we see with male-identifying youth.

But I will also say that in general, my research perspective is one of ... belief in young people’s agency. I think often the question is: What is technology doing to young people? And I like to ask: What are young people doing with technology?

A lot of my own work is in this area: how participating in causes online, or even just following, can really broaden young people’s understanding of social political issues, foster empathy, and hone their civic voice. Because it’s not like you just know how to be a citizen or a participant in public life. You actively need to work on that skill, and to work on that skill, you need a safe space. And often for young people, for better or for worse, social media is that space.

What are some skills schools should be teaching to promote a healthy use of social media?

When it comes to media literacy, for instance, still so much of it is centered around consumption: How to be good consumers of social media or online content.

There’s definitely a need for more of a focus on production. Everybody’s a content creator these days, and for young people that’s so important.

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• Introduction
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Warm-colored areas (red) indicate greater reactivity in the high perceived isolation group than in the low perceived isolation group. Cold-colored areas (blue) indicate greater reactivity in the low perceived isolation group than in the high perceived isolation group. Comparison results are adjusted for age. Family-wise error cluster-level correction: z score greater than 2.3 ( P  < .05). Clusters are listed in Table 2 . The color bar represents the z score thresholding at 2.3, with warmer (lighter yellow) and colder (lighter blue) colors indicating higher z scores. L indicates left hemisphere; R, right hemisphere.

β Indicates indirect effect. All CIs are 95% CIs.

a Statistically significant at P  < .10.

b Statistically significant at P  < .05.

eFigure 1. Graphical Abstract

eTable. Diet Checklist Categories

eFigure 2. Mediation Models on Brain Responses to Food Cues Associated With Perceived Isolation and Body Measurement, Eating Behaviors, and Mental Health Factors With Path Coefficients

eReferences

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Social Isolation, Brain Food Cue Processing, Eating Behaviors, and Mental Health Symptoms

• 1 Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, University of California, Los Angeles
• 2 G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, University of California, Los Angeles
• 3 Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, University of California, Los Angeles
• 4 School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
• 5 Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles
• 6 California Center for Population Research, University of California, Los Angeles
• 7 David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles

Question   Is perceived social isolation associated with brain reactivity to food cues, obesity, and psychological symptoms?

Findings   In this cross-sectional study of 93 healthy, premenopausal female participants, social isolation was associated with altered brain processing of food cues in the default mode, executive control, and visual attention networks. These neural changes (especially to sweet foods) showed an association among social isolation, eating behaviors, and psychological symptoms.

Meaning   These findings indicate that increased loneliness may be linked to brain patterns that highlight difficulties in motivation, control, and processing of internal states in response to foods and increased alterations in eating behaviors, obesity, and psychological symptoms, suggesting future targets for obesity treatments.

Importance   Perceived social isolation is associated with negative health outcomes, including increased risk for altered eating behaviors, obesity, and psychological symptoms. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of these pathways are unknown.

Objective   To investigate the association of perceived social isolation with brain reactivity to food cues, altered eating behaviors, obesity, and mental health symptoms.

Design, Setting, and Participants   This cross-sectional, single-center study recruited healthy, premenopausal female participants from the Los Angeles, California, community from September 7, 2021, through February 27, 2023.

Exposure   Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a food cue viewing task.

Main Outcomes and Measures   The main outcomes included brain reactivity to food cues, body composition, self-reported eating behaviors (food cravings, reward-based eating, food addiction, and maladaptive eating behaviors), and mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, positive and negative affect, and psychological resilience).

Results   The study included 93 participants (mean [SD] age, 25.38 [7.07] years). Participants with higher perceived social isolation reported higher fat mass percentage, lower diet quality, increased maladaptive eating behaviors (cravings, reward-based eating, uncontrolled eating, and food addiction), and poor mental health (anxiety, depression, and psychological resilience). In whole-brain comparisons, the higher social isolation group showed altered brain reactivity to food cues in regions of the default mode, executive control, and visual attention networks. Isolation-related neural changes in response to sweet foods correlated with various altered eating behaviors and psychological symptoms. These altered brain responses mediated the connection between social isolation and maladaptive eating behaviors (β for indirect effect, 0.111; 95% CI, 0.013-0.210; P  = .03), increased body fat composition (β, −0.141; 95% CI, −0.260 to −0.021; P  = .02), and diminished positive affect (β, −0.089; 95% CI, −0.188 to 0.011; P  = .09).

Conclusions and Relevance   These findings suggest that social isolation is associated with altered neural reactivity to food cues within specific brain regions responsible for processing internal appetite-related states and compromised executive control and attentional bias and motivation toward external food cues. These neural responses toward specific foods were associated with an increased risk for higher body fat composition, worsened maladaptive eating behaviors, and compromised mental health. These findings underscore the need for holistic mind-body–directed interventions that may mitigate the adverse health consequences of social isolation.

Perceived social isolation, often referred to as loneliness, reflects one’s subjective appraisal of their social relationships and community support. 1 Loneliness is an entirely subjective state and doesn’t necessarily rely on the quantity of one’s social relations. 2 Despite its connection to objective social isolation (social disconnectedness), characterized by having limited or infrequent social contact, loneliness is distinct and may impact health. 3 - 5 Loneliness has been found to impact well-being 6 - 8 and to be a risk factor for early mortality and chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. 7 , 8 The aftermath of COVID-19 highlighted a multitude of health concerns that emerged in conjunction with social isolation, including increased obesity, unhealthy eating behaviors, physical and psychological disorders, and cognitive decline, underscoring the need to better understand the underlying physiology. 1 , 9 - 12 Yet, few studies have examined the biological mechanisms linking perceived social isolation to health outcomes.

Perceived social isolation is associated with brain alterations in the default mode network (DMN), executive control network (ECN), visual attention network (VAN), and reward network (RN). 13 - 22 Alterations in the DMN have been shown to increase the propensity of individuals experiencing loneliness to resort to self-rumination and internal generation of thoughts as a compensatory mechanism for a lack of social interactions. 17 , 23 Increased connectivity in areas of attentional processing, particularly in visual cortices and cognitive control areas, suggests that individuals experiencing loneliness may continually monitor their surroundings for perceived social threats. 16 , 19 , 20 , 23 This implicit hypervigilance combined with an increased sensitivity to negative social stimuli could imply that loneliness primes individuals to display a magnified instinct for self-preservation and impaired social perception skills. 21 , 22

Loneliness also may increase the risk for obesity and worsened eating behaviors and disorders, 9 , 12 , 24 , 25 specifically with associations to increased sugar consumption and cravings for sugary beverages. 26 , 27 Sedentary behavior, often accompanied by social isolation, has been found to contribute to the development of depression, anxiety, suicidal behavior, personality disorders, and psychosis. 2 , 10 , 28 Individuals experiencing loneliness present heightened attentional bias and affective processing to negative social cues, along with diminished affective responsiveness to positive social interactions, within the VAN and affective processing network. 29 - 31 These brain alterations may underlie the intricate connection between social isolation and mental health. When mental health disorders affect an individual’s capacity to self-regulate emotional well-being, binge eating behaviors may emerge as a coping mechanism to combat the negative affect perceived during prolonged periods of social isolation. 25 , 32 Individuals experiencing loneliness also display increased activation in areas of the RN (ie, ventral striatum, insula, nucleus accumbens). 13 These RN alterations result in intense cravings also seen in individuals with drug and food addiction, 14 suggesting that social isolation may increase processing of reward-based regions by altering midbrain dopaminergic neurons, thereby inducing a craving for social reconnection and engagement. 13 , 14 , 33 Similar modulations in the brain’s RN when an individual is in any deprived state (ie, hunger, loneliness, drug withdrawal) highlight that social connections may affect pathways related to stress and coping. 34 , 35

Emerging evidence points to the potential role of a “lonely brain” that may contribute to obesity, altered eating behaviors, and associated psychological symptoms. Therefore, our study aims to elucidate the general neural mechanisms linking loneliness to alterations in neural responses to food cue processing to test the following 3 hypotheses (eFigure 1 in Supplement 1 ): First, loneliness is associated with increased activation in the DMN, VAN, ECN, and RN regions of the brain when viewing food cues compared with nonfood cues. Second, loneliness-associated brain reactivity is correlated with increased obesity measures, altered eating behaviors, and worsened mental health. Third, sweet food–related neural alterations, compared with savory food, may show a stronger association with maladaptive eating behaviors and mental health outcomes, given sugary foods’ highly rewarding nature and analgesic effect that may alleviate the “social pain” associated with social exclusion, 36 - 38 thereby contributing to the complex interplay between loneliness and health outcomes. 38 , 39

This cross-sectional study included healthy, premenopausal female participants who were recruited from the Los Angeles, California, community through advertisements from September 7, 2021, through February 27, 2023. Detailed recruitment and exclusion criteria and procedures are provided in the eMethods in Supplement 1 . All procedures complied with institutional guidelines and were approved by the institutional review board of the University of California, Los Angeles Office of Protection for Research Subjects. All participants provided written informed consent. The study followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology ( STROBE ) reporting guideline.

Participant data included body mass index (BMI), body composition, diet style and quality, 40 , 41 self-reported race and ethnicity, age, marital status, and socioeconomic status. 42 Data on race and ethnicity were collected to enhance transparency and provide preliminary data for future research on the effects of isolation on brain health in specific groups or as a comparison baseline with other races and ethnicities. In addition, all participants underwent a bioelectrical impedance analysis using a body composition analyzer to evaluate body composition through electrical tissue conductivity, providing estimates of body fat and lean body mass percentages. Multimodal data, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and clinical and behavioral measures, were also collected.

Perceived social isolation was assessed using the validated Perceived Isolation Scale. 43 This scale measures the frequency of emotional and instrumental support from family, friends, and partners as well as feelings of companionship, exclusion, and isolation. 43 The coding and scoring methodology for this scale has been described in a previous study, 5 which involved standardization of each individual item followed by the calculation of a mean score across all scale items. 43 Scores were dichotomized to categorize participants into a high perceived isolation group (higher than the mean) and a low perceived isolation group (lower than the mean) based on the sample mean as described in a prior study. 5

Other clinical and behavioral measures were examined both individually and by categorizing them into the following composite groups: (1) body measurements (BMI, fat mass percentage, and lean body mass percentage), (2) eating behaviors (food cravings, 44 reward-based eating, 45 maladaptive eating behaviors, 46 and food addiction symptoms, with higher scores indicating more of such eating behaviors), 47 and (3) mental health variables (psychological resilience, 48 anxiety symptoms, 49 depression symptoms, 49 positive affect, and negative affect). 50 Details regarding the measurements and questionnaires are provided in the eMethods in Supplement 1 .

Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between the high and low perceived isolation groups by Student t test for continuous variables and χ 2 test for categorical variables using R, version 4.2.3 (R Project for Statistical Computing). 51 Effect sizes for t tests are Cohen d values, and effect sizes for χ 2 tests are reported as the standardized mean difference. For all tests of significance, P  < .05 was considered statistically significant, with no adjustment for multiple comparisons.

Brain data were acquired using a 3.0-T Prisma MRI scanner (Siemens). Acquisition details are provided in the eMethods in Supplement 1 . Participants were asked to fast for approximately 6 hours prior to scanning, which was confirmed by the study coordinator (A.V.). Participants performed a food cue task while in the scanner to assess neural responses to various foods (savory, sweet) and nonfood (pixelated control) images. Details of the food cue task have been published in a previous study 52 and are detailed in the eMethods in Supplement 1 .

Neuroimaging data were processed using the fMRI Expert Analysis Tool, version 6.0 included in the FMRIB Software Library (FSL). 53 Details regarding preprocessing are provided in the eMethods in Supplement 1 .

To determine perceived isolation–related differences in whole-brain food cue reactivity, we specified the following contrasts: (1) food vs nonfood, (2) sweet food vs nonfood, and (3) savory food vs nonfood. The corresponding reversed contrasts for the above were also specified. For each participant, 6 contrast maps were created in the first-level analysis and then entered into the random-effects group-level analyses using FSL’s Local Analysis of Mixed Effects in a whole-brain analysis with outlier deweighting. Independent t tests (high perceived isolation vs low perceived isolation) with age as a covariate were performed using the FSL fMRI Expert Analysis Tool. All statistical maps were family-wise error cluster corrected for multiple comparisons (cluster height threshold: z  > 2.3; cluster significance, P  < .05).

Food cue regions of interest (ROIs) were created from the significant clusters in the whole-brain contrasts (described above). Brain signal change (β-values from the first-level statistical models) were extracted for each participant separately from each ROI. The food cue reactivity using brain signal change extracted from the food cue ROIs were entered into the association and mediation analyses (described below).

Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between loneliness-related brain food cue reactivity within each ROI and individual clinical and behavioral measures that exhibited significant differences between the high perceived isolation and low perceived isolation groups while adjusting for age. We also calculated composite scores for each category using the individual measures that showed significant differences between the 2 groups. We summed all standardized measures within each composite category after reversing any reverse-coded measures (ie, psychological resilience, positive affect). The composite categories included body measurement, eating behaviors, and mental health, which were used in the mediation analyses described below.

Mediation analyses using structural equation modeling (SEM) assessed the mediating (indirect) effect of brain food cue reactivity on the association between perceived isolation and outcomes of interest (eg, various individual measures that differed significantly between high and low perceived isolation groups). Perceived isolation (high vs low coded as 1 vs −1) was entered into the model as a predictor variable. Mediation analyses were performed with the lavaan package in R 51 when significant differences were observed between the high and low perceived isolation groups in the initial analyses. Brain reactivity to different types of food cues was entered as the mediator.

We grouped the aforementioned individual outcomes into 3 composite categories as latent variables (ie, body measurement, eating behaviors, mental health). We examined the indirect effect of brain reactivity to different food cues on the association between perceived isolation and these composite categorical outcomes. All mediation models were adjusted for age, and standardized β for indirect effect was reported. The first indicator of each latent variable was fixed to 1, and maximum likelihood robust estimation was used to fit all models. The significance level was set at P  < .05 for all SEM statistical significance testing. We additionally indicated results at P  < .10, considering the preliminary nature of our study, to capture potentially significant findings that require further investigation.

The 93 female participants were aged 18 to 50 years (mean [SD], 25.38 [7.07] years), including 38 who self-reported as Filipino (41%) and 55 as Mexican (59%) ( Table 1 ). Compared with the low perceived isolation group (n = 54), the high perceived isolation group (n = 39) showed significantly higher fat mass percentage (mean [SD], 29.70% [5.63%] vs 32.63% [6.80%]; P  = .04), lower diet quality (mean [SD] Healthy Eating Index, 66.60 [10.26] vs 61.95 [10.51]; P  = .04), increased maladaptive eating behaviors (mean [SD] scores: food cravings, 31.26 [11.84] vs 37.16 [13.21] [ P  = .03]; reward-based eating, 0.65 [0.73] vs 1.26 [0.93] [ P  = .001]; uncontrolled eating, 1.77 [0.53] vs 2.90 [3.17] [ P  = .04]; food addiction, 1.13 [1.17] vs 1.87 [1.78] [ P  = .03]), and poorer mental health (mean [SD] scores: psychological resilience, 71.71 [14.00] vs 63.37 [12.01] [ P  = .003]; anxiety, 6.90 [4.06] vs 9.40 [4.46] [ P  = .008]; depression, 3.73 [3.49] vs 5.27 [3.33] [ P  = .04]; positive affect, 30.15 [9.35] vs 26.18 [8.83] [ P  = .04]). Detailed definitions for each index are provided in the eMethods and eTable in Supplement 1 .

In whole-brain comparisons, when viewing foods vs nonfoods, the high perceived isolation group had greater food cue reactivity than the low perceived isolation group in the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) ( Figure 1 A). When viewing sweet foods vs nonfoods, the high perceived isolation group had greater food cue reactivity than the low perceived isolation group in the IPL, inferior frontal gyrus, and lateral occipital cortex ( Figure 1 B; Table 2 ). When viewing savory foods vs nonfoods, the high perceived isolation group had less food cue reactivity than the low perceived isolation group in the central precuneus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) ( Figure 1 C; Table 2 ).

The associations between perceived isolation–related brain food cue (food, sweet, and savory food) reactivity and clinical and behavioral assessments are shown in Table 3 . Brain reactivity to all foods, including sweet foods, was associated maladaptive eating behaviors (food vs nonfood: standardized estimate, 0.327; 95% CI, 0.320-0.335; sweet food vs nonfood: standardized estimate, 0.315; 95% CI, 0.302-0.327), and mental health outcomes (food vs nonfood: standardized estimate, 0.264; 95% CI, 0.257-0.272; sweet food vs nonfood: standardized estimate, 0.229; 95% CI, 0.217-0.242). No associations were observed for savory foods.

The results of all the mediation SEMs are shown in Figure 2 . When viewing food vs nonfood, brain reactivity mediated the association between perceived isolation and food cravings (standardized β for indirect effect, 0.087; 95% CI, −0.005 to 0.178; P  = .07), reward-based eating (β for indirect effect, 0.105; 95% CI, 0.016-0.195; P  = .03), and overall maladaptive eating behaviors (β for indirect effect, 0.111; 95% CI, 0.013-0.210; P  = .03). When viewing sweet food vs nonfood, brain reactivity mediated the association between perceived isolation and body fat mass percentage (β for indirect effect, −0.141; 95% CI, −0.260 to −0.021; P  = .02), food cravings (β for indirect effect, 0.097; 95% CI, −0.016 to 0.210; P  < .10), reward-based eating (β for indirect effect, 0.114; 95% CI, 0.006 to 0.223; P  = .04), and overall maladaptive eating behaviors (β for indirect effect, 0.114; 95% CI, −0.003 to 0.232; P  = .06). When viewing savory food vs nonfood, brain reactivity mediated the association between perceived isolation and positive affect (β for indirect effect, −0.089; 95% CI, −0.188 to 0.011; P  = .09). Significant standardized path coefficients among brain, clinical and behavioral measures, and perceived isolation for all mediation models are shown in eFigure 2 in Supplement 1 .

This study elucidates the neural mechanisms linking perceived social isolation and loneliness to obesity, eating behaviors, and mental health symptoms. Individuals who were lonely exhibited increased body fat composition and more maladaptive eating behaviors, alongside heightened susceptibility to psychological symptoms.

Loneliness was associated with increased brain reactivity to food cues in regions within the DMN (eg, IPL) and VAN (eg, occipital cortex) and reduced activity in the ECN (dlPFC). These neural alterations reflected an imbalance in sensitivity to internal appetite-related states and external food cues coupled with compromised executive control. These brain alterations may be a key link between social isolation and various outcomes, extending beyond eating behaviors to encompass overall mental health symptoms.

When viewing images of food, individuals who reported more perceived social isolation exhibited increased brain reactivity in the IPL, a key region within the DMN. 54 , 55 The DMN is central in social behaviors, including self-relevant mentalizing, interoception, introspective awareness, and the regulation of emotional processes. 55 - 58 Consistent findings have identified changes within the DMN in individuals experiencing loneliness, including shifts in structural morphology, microstructure, intrinsic functional connectivity, and task-based activation. 18 , 31 , 59 , 60

Loneliness is linked to emotional processing toward external socioaffective cues and internal self-generated thoughts and cognitions. 61 The heightened response to food cues within the DMN in individuals experiencing loneliness may reflect their increased engagement in processing internal states, such as appetite, interpretation of gut signals, or food-related cognition. 62 The IPL is a region related to attention, multisensory integration, visual processing, and motivation. 63 - 65 Consequently, the altered brain reactivity observed in individuals experiencing loneliness may reflect an increased salience or appeal toward food cues and elevated attentional and sensory processing and motivation directed toward these cues. This heightened internal state sensitivity (eg, appetite, hunger), coupled with an elevated external attention, sensory processing, and motivation toward food cues, potentially contributes to maladaptive eating behaviors, including reward-based eating and food addiction, as observed in our study.

Individuals experiencing loneliness exhibited heightened brain reactivity in the IPL (DMN) as well as regions within the VAN (inferior frontal gyrus and lateral occipital cortex) in response to sweet foods, indicating increased sensitivity to both internal states and external cue–induced reactivity. 66 - 68 When viewing savory foods, individuals experiencing loneliness displayed decreased brain reactivity in the central precuneus and the dlPFC (part of the ECN). 69 - 73 This finding aligns with previous research pointing to compromised inhibitory control in individuals experiencing loneliness. 11 , 21 , 74 , 75 The precuneus plays a dual role and is considered part of the DMN and ECN. 70 , 76 Importantly, it maintains connectivity with critical frontoparietal nodes responsible for executive functions during both rest and tasks involving executive control. 77 , 78 Structural alterations have been observed in the dlPFC in individuals reporting higher levels of loneliness, and its functional connectivity has been shown to predict loneliness. 69 , 79 Overall, these findings imply that loneliness may reshape the brain’s processing of food cues by heightening individuals’ sensitivity to appetite-related internal states, increasing the salience or motivation in response to external food cues, all while potentially compromising executive control.

In examining the neural links between social isolation and brain reactivity to food cues, sweet foods appear to exert a more pronounced and overarching influence compared with savory foods. According to social baseline theory, individuals lacking strong social connections may exhibit heightened vigilance for potential threats and increased reactivity, necessitating greater neural metabolic resources for adaptive functioning. 80 It is possible that socially isolated individuals may experience stronger cravings and consumption of foods and beverages that rapidly raise blood glucose levels. 26 , 81 Sweet food is also highly rewarding, with an analgesic effect that can reduce the social pain associated with social exclusion. 36 - 38 Prior studies found that loneliness was associated with increased sugar consumption and heightened cravings for sugar-sweetened beverages. 26 , 27 The neural responses to sweet food cues in the context of social isolation involves regions (IPL and inferior frontal gyrus) associated with the social brain and partly overlaps with the DMN, which is responsible for understanding, processing, and responding to social information and interactions. 82 , 83

Reactivity to food cues, especially sweet foods, in socially isolated individuals is associated with an exacerbation of maladaptive eating behaviors, including cravings, heightened reward-based eating drive, and symptoms of food addiction. This brain reactivity serves as a mediator, bridging the connection between social isolation and eating behaviors, as well as an increase in body fat percentage. Previous studies have also linked social isolation and the DMN and VAN to eating disorders, compulsive eating, unhealthy eating habits, 12 , 24 , 25 and an increased risk for addictive behaviors and obesity. 84 - 86

Food cue reactivity among socially isolated individuals was associated with worsened mental health, including increased anxiety and reduced positive affect and psychological resilience. This brain reactivity also served as a mediator, connecting social isolation with decreased positive affect. These findings underscore the psychiatric relevance of DMN functionality, also found to be altered in individuals with autism, schizophrenia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Alzheimer disease, depression, and anxiety. 87 - 92

Given the interconnection among all the factors examined, it is essential to evaluate the degree-dependent and causal effects of social isolation by assessing whether the extent or duration of social isolation might influence mental health susceptibility differently. Future research could consider longitudinal studies or experimental designs that adjust for confounding factors (eg, depression) and account for other loneliness-related sedentary behaviors that may contribute to obesity (eg, sleep disturbances, dysregulated immune functioning). This approach may provide a deeper exploration of the nuanced associations between loneliness and health, building on the patterns identified in this study. Adopting systemic approaches that integrate data from the gut microbiome and peripheral inflammatory markers can offer further insight into the consequences of social isolation. 93 , 94 Due to the multiple testing in our study, the presence of chance findings cannot be ruled out; however, we observed consistent patterns across outcomes. Future replication of our findings may validate and build upon the insights gained in this study.

This study has some limitations. Because of the cross-sectional design causality cannot be inferred. The sample size is relatively small and limited to females only, and caution must be taken in interpreting the findings. Further research is needed to explore our findings in larger, more diverse populations and through longitudinal studies in order to better understand causality.

This cross-sectional study highlights that social isolation is associated with altered brain processing of food cues in regions associated with the DMV, VAN, and ECN. This association is marked by a heightened sensitivity to internal appetite-related states and the external salience of food cues, along with compromised executive control. These brain alterations play a crucial role in mediating the association between social isolation and obesity, altered eating behaviors, and worse mental health outcomes. To nourish or feed the lonely brain, holistic interventions that target both body and mind for overall lifestyle improvement may offer the most effective means of mitigating the complex adverse effects of social isolation. For example, normalizing altered brain networks through mobile interventions, such as journaling and meditation, have shown improvements in self-compassion, stress reduction, and lower BMI. 95 Similarly, exercise and diet interventions that target the brain and gut may correlate with fat loss, reduced hunger, increased psychological resilience, and improved mood. 96 , 97

Accepted for Publication: December 20, 2023.

Published: April 4, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4855

Open Access: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC-BY License . © 2024 Zhang X et al. JAMA Network Open .

Corresponding Author: Arpana Gupta, PhD, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, CHS 42-210, 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7378 ( [email protected] ).

Author Contributions: Dr Gupta had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Concept and design: Zhang, Gee, Dong, Gupta.

Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: Zhang, Ravichandran, Beltrán-Sánchez, Wang, Kilpatrick, Labus, Vaughan, Gupta.

Drafting of the manuscript: Zhang, Ravichandran, Labus, Gupta.

Critical review of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Zhang, Gee, Dong, Beltrán-Sánchez, Wang, Kilpatrick, Vaughan, Gupta.

Statistical analysis: Zhang, Beltrán-Sánchez, Labus, Gupta.

Obtained funding: Gupta.

Administrative, technical, or material support: Dong, Vaughan, Gupta.

Supervision: Gee, Dong, Beltrán-Sánchez, Labus, Gupta.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Gupta reported being a scientific advisor to Yamaha during the conduct of the study. No other disclosures were reported.

Funding/Support: This research was supported by grants R01 MD015904, K23 DK106528, and R03 DK121025 from the National Institutes of Health (Dr Gupta).

Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The funder had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Data Sharing Statement: See Supplement 2 .

Additional Contributions: The authors acknowledge the analytic and data curation efforts provided by the Neuroimaging Core, the Integrative Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core, and the Database and Clinical Core of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center at the University of California, Los Angeles.

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Mental Health Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 9th, 2023 , Revised On August 16, 2023

Introduction

You probably found your way here looking for mental health topics for your final year research project. Look no further, we have drafted a list of issues, and their research aims to help you when you are brainstorming for dissertation or thesis topics on mental health in 2020.

PhD-qualified writers of our team have developed these topics, so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting a brief research proposal or full dissertation service from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an introduction to the topic, research question , aim and objectives, literature review , and the proposed research methodology to be conducted. Let us know if you need any help in getting started.

Check our dissertation examples to understand how to structure your dissertation .

Latest Mental Health Dissertation Topics for 2023

Review the step-by-step guide on how to write your dissertation here .

• Topic 1: Assessing the Influence of Parents’ Divorce or Separation on Adolescent Children regarding long-term psychological impact.
• Topic 2: Investigating the impact of Trauma and Health-related quality of life on a child’s Mental health and self-worth.

Topic 3: Assessing the effect of Psychological training on males suffering from Post-Surgery Anxiety in the UK.

• Topic 4: Investigating the Relationship between Mental Illness and Suicides- A case study of UK’s Young Adults.

Topic 5: Examining the behaviour of Mental Health Nurses taking care of Schizophrenia Patients in the UK.

Topic 1: an assessment of the influence of parents' divorce or separation on adolescent children in terms of long-term psychological impact..

Research Aim: This study aims to investigate the level of traumas experienced by the children of divorced or separated parents. The principal aim of this study is to explore the long-term psychological impacts of parents’ divorce on the life of children regardless of their gender and age in terms of mental wellbeing, academic performance, and self-worth.

Topic 2: An investigation of the impact of Trauma and Health-related quality of life on the Mental health and Self-worth of a child.

Research Aim: This study aims to assess the long-term impacts of the trauma children face in their early years of life on their overall mental health. Also, numerous studies have emphasized improving the quality of life for children who tend to experience multiple traumas and take them along in adulthood. Therefore, this study also proposed the impacts of traumatic childhood experiences on self-worth, mental health, and vitality of implementing firm intervention before the child reaches adulthood.

Research Aim: Postoperative problems may occur as a result of surgical stress. This study aims to examine different approaches to control post-surgical anxiety and improve patients’ lives in the short and long term, focusing on male patients in the UK. It will also give us an understanding of how psychological training and interventions affect anxiety in male patients and help them overcome this through a systematic review.

Topic 4: Investigating the Relationship between Mental illness and Suicides- A case study of UK's Young Adults.

Research Aim: This study aims to find the relationship between mental illness and suicides and risk factors in the UK. This study will specifically focus on young adults. It will examine different mental disorders and how they have led to suicide and will analyse further studies of people who had died by suicide and find evidence of the presence or absence of mental illness.

Research Aim: Negative behaviours and discrimination have been usually reported as a reason for the inconvenience in the treatment of mentally ill or schizophrenia patients, which negatively impacts the patient’s results. Health care professionals’ attitudes have been regarded as being more negative than the general public, which lowers the outlook for patients suffering from mental illness. This study will examine the behaviour of mental health nurses regarding schizophrenia patients in the UK and also focus on the characteristics associated with nurses’ attitudes.

COVID-19 Mental Health Research Topics

Topic1: impacts of the coronavirus on the mental health of various age groups.

Research Aim: This study will reveal the impacts of coronavirus on the mental health of various age groups

Topic 2: Mental health and psychological resilience during COVID-19

Research Aim: Social distancing has made people isolated and affected their mental health. This study will highlight various measures to overcome the stress and mental health of people during coronavirus.

Topic 3: The mental health of children and families during COVID-19

Research Aim: This study will address the challenging situations faced by children and families during lockdown due to COVID-19. It will also discuss various ways to overcome the fear of disease and stay positive.

Topic 4: Mental wellbeing of patients during the Coronavirus pandemic

Research Aim: This study will focus on the measures taken by the hospital management, government, and families to ensure patients’ mental well-being, especially COVID-19 patients.

Best Mental Health Topics for Your Dissertation in the Year 2021

Topic 1: kids and their relatives with cancer: psychological challenges.

Research Aim: In cancer diagnoses and therapies, children often don’t know what happens. Many have psychosocial problems, including rage, terror, depression, disturbing their sleep, inexpiable guilt, and panic. Therefore, this study is designed to identify and treat the child and its family members’ psychological issues.

Topic 2: Hematopoietic device reaction in ophthalmology patient’s radiation therapy

Research Aim: This research is based on the analysis of hematopoietic devices’ reactions to ophthalmology’s radiation.

Topic 3: Psychological effects of cyberbullying Vs. physical bullying: A counter study

Research Aim: This research will focus on the effects of cyberbullying and physical bullying and their consequences on the victim’s mental health. The most significant part is the counter effects on our society’s environment and human behaviour, particularly youth.

Topic 4: Whether or not predictive processing is a theory of perceptual consciousness?

Research Aim: This research aims to identify: whether or not predictive processing is a theory of perceptual consciousness?

Topic 5: Importance of communication in a relationship

Research Aim: This research aims to address the importance of communication in relationships and the communication gap consequences.

Topic 6: Eating and personality disorders

Research Aim: This research aims to focus on eating and personality disorders

Topic 7: Analysis of teaching, assessment, and evaluation of students and learning differences

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse teaching methods, assessment, and evaluation systems of students and their learning differences

Topic 8: Social and psychological effects of virtual networks

Research Aim: This research aims to study the social and psychological effects of virtual networks

Topic 9: The role of media in provoking aggression

Research Aim: This research aims to address the role of media and in provoking aggression among people

Best Mental Health Topics for Your Dissertation in the Year 2020

Topic 1: what is the impact of social media platforms on the mental wellbeing of adults.

Research Aim: the current study aims to investigate the impact social media platforms tend to have on adults’ mental well-being with a particular focus on the United Kingdom. While many studies have been carried out to gauge the impact of social media platforms on teenagers’ mental well-being, little to no research has been performed to investigate how the health of adults might be affected by the same and how social media platforms like Facebook impact them.

Topic 2: The contemporary practical management approach to treating personality disorders

Research Aim: This research will discuss the contemporary practical management approach for treating personality disorders in mental health patients. In the previous days, much of the personality disorder treatments were based on medicines and drugs. Therefore, this research will address contemporary and practical ways to manage how personality disorders affect the mental state of the individuals who have the disease.

Topic 3: How is Prozac being used in the modern-day to treat self-diagnosed depression?

Research Aim: In the current day and age, besides people suffering from clinical depression, many of the teens and the adults across have started to suffer from self-diagnosed depression. To treat their self-diagnosed depression, individuals take Prozac through all the wrong means, which harms their mental state even more. Therefore, the current study aims to shed light on how Prozac is being used in the modern age and the adverse effects of misinformed use on the patients.

Topic 4: Are women more prone to suffer from mental disorders than men: Comparative analysis

Research Aim: There have been several arguments regarding whether women are more likely to suffer from mental disorders than men. Much of the research carried out provides evidence that women are more prone to suffer from mental disorders. This research study aims to conduct a comparative analysis to determine whether it’s more likely for men or women to suffer from mental disorders and what role biological and societal factors play in determining the trend.

Topic 5: The impact of breakups on the mental health of men?

Research Aim: Several studies have been carried out to discuss how women are affected more by a breakup than men. However, little research material is available in support of the impact the end of a relationship can have on men’s mental health. Therefore, this research study will fill out the gap in research to determine the impact of a breakup on men’s mental health and stability.

Topic 6: A theoretical analysis of the Impact of emotional attachment on mental health?

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the theories developed around emotional attachment to address how emotional attachment can harm individuals’ mental health across the globe. Several theories discuss the role that emotional attachment tends to play in the mind of a healthy being, and how emotional attachment can often negatively affect mental well-being.

Topic 7: How do social media friendships contribute to poor mental health?

Research Aim: This research idea aims to address how social media friendships and networking can often lead to a lack of self-acceptance, self-loathing, self-pity, self-comparison, and depression due to the different mindsets that are present in today’s world.

Topic 8: What role do parents play in ensuring the mental well-being of their children?

Research Aim: It is assumed that parents tend to stop playing a role in ensuring that the mental health and well-being of their children are being maintained after a certain age. Therefore, this study will aim to put forward the idea that even after the children pass the age of 18, activities and their relationship with their parents would always play a role in the way their mental health is being transformed.

Topic 9: A study on the mental health of soldiers returning from Iraq?

Research Aim: This topic idea puts forward the aim that the mental health of soldiers who return from war-struck areas is always a subject of interest, as each of the soldiers carries a mental burden. Therefore, it is vital to understand the soldiers’ mental health returning from Iraq, focusing on what causes their mental health to deteriorate during the war and suggestions of what to do or who to call if they do become unwell.

Topic 10: How the contemporary media practices in the UK are leading to mental health problems?

Research Aim: The media is known to have control and influence over people’s mindsets who are connected to it. Many of the contemporary media practices developed in the UK can negatively impact the mental well-being of individuals, which makes it necessary to analyse how they are contributing to the mental health problems among the UK population.

Topic 11: What is the impact of television advertising on the mental development of children in the UK?

Research Aim: This topic would aim to address how television advertising can negatively impact children’s mental development in the United Kingdom, as it has been observed in many studies that television advertising is detrimental to the mental health of children.

Topic 12: How deteriorating mental health can have an Impact on physical health?

Research Aim: This research aims to address the side-effects of deteriorating mental health on the physical health of individuals in the society, as it is believed that the majority of the physical ailments in the modern-day and age are due to the deteriorating mental health of individuals. The study can address the treatments for many ailments in our society due to deteriorating mental health and well-being.

Topic 13: The relationship between unemployment and mental health

Research Aim: How unemployment relates to concepts, such as a declining economy or lack of social skills and education, has been frequently explored by many researchers in the past. However, not many have discussed the relationship between unemployment and the mental health of unemployed individuals. Therefore, this topic will help address the problems faced by individuals due to unemployment because of the mental blocks they are likely to develop and experience. In the future, it would lead to fewer people being depressed due to unemployment when further research is carried out.

Topic 14: The mental health problems of prisoners in the United Kingdom

Research Aim: While prisoners across the globe are criticised and studied for the negativity that goes on in their mindsets, one would rarely research the mental health problems they tend to develop when they become a prisoner for committing any crime. It is often assumed that it is the life inside the prison walls that impacts the prisoners’ mental health in a way that leads to them committing more crimes. Therefore, this research topic has been developed to study prison’s impact on prisoners’ mental well-being in the United Kingdom to eventually decrease the number of crimes that occur due to the negative environment inside the prisons.

Topic 15: Mental well-being of industry workers in China

Research Aim: While many research studies have been carried out regarding the conditions that the workers in China tend to be exposed to, there is very little supporting evidence regarding the impact such working conditions have on the mindset and mental health of the workers. Therefore, this study aims to address the challenges faced by industry workers in China and the impact that such challenges can have on their mental well-being.

Topic 16: Is the provision of mental health care services in the United Kingdom effective?

Research Aim: Many people have made different assumptions regarding the mental health care services provided across the globe. However, it seems that little to no research has been carried out regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of the provision of mental health care services in the United Kingdom. Therefore, this study aims to put forward research into the mental health care services provided in well-developed countries like the United Kingdom to gauge the awareness and importance of mental health in the region.

Topic 17: What are the mental health problems the minorities in the United Kingdom face?

Research Aim: It is believed that the minorities in the United Kingdom are likely to experience physical abuse, societal abuse and are often exposed to discrimination and unfair acts at the workplace and in their social circle. The study investigates the range of mental problems faced by minorities in the UK, which need to be addressed to have equality, diversity, and harmony.

Topic 18: The impact the Coronavirus has had on the mental health of the Chinese people

Research Aim: The spread of the deadly Coronavirus has led to many deaths in the region of China, and many of those who have been suspected of the virus are being put in isolation and quarantine. Such conditions tend to have hurt the mental health of those who have suffered from the disease and those who have watched people suffer from it. Therefore, the current study aims to address how the Coronavirus has impacted the mental health of the Chinese people.

Topic 19: How to create change in mental health organisations in China?

Research Aim: Research suggests little awareness about mental health in many Asian countries. As mental health problems are on the rise across the globe, it is necessary to change mental health organisations. Therefore, the study aims to discuss how to create change in mental health organisations in the Asian region using China’s example.

Topic 20: Addressing the mental health concerns of the Syrian refugees in the UK

Research Aim: This research project would address the concerns in terms of the refugees’ mental health and well-being, using an example of the Syrian refugees who had been allowed entry into the United Kingdom. This idea aims to put forward the negative effects that migration can have on the refugees and how further research is required to combat such issues not just in the United Kingdom but worldwide.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service!

Important Notes:

As a mental health student looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment on existing mental health theories – i.e., to add value and interest in the topic of your research.

Mental health is vast and interrelated to so many other academic disciplines like civil engineering ,  construction ,  project management , engineering management , healthcare , finance and accounting , artificial intelligence , tourism , physiotherapy , sociology , management , project management , and nursing . That is why it is imperative to create a project management dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best mental health dissertation topics that fulfill your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalizing your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample mental health dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.

How to Structure your Mental Health Dissertation

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

• A Title Page
• Acknowledgements
• Declaration
• Abstract: A summary of the research completed
• Table of Contents
• Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
• Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature available on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths whilst identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic, and key terms that can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
• Methodology : The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter which usually includes research design , research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and data analysis strategy .
• Findings and Analysis : Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs, charts, and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
• Discussion and Conclusion : The researcher presents his interpretation of results in this chapter, and state whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section of the paper is to draw a linkage between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
• References : This should be completed following your University’s requirements
• Bibliography
• Appendices : Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How to find mental health dissertation topics.

To find mental health dissertation topics:

• Research recent mental health issues.
• Examine gaps in existing literature.
• Consider diverse populations or perspectives.
• Explore treatment approaches or therapies.
• Look into stigma and societal factors.
• Select a topic that resonates with you for in-depth study.

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A new book has amplified fierce debate around teens, mental health and smartphones

A new book has embroiled the academic community in a heated debate over whether spending time on smartphones affects young people’s mental health and, if so, how.

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s “ The Anxious Generation ,” published last week, argues that the smartphone-driven “great rewiring of childhood” is causing an “epidemic of mental illness.” He suggests four ways to combat this: no smartphones before high school, no social media before age 16, no phones in schools; and prioritizing real-world play and independence.

“I call smartphones ‘experience blockers,’ because once you give the phone to a child, it’s going to take up every moment that is not nailed down to something else,” Haidt told TODAY.com , adding, “It’s basically the loss of childhood in the real world.”

Phones and social media have become a ubiquitous part of everyday life. But as much as researchers study their impact, there remains no easy answer to how exactly these technologies affect the mental health of kids and teens.

Haidt’s book quickly has generated a wave of both support and backlash, including a viral review in the scientific journal Nature that argues Haidt is contributing to a “rising hysteria” around social media and screen time that’s unproductive in addressing the “real causes” of teen depression and anxiety.

“We have a generation in crisis and in desperate need of the best of what science and evidence-based solutions can offer,” psychologist Candice Odgers wrote in her scathing review. “Unfortunately, our time is being spent telling stories that are unsupported by research and that do little to support young people who need, and deserve, more.”

Over the past decade, scholars and politicians have grown increasingly concerned about the potential impact of social media and screen time on young people. A Senate hearing in January grilled the CEOs of several major social media companies on a variety of topics related to child safety, including their platforms’ impacts on youth mental health.

Also in January, California introduced a bill aimed at protecting children from social media addiction. And last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a ban on children under 14 joining social media, which takes effect next January.

Research linking social media use to poor youth mental health led U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to issue an advisory last year warning of social media’s potential harms to child and adolescent well-being. Up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 say they use social media, according to the report , with more than one-third saying they use it “almost constantly.”

Some academics and scientists remain unconvinced that current evidence shows a causal link between social media and poor mental health. Christopher Ferguson, a psychology professor at Stetson University, said he believes the concern is part of a recurring moral panic largely driven by older adults.

He pointed to a cyclical pattern in which disruptive new technologies — from TV to video games to, more recently, generative AI — almost always undergo periods of uproar over their potential harms. He said the buildup of concern around smartphones started slower than most, only taking significant shape in the late 2010s.

But the toothpaste can’t be squeezed back into the tube. The kids who are on smartphones and social media now will be using those technologies well into old age, Ferguson said, and it’ll be their turn to “freak out” once a new, unfamiliar technology threatens to displace their habits.

“I just think this is how it is now. It’s just a matter of getting used to that,” Ferguson said. “For some reason, society always wants to throw a temper tantrum when a new thing comes along. And eventually, like all temper tantrums, they go away.” 

But researcher Jean Twenge, author of “Generations” and “iGen,” said there’s a “reasonably robust” consensus among academics that smartphones and social media are at least partially linked to the rise in teen depression, self harm and loneliness.

She said she believes the pushback comes from a smaller group of academics whose arguments imply that screen time and social media are harmless. Unlike Ferguson, Twenge said she believes the skepticism around them will continue to grow over time.

“The critics in this area need to answer one important question,” said Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University. “If smartphones and social media are not behind the increase in teen depression, what is? Because over and over, the answers that they have given have not been supportable.”

Ninety percent of this debate is basically just back-and-forths about different studies that are subtly designed differently and create totally different results.

-Joseph Bak-Coleman, an associate research scientist at the Columbia School of journalism

Joseph Bak-Coleman, an associate research scientist at the Columbia School of Journalism who studies collective decision-making, said part of why the effects of phone and social media use are so difficult to study is because research subjects cannot be fully isolated from the impact of these technologies.

This leads to conflicting research results, he said, as even individuals who eschew social media and smartphones still live within networks of people who do use them — and in a world already shaped by them.

As Bak-Coleman puts it: “ Ninety percent of this debate is basically just back-and-forths about different studies that are subtly designed differently and create totally different results. And then everyone fights.”

While social platforms and regulators have an obligation to figure out how to protect children and teens, he suspects any restrictive protections would be a “nightmare” to enforce. Measures such as removing access to phones entirely could cause different troubles in a world where kids rely on cellphones to contact their parents, he said, and where many aspects of life now take place in the digital realm.

And because the average effects of social media use might also look different from the effects on those who are most at risk for certain harms, Bak-Coleman said it could be more worthwhile to hone in on specific concerns instead of trying to identify a broad trend in how phones impact mental health.

“Rather than asking, is it a net negative or positive, which is an absurd discussion,” he said, “it’d be much nicer if we could ask: What are the impacts? To who? And which thing does it, and how can you change it?”

Angela Yang is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News.