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Increases in Depressive Symptoms, Suicide-Related Outcomes, and Suicide Rates Among U.S. Adolescents After 2010 and Links to Increased New Media Screen Time
Abstract
In two nationally representative surveys of U.S. adolescents in grades 8 through 12 (N = 506,820) and national statistics on suicide deaths for those ages 13 to 18, adolescents’ depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates increased between 2010 and 2015, especially among females. Adolescents who spent more time on new media (including social media and electronic devices such as smartphones) were more likely to report mental health issues, and adolescents who spent more time on nonscreen activities (in-person social interaction, sports/exercise, homework, print media, and attending religious services) were less likely. Since 2010, iGen adolescents have spent more time on new media screen activities and less time on nonscreen activities, which may account for the increases in depression and suicide. In contrast, cyclical economic factors such as unemployment and the Dow Jones Index were not linked to depressive symptoms or suicide rates when matched by year.
... Long exposure to SMPs may also foster depression among higher education students. The strong tendency to make a comparison between oneself and standardized unrealistic online images can cause a feeling of failure and reduced self-esteem [56]. Furthermore, interrupted patterns of student sleep time due to late-night SMPs usage can lead to mood disorders and depression Levenson, et al. [57] Accordingly, we can propose that: ...
... The results of this paper shed light on the complicated interrelationships among social media use, information overload, and university students' mental health disorders (stress, depression, and anxiety). The results are consistent with previous literature, suggesting that extreme usage of social media may contribute to worsened stress, anxiety, and depressive disorders among university students [21,56]. The widespread nature of social media platforms (SMPs), paired with the continual flood of information, generates a situation where university students are regularly exhausted, causing cognitive fatigue and a feeling of emotional distress [46]. ...
... The findings also highlighted the significant indirect influence of the usage of social media on mental health disorders among SA university students through the mediating role of information overload. While the direct impacts of intensive usage of social media on anxiety, stress, and depression have been broadly investigated by Twenge, et al. [56] this study stipulates further a nuanced understanding of how information overload plays a critical intermediary role in these relationships. The findings declared that extreme use of social media can contribute to an overwh elming flood of information, which, in turn, worsens mental health disorders among SA university students. ...
The widespread and excessive usage of social media among university students has caused significant awareness about its impact on mental health, specifically when connected with information overload. This study explores the interrelationship between social media usage and information overload on university students’ mental health disorders (stress, anxiety, and depression). Based on theoretical frameworks such as Cognitive Load Theory and Social Comparison Theory (SCT), the study explores how pervasive usage of social media contributes to mental health disorders with the mediating role of information overload. This mediator factor (information overload) offers a more thorough theoretical understanding of the underlying processes through which social media platforms (SMPs) can influence mental well-being. A quantitative research design survey surveyed 420 higher education students, and the data obtained was analyzed with PLS-SEM. The findings disclose that social media usage and information overload are linked to higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. The study underlines the dual function of social media usage as both a means of connection and a driver of mental health disorders, highlighting the urgent need for approaches to mitigate the adverse impacts of information overload. These outcomes have significant implications for mental health professionals, professors, and higher education policymakers in advancing interventions to foster the well-being of university students in the information age.
... Among this population, a high prevalence of suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and suicide attempts has been well documented (Auerbach et al. 2018;Eskin et al. 2016;Brausch and Muehlenkamp 2018;Kiekens et al. 2023;Mortier et al. 2018;Saraff and Pepper 2014;Taliaferro and Muehlenkamp 2015;Whitlock et al. 2011). Studies in high-income countries estimate that 20%-30% of university students experience suicidal ideation, while 5%-10% attempt suicide at some point (Mortier et al. 2018;Twenge et al. 2018). In Spain, 9.9% of university students report suicidal ideation, 5.6% have made suicide plans, and 0.6% have attempted suicide in the past year (Blasco et al. 2019). ...
... Risk factors for suicidal behavior are multifaceted and complex, encompassing biological, psychological, and social dimensions. Among the most studied psychosocial risk factors are depressive symptoms, emotional dysregulation, and social disconnection, which heighten vulnerability to suicide (Twenge et al. 2018). Additionally, stressful life events, particularly interpersonal, chronic, and independent stressors, have been identified as significant contributors to suicidal behavior (López-Fernández et al. 2024). ...
Introduction
Suicidal behavior is a significant mental health concern among university students, yet it remains underexplored through a network approach. Traditional methods often overlook the complex interplay of psychological factors influencing suicidal behavior. This study addresses this gap by (a) examining suicidal behavior using network analysis and (b) identifying the psychological network of suicidal behavior along with protective and risk factors among university students.
Method
The sample consisted of a total of 1048 Spanish university students (M = 20.5 years; SD = 2.5; 58.2% women) from various universities. Several instruments were used to measure suicidal behavior, emotional and behavioral difficulties, prosocial behavior, subjective well‐being, emotional intelligence, self‐esteem, empathy, affect (both positive and negative), and emotional regulation. Data were analyzed using network analysis to understand the relationships among these variables.
Results
A total of 21.5% of the participants had experienced suicidal thoughts, 26.3% had wished to be dead or not wake up, 15% had considered specific suicide methods or made plans, and 5.8% had attempted suicide at least once. In addition, 18% had engaged in non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) at least once. Network analysis revealed that suicidal behavior was highly interconnected with other psychological factors, with “considered taking own life” as the most influential node. Key factors included depressive symptoms, positive affect, and emotional intelligence. Suicidal behavior showed a positive connection with depressive symptoms and negative affect and a negative connection with self‐esteem and positive affect. Stability analysis confirmed the accuracy of the network estimations, indicating reliable insights into the psychological interconnections.
Conclusions
These findings indicate that suicidal behavior in university students is a complex, dynamic system shaped by cognitive, emotional, and affective factors. Network analysis, through advanced psychopathological and psychometric models, offers valuable insights into suicidal behavior, improving risk and protective factor assessment. This highlights the need for targeted and comprehensive prevention strategies in educational settings.
... Mental health problems have been increasing drastically over the last decade (Twenge, 2020). Nationally representative data indicate that depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide deaths have increased markedly among American adolescents during that time (Twenge et al., 2018). Given this increase in mental health problems, it is likely that the landscape of risk for mental health problems is also changing. ...
... Given this increase in mental health problems, it is likely that the landscape of risk for mental health problems is also changing. For example, adolescents are also spending substantially more time online and interacting through electronic devices and less time engaging in non-screen activities like face-to-face social interaction, reading print media, and participating in sports or exercise; these changes have been linked to greater risk for depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (Twenge et al., 2018). In addition, there has also been an evolution in parenting styles in recent years, with "helicopter parenting" and over-involved parenting styles on the rise, particularly in high-income contexts (Doepke, 2019), which can influence children's well-being (LeMoyne & Buchanan, 2011). ...
Background
Low socioeconomic status (SES) during childhood is associated with higher levels of youth psychopathology. However, limited longitudinal work has examined the role of both household and neighborhood SES in shaping mental health trajectories over time using population‐based data. The goal of the present study was to characterize associations between SES and changes in mental health problems during early adolescence.
Methods
We investigated independent and joint associations of household income‐to‐needs ratio, parent educational attainment, material hardship, and neighborhood disadvantage with internalizing, externalizing, and attention symptom trajectories using longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Given sex‐based differences in mental health trajectories in the ABCD study, analyses were conducted separately in males and females. SES was assessed at baseline and youth‐reported mental health was assessed across six time‐points from age 10–13 years (M = 10.4, SD = 0.63 years; first assessed at the 6‐month follow‐up; N = 9488).
Results
Main effects indicated that, in general, high SES was associated with lower mental health symptoms. However, longitudinally, lower SES was associated with lower increases in mental health problems over time relative to higher SES. In females, while internalizing symptoms increased at all levels of income‐to‐needs, the association was most positive at higher levels of income‐to‐needs (B = 0.036, SE = 0.008, p < 0.001). In males, income‐to‐needs positively predicted externalizing (B = 0.022, SE = 0.007, p = 0.002) and attention (B = 0.023, SE = 0.007, p = 0.001) symptom trajectories, with lower income‐to‐needs linked to lower increases in externalizing and attention symptoms relative to higher income‐to‐needs. Two‐way interactions between SES indicators predicting changes in symptoms were non‐significant.
Conclusion
Our finding that youth from lower‐SES backgrounds exhibited lower increases in mental health problems during early adolescence contrasts with findings from prior cross‐sectional studies. However, mental health problems are on the rise and the landscape of risk for psychopathology is changing. More research is needed to understand how childhood SES contributes to risk and resilience for psychopathology during the transition to adolescence.
... Majoritatea studiilor transversale incluse într-o metaanaliză [31] au arătat o relație mică, dar pozitivă, între comportamentele problematice și adictive legate de internet și simptomele depresive. Aceste rezultate au fost raportate constant în studii cu eșantioane mari, naționale [32,33], precum și în studii cu eșantioane mai mici [34,35]. ...
... Most crosssectional studies included in a meta-analysis [31] revealed a small but positive relationship between problematic and addictive internet behaviors and depressive symptoms. These results were consistently reported in studies with large, national samples [32,33], as well as in smaller-sample studies [34,35]. ...
Revista de Neurologie şi Psihiatrie a Copilului şi Adolescentului din România-Decembrie 2024-vol. 30-nr. 4 5 REZUMAT Introducere: Digitalizarea rapidă și utilizarea tot mai frecventă a platformelor online de către copii și adolescenți au ridicat îngrijorări legate de impac-tul tehnologiei asupra dezvoltării psihologice. Studiul analizează relația dintre dependența de social media și dezvoltarea copiilor, identificând riscurile asociate utilizării excesive a tehnologiei. Metode: Această lucrare reprezintă o analiză critică a literaturii de specialitate privind impactul dependenței de tehnologie asupra dezvoltării psihologice a copiilor. Au fost consultate studii recente și s-au realizat discuții cu psihologi și psihiatri pentru a evalua perspectivele clinice asupra efectelor utilizării excesive a platformelor online asupra sănătății mentale a copiilor, menționând în articol cele mai pertinente concluzii. Rezultate: S-a observat o asociere semnificativă între utilizarea excesivă a rețelelor sociale și niveluri crescute de anxietate, depresie și scăderea stimei de sine. Dependența de tehnologie este corelată cu performanțe academice mai scăzute și dificultăți în relațiile interpersonale. Copiii mai mici sunt mai vulnerabili la efectele negative ale dependenței de tehnologie. Concluzii: Rezultatele subliniază importanța monitorizării și reglementării timpului petrecut pe platformele digitale de către copii. Sunt necesare intervenții educaționale și legislative pentru a proteja dezvoltarea psihologică sănătoasă a acestora, echilibrând utilizarea tehnologiei cu alte activități esențiale. ABSTRACT Introduction: The rapid digitalization and increasing use of online platforms by children and adolescents have raised concerns about the impact of technology on psychological development. This study explores the relationship between social media addiction and child development, highlighting the risks associated with excessive technology use. Methods: This paper presents a critical review of the literature on the impact of technology addiction on children. Recent studies were analyzed, and consultations were held with psychologists and psychiatrists to assess the clinical perspectives on the effects of excessive online platform use on children's mental health, mentioning in the article the most pertinent conclusions. Results: A significant association was found between excessive social media use and increased levels of anxiety, depression, and lower self-esteem. Technology addiction correlated with lower academic performance and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. Younger children were more vulnerable to the negative effects of technology addiction. Conclusions: The findings emphasize the importance of monitoring and regulating children's time spent on digital platforms. Educational and legislative interventions are needed to protect their healthy psychological development, balancing technology use with other essential activities.
... This phenomenon refers to using technology to commit bullying or other negative behaviors that aim to hurt other individuals online. Studies show that more than 37% of adolescents have been victims of cyberbullying, which significantly affects their mental health (Kowalski et al., 2014a;Thomas Lickona, 2009;Twenge et al., 2018). The effects include decreased self-confidence, increased anxiety, and impaired social relationships. ...
This research aims to explore how pesantren education can be adapted to answer the moral challenges faced by the younger generation in the digital era. Using the library research method, this study analyzes literature from various sources to understand the contribution of pesantren in facing contemporary moral issues. This study integrates the findings into a theoretical framework to highlight the relevance of pesantren education in the context of digital moral challenges. The results of the study show that various moral challenges, such as cyberbullying, social media addiction, and exposure to negative content, have a significant impact on children and adolescents. This phenomenon results in a decrease in empathy, the quality of social interaction, and an increase in negative behavior in cyberspace. Through strengthening religious values, character building, discipline, and examples from the kyai, Islamic boarding school education has proven effective in forming moral, responsible, and resilient students who can face the dynamics of the times. With this holistic approach, pesantren can become a relevant and adaptive educational model to answer moral challenges in the digital era.
... Loneliness is defined as the aversive state of feeling in which one is unhappy because there is a discrepancy between one's existing and desired social relationships [25][26]. Several studies have found that this increase in loneliness among young adults is potentially related to mobile phone addiction, such as their screen time and social media use [27]. For example, Shen and Wang (2019) found that there is a positive association between mobile phone addiction and loneliness [28]. ...
Mobile phone addiction leads to difficulties that arise in relationships with others; however, the psychological mechanisms that underpin this relationship are not well understood. The present study examined a multiple mediation model with both social anxiety and loneliness as mediators in the relationship between mobile phone addiction and interpersonal problems among young adults. A sample of 758 Chinese college students reported items on the survey, including demographics, the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Interaction Anxiousness Scale, and Interpersonal Comprehensive Diagnostic Scale. Results showed that mobile phone addiction was positively associated with interpersonal problems. Loneliness and social anxiety served as both independent and sequential mediators in this relationship. Moreover, these two types of mental states play equally important mediating roles. These results suggested that young adults with mobile phone addiction tended to have more interpersonal problems, not only due to their higher loneliness but also their higher social anxiety. In other words, both loneliness and social anxiety were factors that increase the risk of interpersonal problems.
... It is even suggested that low life satisfaction should be considered a developmental feature of adolescence (Goldbeck et al., 2007). In support of this view, there has been an increase in studies reporting a decrease in life satisfaction levels in adolescents (Goldbeck et al., 2007;Orben et al., 2022;Twenge et al., 2017). In this respect, adolescents' life satisfaction is important in the research agenda in fields such as education, psychology, sociology, and public health. ...
This study aimed to analyze 814 adolescent life satisfaction studies using bibliometric methods and to reveal the knowledge base, trends, and thematic areas in this research area. Our findings revealed that adolescent life satisfaction research has a history of approximately 45 years, with a notable increase in publications after 2010. Our analysis shows that the United States and China are the most prolific countries in the number of publications and that almost half of the studies in the adolescent life satisfaction literature are funded, with the highest funding rates in countries such as the UK, China, and Sweden. Thematic analysis shows that Psychosocial well-being and support systems, Healthy life behaviors, and Psychological health are the main focus areas. Recent trends emphasize “COVID- 19” and “meaning in life”. Our study emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of life satisfaction research in adolescents and underlines the focus on protective factors for life satisfaction.
... Studies have found correlations between prolonged digital device use and increased levels of anxiety, depression, and stress among students. A study by Twenge et al. (2017) found that excessive use of social media and screen-based activities was associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety among adolescents and young adults. Similarly, research by Kuss and Griffiths (2017) highlighted that problematic internet use, including excessive time on academic and social media platforms, contributed to mental health issues such as depression, stress, and social isolation. ...
Nowadays use of digital devices in academic settings has created a double-edged sword for students, offering unparalleled access to knowledge while contributing to digital overload, distraction, and mental fatigue. This study explores the concept of digital detox as a tool to enhance student productivity and mental health by intentionally reducing screen time. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, we examine the effects of digital detox interventions (DDI), such as structured breaks from devices, mindfulness practices, and tech-free study zones, on key outcomes including academic focus, emotional well-being, and sleep quality.Through surveys and case studies involving higher education students, the findings highlight a significant reduction in stress levels and an improvement in concentration and overall academic performance following short-term digital detox practices (DDP). Furthermore, the research underscores the role of balance rather than total disconnection, advocating for a mindful approach to digital engagement. By implementing structured digital detox strategies, institutions can foster healthier learning environments and equip students with tools to navigate the challenges of a hyperconnected world. This article provides actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and students seeking sustainable ways to enhance academic success and mental health.
... For younger users, setting limits on screen time, especially before bedtime, may be an important strategy to prevent excessive smartphone and internet use. Parents should monitor the time their children spend using these devices and establish rules to limit smartphone use in the bedroom (22). For individuals struggling with smartphone addiction, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) aimed at reducing screen time and improving sleep habits may be recommended. ...
Introduction and purpose: In recent years, smartphones and the Internet have significantly affected the daily lives of children, teenagers, and young adults. However, excessive use of smartphones, especially before bedtime, has serious health consequences. The purpose of this study is to review recent research regarding the impact of excessive smartphone use by children and young adults on their sleep (including the ability to fall asleep, total sleep time, and overall sleep quality), systematize existing knowledge, and provide recommendations for sleep hygiene. State of knowledge: Studies show that children and adolescents who spend a lot of time using mobile devices experience difficulty falling asleep, shortened sleep duration, and reduced sleep quality. These sleep problems can lead to serious health consequences, such as depression, anxiety, concentration problems, poor mood, and chronic fatigue. Using mobile devices before bed also affects the psychological processes involved in falling asleep. Activities such as browsing social media, reading the news, or playing games can increase levels of alertness and arousal, making it difficult to enter the relaxed state necessary for falling asleep. Additionally, content absorbed before bedtime can heighten stress and anxiety levels, further reducing sleep quality.
... Another research contribution of this study is that its findings differ from those of previous studies on the impact of instant messaging apps on mental health. Inconsistent with the adverse effects of new media use on increasing depressive symptoms among adolescents [71], this study demonstrated the beneficial role of instant messaging apps in promoting adolescents' self-esteem, which negatively affects depression. For practice, our findings have important implications for guiding adolescents and their parents and teachers. ...
Analyzing two-wave panel survey data from adolescents in South Korea, this study examined how instant messaging app use is associated with depression. Specifically, this study tested a moderated mediation model to determine between instant messaging app use and depression through self-esteem, and whether this pathway differs according to one’s level of neuroticism. The results showed that instant messaging app use was positively associated with self-esteem, which was negatively related to depression. Furthermore, the indirect association between instant messaging app use and depression through self-esteem was stronger as adolescents’ neuroticism level increased. These findings advance our understanding of the effect of instant messaging app use on depression among adolescents. The current study has important implications regarding the role of instant messaging app use in adolescents’ psychological health.
... The role of social media in adolescent mental health is among the most high-profile debates in Western society. Some suggest that it has destroyed a generation, 5,6 and others argue that its impact is similar in strength to the effect of eating potatoes. 7 Nationally representative data indicate that rates of anxiety and depression among US children and adolescents are remarkably high, 8,9 garnering concern from the US Surgeon General about the role of social media in these trends. ...
Adolescent development is increasingly shaped by social media contexts, with implications for well‐being. In this commentary, we discuss and present conceptual and methodological alternatives for two persistent limitations in prior research. First, most prior work measures screen time, implicitly treating social media as a monolith. Emerging research highlights that social media are multifaceted environments where youth encounter diverse experiences. We advocate for more work taking this nuanced approach and for the development of a comprehensive taxonomic framework that categorizes specific online experiences afforded by social media features and content. To support this approach, we call for the development of psychometrically rigorous self‐report scales to measure affective and cognitive social media experiences and for innovative behavioral observation techniques. Second, research that considers specific online experiences typically focuses on one in isolation. We argue that a holistic, interactionist approach to understanding human development requires integrating the numerous positive and negative online experiences that co‐occur in distinct patterns for diverse adolescents. We discuss the merits of mixture models as one potential analytic solution to address configurations of online experiences and systematically model heterogeneity among youth. These conceptual and methodological shifts can lead to targeted interventions and policies that recognize the interactive effects of digital experiences.
... The data highlight that females between the ages of 23 and 30 have a higher likelihood of experiencing depression, while males aged 18 to 22 are also more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms. Virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies may also contribute to the disconnection from reality and may exacerbate feelings of isolation, loneliness 81,82 , and a range of adverse health outcomes, including increased mortality 83,84 . Future policies should account for the psychological and societal implications of these technologies, ensuring safeguards are in place to mitigate their potential negative effects 85,86 . ...
2025 This document is a publication by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission's science and knowledge service. It aims to provide evidence-based scientific support to the European policymaking process. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the European Commission. Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use that might be made of this publication. For information on the methodology and quality underlying the data used in this publication for which the source is neither Eurostat nor other Commission services, users should contact the referenced source. The designations employed and the presentation of material on the maps do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the European Union concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
... Siswa sekolah menengah yang tidur kurang dari enam jam semalam mungkin dua kali lebih mungkin melakukan perilaku tidak aman seperti alkohol, tembakau atau penggunaan ganja, mengemudi di bawah pengaruh pengaruh, melukai diri sendiri, terlibat dalam perilaku seksual berisiko, mempertimbangkan atau mencoba bunuh diri Serta melaporkan tingkat masalah emosional yang lebih tinggi seperti kecemasan, depresi, dan kemarahan (Baudducco et al., 2016;Bharanidharan 2018;Weaver et al., 2018). Twenge et al.. (2017), menyebutkan bahwa meskipun sebagian besar remaja sudah tidur kurang dari jam yang disarankan, remaja yang menghabiskan banyak waktu di platform media sosial cenderung kurang tidur. Mendapatkan tingkat yang rendah baik dalam kualitas dan kuantitas tidur, terutama berlaku untuk remaja yang tidur dengan ponsel di kamar tidur mereka, selain itu menemukan bahwa semakin banyak perangkat yang dimiliki remaja di kamar tidur mereka, semakin banyak gangguan tidur yang dilaporkan . ...
Alhamdulillah, puji syukur ke hadirat Allah yang senantiasa
melimpahkan Rahmat, Taufiq Hidayah dan I'anah-Nya. Dengan
tersusunnya buku "Psikologi Media Sosial" ini.
Berdasarkan sudut pandang psikososial, media sosial dapat
didefinisikan sebagai "ruang digital" atau “ruang dunia maya”, yang
memungkinkan pengguna untuk mengelola hubungan jaringan sosial
mereka (organisasi, perluasan, eksplorasi dan perbandingan) dan
identitas sosialnya (deskripsi dan definisi). Selain itu, media sosial
memungkinkan penciptaan hibrida jaringan sosial, pada saat yang
sama dibentuk oleh koneksi virtual dan koneksi nyata yang
menimbulkan 'interrealitas', ruang sosial baru, lebih lunak dan dinamis
dari media sosial sebelumnya. Perkembangan penggunanan media
sosial-pun semakin hari semakin banyak, bahkan “hampir” setiap
individu mempunyai media sosial.
Buku yang membahas tentang media sosial dan psikologi
sosial memang sudah banyak. Namun buku sederhana yang
membahas spesifik media sosial ditinjau dari psikologi masih jarang.
Oleh karenanya, tujuan kami menulis buku ini adalah agar semakin
banyak dan beragam pengguna media sosial di Indonesia mengenal
dan mendalami teori mengenai media sosial terutama secara
psikologis.
Buku Psikologi Media Sosial yang ada dihadapan saudara ini
pada awalnya bagian hasil penelitian yang telah kami laksanakan pada
tahun 2021 yang telah di danai melalui Bantuan Operasional
Perguruan Tinggi Negeri (BOPTN) IAIN Kudus. Oleh karena itu,
perkenankanlah penulis menyampaikan ucapan terima kasih kepada
seluruh bapak dan ibu yang menangani “proyek” tersebut.
Ucapan terima kasih juga disampaikan kepada semua pihak
yang tidak mungkin disebut satu per satu, yang telah banyak jasanya
dalam memberikan bantuan terhadap penyelesaian buku ini.
Penulis menyadari buku ini tidak terlepas dari kelemahan.
Oleh karena itu, kritik dan saran konstruktif dari berbagai pihak sangat
diperlukan. Semoga buku ini bermanfaat bagi pembaca budiman.
Selain itu, kami menyadari bahwa di dalam penyusunan buku yang
sedang saudara baca ini masih banyak memiliki sisi kelemahan, baik
kelemahan teknis penulisan maupun substansirnya. Oleh karena itu,
kami berharap sekali kepada para pembaca untuk dapat memberikan
saran dan kritiknya, demi kesempurnaan tulisan buku ini.
... The pervasive influence of digital technology also contributes to mental health issues, with social media often amplifying feelings of inadequacy and selfdoubt. A research [46] found that excessive social media use correlates with increased rates of depression and anxiety among adolescents. Furthermore, young people struggle with identity and coping challenges, as societal changes and the ambiguity of social values create additional stressors, impacting their mental well-being. ...
This study explored the experiences and perceptions of young people who are actively involved in delivering mental health and related services to their peers in resource-limited settings. Employing a qualitative multiple case study approach, the researcher conducted interviews and focus group discussions with leaders of youth-led organizations and student-led associations. The data were subjected to thematic analysis to align with the study’s objectives. The findings reveal that both student-led associations and youth-led organizations focused on adolescent mental health are present in resource-limited settings, and they play a crucial role in addressing mental health challenges. The youth participants identified school pressure, digital technology, and identity crises as major contributors to their mental health issues. Furthermore, the study highlighted that awareness programs and support services are the primary youth-led initiatives on mental health, and the participants recommended the integration of mental health topics into formal education curricula and the co-creation of mental health programs as effective approaches to tackle the prevalent mental health challenges. The study further emphasizes that investing in empowering youth-led initiatives, offers promising and effective solutions to address the mental health needs of young people in resource-limited environments.
... . Globally, university students report elevated levels of psychological distress (Campbell et al., 2022;Stallman et al., 2023;Twenge et al., 2018). For example, one study found that 19.2% of university students reported very high levels of psychological distress-significantly higher than the 3% prevalence among age-matched peers in the general population (Stallman, 2010). ...
University students experience academic demands in addition to everyday stressors, which can impact their well-being and potentially affect academic performance. University sense of belonging, a key social determinant of health and well-being, may directly and indirectly influence academic outcomes. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses to investigate whether a sense of belonging at university impacts student well-being and academic outcomes. The results revealed a significant small-to-medium positive association between university sense of belonging and academic outcomes (r = 0.20), and a significant medium-to-large positive association with well-being outcomes (r = 0.40). Additionally, the number-needed-to-treat analyses suggest that a population-based intervention to improve university sense of belonging could have a significant impact on academic and well-being outcomes. However, high heterogeneity was observed, and most studies had a high risk of bias. Future research should explore moderating factors (e.g., student type) that contribute to this heterogeneity and focus on establishing causality in these relationships.
... PSNSU was found to be associated with lower happiness (Wang et al., 2019), decreased sleep quality (Yang et al., 2018), and depression (Burnell et al., 2019). Adolescents who frequently use social media are at a higher risk of major depression and suicidal behavior (Twenge et al., 2018). Data from a PSNSU survey of adolescents (N = 154,981) in 29 countries showed that PSNSU was related to negative mood and poor life satisfaction (Boer et al., 2020). ...
Aims
This longitudinal study explored the mechanisms of loneliness, trait-fear of missing out (trait-FoMO), and state-fear of missing out (state-FoMO) on problematic social networking site use (PSNSU) among Chinese college students.
Methods
Data were collected in two waves. Overall, 417 college students (45.08% male and 54.92% female, with an average age of 19.87 ± 1.05) completed measures of loneliness and PSNSU at the first time point (T1), and measures of trait-FoMO, state-FoMO, and PSNSU 12 months later (T2).
Results
(1) There were significant positive correlations among loneliness, trait-FoMO, state-FoMO, and PSNSU; (2) Trait-FoMO and state-FoMO fully mediated the relationship between loneliness and PSNSU; (3) there were two paths of loneliness that influenced PSNSU: loneliness was associated with PSNSU through the mediating role of trait-FoMO alone and the chain mediating role of trait- and state-FoMO.
Conclusion
This study highlights the need to accurately distinguish between trait-FoMO and state-FoMO, considering their different underlying mechanisms in addressing problematic network problems among college students.
... From a psychological perspective, the current generation of youth is associated with significantly higher incidences of stress, depression, and general apathy (Twenge et al., 2019). The impact of digital technology and the constant availability of information is causing a strain on mental health (Smith et al., 2021). ...
Generation Z, comprising young people born between 1997 and 2012 (Dimock, 2019) and is one of the most distinctive generations in the history of Western society.
Shaped by digital technologies, globalisation, and various crises (the threat of climate change, the COVD-19 pandemic, cybersecurity issues, the war in Ukraine),
Generation Z has been at the centre of academic debates in various disciplines. This article focuses on the analysis of this generation from the perspectives of sociology, psychology and spirituality.
... Recent decades have brought rapid social changes, technological developments and a host of new stressors to human populations, with considerable implications for well-being, health and life expectancy. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Despite advances in biomedicine, overall life expectancy in the USA, including New Jersey (NJ), a wealthy state, has been stagnant STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY ⇒ The study is guided by a comprehensive framework informed by key constructs from ecosocial and life course theories as well as stress process models. ⇒ The study of dual probabilistic and purposive sampling incorporates a unique focus on understudied groups likely to experience stressors, including immigrants from diverse sending countries, other groups experiencing discrimination and multigenerational families; additionally, sampling multiple participants in single households allows for analysis of stress proliferation across family members. ...
Introduction
Some stressors, like the death of a partner, are common and rigorously studied, while others, such as those related to climate change or social media, are just emerging and in need of systematic research. The New Jersey Population Health Cohort (NJHealth) Study aims to characterise established and emerging stressors and delineate the pathways through which they influence health, especially among groups likely to experience chronic exposure to stressors including immigrants, people of colour, multigenerational families and low-income families.
Methods and analysis
A prospective cohort, the NJHealth Study is recruiting 8000 NJ residents aged 14 and older using probabilistic and purposive methods to include members of multigenerational families, marginalised racial/ethnic and low-income populations, and recent immigrant groups. Building on ecosocial, life course and stress process models, the NJHealth Study employs multimodal data collection to comprehensively measure stress-related factors at individual and societal levels. Interviews include self-assessments of individual and societal stressors, potential stress buffers and amplifiers, and health and well-being outcomes, including cognitive function, activity limitations and self-reported health. In addition, salivary DNA, fasting plasma, health assessments and actigraphy data are collected from selected participants; and existing electronic health records, health insurance claims, social service and employment data, and vital records are linked. NJ’s socioeconomic and demographic diversity make it an exceptional setting for the study. Strong community and stakeholder engagement supports effective translation of research findings into practical policy and programme applications.
Ethics and dissemination
The study was approved by the WCGIRB (Study #1321099) (formerly Western IRB). Informed consent is obtained from participants for each source of participant-level data as well as linked administrative and clinical records. Findings will be reported to study participants, funding bodies, governmental and policy stakeholders, presented at scientific meetings and submitted for peer-review publication.
... Despite these unambiguous warnings, research reveals a much more complicated picture about social media and mental health. Specifically, studies examining associations between social media use and indices of mental health are mixed in their findings (for reviews see [7,8]), with some revealing positive [9], some negative [10], and others nonsignificant or small effects [11]. Yet, these studies have overwhelmingly focused on the amount or frequency of social media use (including addiction) with measures specific to different social media platforms or measures of broad online experiences [12][13][14]. ...
Questions have been raised about how social media may be experienced by adolescents with mental health concerns. Among socially anxious adolescents, social media may be experienced both negatively, because it can exacerbate core fears (e.g., negative evaluation), and positively, because it can alleviate other core fears (e.g., in-person interactions). We examined whether adolescent social anxiety is associated with social media experiences and is influenced by sex (girl/boy). Participants were 282 early adolescents (Mage = 11.79 years, 63% girls; 47% Hispanic/Latino) presenting for social anxiety evaluation and/or treatment, who completed self-report measures of social anxiety and social media experiences. Regression analyses revealed significant associations between social anxiety and both positive and negative social media experiences. We also found that social anxiety was associated with negative social media experiences for girls but not boys. The findings’ advancement of theory, research, and clinical understanding of social media use among socially anxious adolescents are discussed.
... The increased advancement of technology has highly influenced the well-being of society. While various articles and research have coined the negative consequences of technology on humanity (Twenge et al., 2018). Applications like social media are highly influential sources in spreading awareness among people. ...
This chapter explores the integration of psychology and technology as an opportunity to strengthen an individual's resilience and psychological health. Through a deep comprehensive review process, it identified 62 research articles and book chapters in the last 20 years. It investigated the potential keywords of combining psychology and technology which can enhance individual resilience and mental health. A thorough examination of all studies with their strengths, weaknesses, and limitations are incorporated to generate valuable insights. The results reveal that technological gears and tools like virtual games, virtual reality, and video applications and mobile apps can significantly enhance individuals' cognitive and motor skills and strengthen social connections. This chapter claimed that digital technologies and artificial intelligence promotes happiness and resilience of people. From teletherapy bridging geographic gaps to virtual reality. Finally, it claims an increasing anxiety among the people due to application of artificial intelligence.
... On the contrary, numerous studies have shown that excessive use of digital devices can increase levels of stress and anxiety, especially in academic contexts. For example, Twenge et al. (2018) found that excessive screen time is associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression in adolescents, suggesting that technology can have a negative impact on mental health when not properly regulated. Similarly, Liu et al. (2019) highlighted that reliance on digital devices in educational settings can lead to distraction and stress, affecting academic performance and emotional well-being. ...
Anxiety is one of the main disorders affecting university students, partly due to the current predominant pace of life and the competitive environment of the university. In this sense, the use of technology to reduce anxiety is one of the main tools available to university students. In order to analyze the current situation of the university population with respect to anxiety levels, both state anxiety and risk anxiety, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Questionnaire (STAI) was used and applied to a sample of four hundred and fifty students at the University of Burgos, ensuring the representativeness of this population by means of non-probabilistic sampling. Descriptive research has been carried out to determine the levels of anxiety of students at the University of Burgos. Likewise, the benefits of different studies on the application of technology to reduce anxiety are presented, as well as the applications most used by university students. In general terms, we can consider that the implementation of mindfulness techniques through emerging technologies promotes a reduction in anxiety levels among the university population. However, it is necessary to clarify that the data presented only indicate a correlation, not a relationship of cause and effect. Finally, various proposals for improvement and expansion of the research carried out are offered.
... More frequent use and greater feelings of connection to social media may be particularly relevant to appearance-related outcomes, given the visual nature of many social media platforms (Boer et al., 2021;Mérelle et al., 2017;Twenge et al., 2018). Engagement with idealized imagery (e.g., celebrities, influencers, peers) and interactive features (e.g., editing tools, likes, followers, comments) on visual platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram are specific aspects of social media use that have been demonstrated to correlate with heightened concerns about one's appearance in youth (Vandenbosch et al., 2022). ...
Online appearance preoccupation has been linked to a range of mental health concerns among youth. However, little is known about the trajectory of appearance preoccupation across this developmental period and what might account for variability. In this study, three potential correlates of change in online appearance preoccupation over time were investigated: gender, baseline social media use, and baseline emotional health problems (social anxiety and depressive symptoms). Utilizing a longitudinal design, 565 Australian youth, ages 13–22 years at Time 1 (M = 17.5, SD = 1.8; 40% boys, 60% girls), completed three surveys over 5 years to report their online appearance preoccupation, social media use, and emotional health. Controlling for age, online appearance preoccupation was higher in young women (than young men), as well as those who reported more social media use and more social anxiety and depressive symptoms at baseline. For those with an initially higher level of appearance preoccupation, as well those with initial higher levels of media use or emotional problems, the extent of preoccupation remained steadily high over time. In contrast, those with lower appearance preoccupation at baseline (i.e., young men, those lower in social media use, and those with fewer emotional problems) increased in preoccupation over time, with the majority of participants converging toward a higher degree of such preoccupation by the end of the study. Although young women were at more risk for online appearance preoccupation overall, gender did not significantly moderate these patterns of change over time.
... However, unfortunate this high rate may be; things appear to be getting worse. Prevalence rates have increased within the past decade for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults [10][11][12]. As a concrete illustration, a recent study of approximately 1.7 million individuals aged 5 to 22 years found an increase in the overall incidence and prevalence of depression and anxiety [13]. ...
Mental disorders are highly prevalent worldwide. Unfortunately, most people with these disorders do not receive any treatment. This is due in part to a large set of barriers (e.g., no access to therapists or clinics, lack of insurance, stigma) that impede seeking and obtaining mental health services. Many lifestyle interventions that are not part of traditional mental health services have indirect effects on reducing symptoms of mental disorders. These are interventions that target a direct focus (e.g., physical health, socialization, general well-being) but also have indirect and significant impact on reducing mental disorders. This article discusses indirect interventions as an additional way of reaching people in need of help with mental health problems. Interventions such as physical activity and exercise, diet, addressing sleep problems, yoga, tai chi, qigong, and volunteering have indirect beneficial effects. This article highlights the scope of mental illness as a background, introduces indirect interventions, and details three illustrations with evidence that targeting one focus with indirect effects on improving mental disorders. The interventions point to a category of interventions are not systematically used in the care of mental health problems. Among their many advantages is the prospect of their use at the levels of individuals and populations. Indirect interventions do not replace any of the current advances in treatment but add to ways of reaching people in need.
... When social media burnout occurs, excessive and compulsive online socializing can result in increased anxiety and depression (16). For example, the more time adolescents spend on social media, the more likely they are to have depressive symptoms (17). The active members in WeChat groups control the flow and distribution of health resources, and members in marginal positions are less likely to obtain effective social support. ...
Background
As the smallest social unit, the family is the primary source of social support for adolescent patients to withstand chronic diseases. Several rehabilitation programs have found that involving family members in the treatment process can result in greater success. However, families struggle to provide adequate support for the recovery of adolescent patients when adolescent depression occurs.
Methods
This study examined the WeChat group for parents of adolescent patients in the “DuGuo” community, and used participatory observation, social network analysis, and extensive interviews to investigate the online support received by families with adolescent depression.
Results
It was found that compared with physical diseases, adolescent depression recovery is a systemic problem, requiring all ecological contexts for adolescent growth to provide relative support. Under structural pressure, families with adolescent patients urgently require diversified social support such as medical consultation, emotional comfort, guidelines to return to school, and life planning. Insufficient offline social support leads parents to seek help from the Internet community.
Conclusion
Widespread factors such as communication constraints and hidden alienation in the nuclear family, render the parent–child relationship an important variable in combating depression. WeChat groups indeed provide a platform for parents with depressed children to seek help, but the real challenge for these parents is how online support from “off-site help” can be used in the family context and positively affect adolescent patients.
... Various physical, psychological, and social characteristic changes of this developmental period can make adolescents more vulnerable to depression compared with adults. 1 In recent years, the prevalence of self-reported depressive symptoms has been high in outpatient clinical settings, 2 with an upsurge in depressive symptoms among adolescents. 3 This trend has been further exacerbated by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on adolescent symptomatology. 4,5 Diurnal mood variation, which refers to the fluctuation of mood throughout the day, is one of the defining features of depression. ...
Purpose
Diurnal mood variation is one of the prominent symptoms in depression. However, little is known about this phenomenon. This study examined diurnal variation in adolescents with comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms, and assessed the incidence, correlates, and related factors.
Patients and Methods
The study comprised a sample of 557 outpatients who were adolescents suffering from anxiety and depression. Symptom severity was assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, Anxiety Scale, and 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression.
Results
Majority of the participants (69.83%) reported diurnal mood variation throughout the day. Higher score on the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, specifically somatic, cognitive impairment, retardation, sleep disturbance, and feelings of despair, were noted in individuals with diurnal variation compared to those without. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between feelings of despair and diurnal mood variation, which was able to predict diurnal variation in adolescent aged 10 to 13 years or those whose depressive symptoms were mild.
Conclusion
Diurnal mood variation is common in adolescents with major depressive disorder and anxiety. The pattern is associated with more severe depressive symptoms. Feelings of despair are a potential associated factor for diurnal changes in mood, although the discriminatory capacity of this variable is limited.
... Previous research has linked social media use to various mental health problems. A study by Twenge found that adolescents who spent more than three hours a day on social media had a higher risk of experiencing mental health problems such as anxiety and depression (Twenge et al., 2018;Akbar & Hayat, 2020). Shensa also reported that intensive social media use was associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety in the young adult population (Shensa et al., 2018;Raja & Iqbal, 2019). ...
With increasing reliance on digital devices, concerns about their impact on mental health have grown, particularly among young adults. Digital detox refers to a period during which individuals voluntarily refrain from using digital devices, with the goal of reducing stress, improving sleep, and enhancing overall well-being. A pre-test, followed by a digital detox intervention, and a post-test using an online survey was carried out. The sample comprised 189 participants (males=91, females=98) aged 18-30 years. Findings of the study reveal that digital detox interventions reduced depression and anxiety levels among young adults and improved mental health improvement. Moreover, male adults significantly improve their level of mental health as compared to female. Furthermore, unemployed adults reported higher level of depression and anxiety as compared to employed. In addition, demographic variables play a significant role in reducing psychological burden. Tailoring digital detox programs based on occupational needs, such as targeted support for unemployed individuals who experience heightened anxiety and depression, could also promote mental health equity and provide accessible, non-clinical mental health support. Overall, the study underscores the value of digital detox as a proactive approach to mental health management in a digitally saturated environment.
... Concurrently, it has also been focused on the research regarding the impact of sleep patterns and smartphone usage on the mental health of adolescents. More recently, a longitudinal study showed that youth who had increased electronic communication reported more symptoms of depression over time; each additional hour significantly predicted a 0.76-point increase in depressive symptoms (7). Similarly, the use of smartphones at night has been observed to be linked to the shortening of sleep duration among young individuals, as well as higher levels of depressive symptoms (8). ...
Background
Left-behind children in China face challenges in sleep patterns, technology use, and mental health. This study uses an individual-centered approach to derive behavioral profiles associated with depressive symptoms.
Methods
Data from 131,586 left-behind children aged 8 to 18 years from the Chinese Psychological Health Guard for Children and Adolescents Project were analyzed. Participants were recruited from 569 centers across schools, community institutes, orphanages, and children’s hospitals throughout China. Latent class analysis was conducted using weekday and weekend sleep duration and smartphone use as indicators. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).
Results
Four distinct classes emerged: Sufficient Sleep Low Users (23.6%), Moderate Sleep Medium Users (25.2%), Limited Sleep High Users (22.1%), and Healthy Sleep Low Users (29.2%). Significant differences in CES-D scores were found between classes (F(3, 131579) = 4929, p <.001, η² = 0.101). The Limited Sleep High Users class reported the highest levels of depressive symptoms (M = 11.60, SE = 0.0658), while the Sufficient Sleep Low Users class reported the lowest (M = 3.67, SE = 0.0346). A linear relationship between sleep duration and depressive symptoms was observed. Significant weekday-weekend differences in smartphone use were noted in the unhealthy categories.
Conclusions
This study reveals complex associations between sleep patterns, smartphone use, and depressive symptoms among left-behind children. The identified behavioral profiles provide insights into population heterogeneity and inform targeted intervention strategies. Findings emphasize the importance of addressing both sleep and technology use in mental health initiatives for this vulnerable population.
Penggunaan gawai (gadget) dalam kehidupan remaja semakin meningkat seiring berkembangnya teknologi digital. Meskipun gawai memberikan berbagai manfaat dalam menunjang aktivitas sosial, pendidikan, dan hiburan, durasi penggunaan yang berlebihan berpotensi menimbulkan dampak negatif terhadap kesehatan mental, terutama tingkat stres. Tujuan dari tinjauan literatur ini adalah untuk menganalisis hubungan antara lama penggunaan gawai dengan tingkat stres pada remaja berdasarkan hasil-hasil penelitian sebelumnya. Metode yang digunakan dalam kajian ini adalah studi literatur dari berbagai jurnal nasional dan internasional yang dipublikasikan dalam rentang waktu lima tahun terakhir. Hasil peninjauan menunjukkan bahwa terdapat hubungan signifikan antara durasi penggunaan gawai yang berlebihan dengan peningkatan tingkat stres pada remaja. Faktor-faktor seperti jenis aktivitas yang dilakukan dengan gawai, waktu penggunaan (terutama pada malam hari), dan kurangnya interaksi sosial langsung turut memperburuk kondisi psikologis remaja. Kesimpulan dari kajian ini menunjukkan pentingnya pengaturan waktu penggunaan gawai serta perlunya edukasi kepada remaja dan orang tua tentang dampak psikologis penggunaan gawai yang berlebihan. Rekomendasi yang diberikan mencakup perlunya intervensi melalui pendekatan pendidikan kesehatan mental di lingkungan keluarga maupun sekolah.
In this chapter, we first define the polysemic concept of “critical thinking.” We then argue why we need to re-engage with critical thinking so the academy can effectively respond to the defining challenges of our times. We offer a framework to foster critical thinking, paying particular attention to the roles psychology has in responding to contemporary challenges and in world-making. Finally, we end by connecting these discussions into methodologies and pedagogies, arguing that fostering critical thinking requires attention to the wide diversity of ways that individuals and groups make sense of their social worlds in their everyday lives.
This paper aims to understand literary criticism's contribution to communication during the new media communication. The literary work is viewed and disseminated, as well as the discussions on various social media. Literature and media communications are advancing with the integration of technology and the internet in society. Criticism is a one-way process of reading and interpreting texts and has developed into a cultural practice that continually influences and defines how literature is produced, consumed, and disseminated in the contemporary world. Due to social networking services, blogs, forums, and other information-sharing platforms, literary criticism can be written by anyone, and more people can be involved in the critical discussion of any piece of literature. Social media platforms have also created a chance for social synchronous debates, interpretations, and sharing of articles and other content reproducing literary concepts reflecting on society and its culture. In addition, digital literary criticism has destabilized the distinction between the high and low, where critics consume and analyze not only books and poems but also, in addition to traditional texts, films, television shows, and video games. The study of literature and literary criticism in as much as it has made criticism more diverse and more topical as in modern culture. The digital age poses many problems for literary criticism, including the issue of shallow approach, the problem of fake news, and the commodification of literary criticism. Finally, as literary criticism is becoming more integrated into the digital world, its function in constructing communication will depend on the tension between the popularization of the scholarly approach and, on the other hand, the possibility of keeping the depth of critical analysis. This study posits that digital literary criticism is instrumental in fashioning literary discourses. The dissemination of ideas that form part of cross-cultural cognition, and the functions of literature in the 21st century. This research tries to shed light on the effects of digital literary criticism on the current and future modes of communication and literary studies by using the practices and mediating technologies as its object of study.
Social media has become an integral part of the lives of teenagers, especially among high school students. Excessive use of social media can have negative impacts on students' mental health, such as anxiety, depression, and decreased self-esteem. In Dobo City, the lack of socialization regarding the negative impacts of social media on students' mental health has created a need for a community service program aimed at raising students' awareness of these effects. This program involves various methods such as workshops, group discussions, and counseling sessions to provide knowledge on how to use social media in a healthy way. The program also offers students the opportunity to share experiences and develop skills in managing stress and improving their mental health. The results of this program show an increased awareness among students regarding the negative effects of social media and the importance of managing online time wisely. This program has also led to positive changes in students' mindset towards healthier social media use. It is hoped that the outcomes of this activity can make a positive contribution to improving students' mental health and cultivating more responsible social media habits.
The digital era has radically transformed personal ties due to the widespread impact of technology. This study analyses the evolution of interpersonal relationships via digital communication platforms, focusing on the effects of social media, virtual communities, and messaging programs on emotional closeness, social intimacy, and human contact. The research examines how the convenience of digital communication simultaneously promotes and weakens personal connections, utilising both quantitative and qualitative investigations. Although digital platforms offer unparalleled prospects for global communication, they may concurrently reduce the quality of in-person relationships and the depth of emotional engagement. This chapter examines the paradox of connection in the digital era by reviewing current literature and empirical investigations. It investigates ways to cultivate meaningful personal interactions in a technology-dominated context.
Bu araştırma lise öğrencileri arasında sosyal medya kullanımının geniş yelpazedeki etkilerini ele almaktadır ve dijital çağın bu önemli fenomeninin gençler üzerindeki hem olumlu hem de olumsuz sonuçlarını ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma fenomenolojik bir metodoloji kullanarak, 22 lise öğrencisi ile yürütülmüş derinlemesine mülakatlar ile ele alınmıştır. Bu yöntem öğrencilerin sosyal medya deneyimlerini, algılarını ve bu platformların günlük yaşamları üzerindeki etkilerini kapsamlı bir şekilde anlamayı amaçlamaktadır. Öğrenciler sosyal medyayı eğitim materyallerinden kişisel bakıma, modadan sosyal ilişkilere kadar geniş bir içerik yelpazesi için kullanmışlardır. Bu platformlar öğrencilere benzer ilgi alanlarına sahip akranlarla bağlantı kurma ve sosyal destek ağlarını genişletme imkânı sunarak, sosyal bağlarını pekiştirmelerine ve kültürel açıdan zenginleşmelerine olanak sağlamıştır. Ayrıca sürekli bilgi akışına maruz kalmak, bilgilerin aşırı yüklenmesine ve önemli bilgilerin unutulmasına neden olabilmektedir. Bu durum öğrenciler arasında artan bir yorgunluk ve bıkkınlık hissine yol açmakta, akademik performansları üzerinde dikkat dağınıklığı ve stres gibi olumsuz psikolojik etkiler yaratmaktadır. Bu bakımdan bu araştırma, sosyal medyanın gençler üzerindeki etkilerini daha iyi anlamak ve yönlendirmek için eğitimcilerin sosyal medya kullanımını dikkatle izlemeleri ve öğrencilere sağlıklı kullanım alışkanlıkları kazandırmak amacıyla destekleyici stratejiler geliştirmelerinin önemini vurgulamaktadır.
Background
Excessive digital screen time (EDST), which is defined as screen use that surpasses recommended limits, has been found to have detrimental effects on students’ mental health and academic performance. However, there is a paucity of studies investigating EDST in university students in Thailand.
Objective
To investigate the prevalence, characteristics, and associations of excessive digital screen time with students’ mental health, sleep quality, and academic performance.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted at Southern University, Thailand, between December 2023 and January 2024. A total of 446 students completed self-administered questionnaires assessing DST characteristics, mental health, sleep quality, and academic performance. The tools used included the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. DST was analyzed by device type and average weekly usage hours, focusing on smartphones, tablets, and computers. EDST was defined as daily usage exceeding 8 hours for smartphones, 6 hours for tablets, or 5 hours for computers. Participants exceeding these thresholds on any device were classified as having EDST. Sampling was conducted using quota sampling across faculties. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests, rank sum tests, and logistic regression, with significance set at P<0.05.
Results
Students’ median age was 20 years (67.9% women). Most participants used smartphones for 4–6 hours daily (29.7%), tablets for <4 hours (29.8%), and computers for <4 hours (62.6%). Smartphones were primarily used for social media (73.1%), while tablets (28.4%) and computers (19.3%) were used for educational purposes. The prevalence of EDST was 48.4%, including 29.4% on tablets, 22.9% on smartphones, and 7.6% on computers. EDST was significantly associated with younger age (AOR 0.79; 95% CI 0.66–0.94) and enrollment in health science faculties (AOR 1.7; 95% CI 1.01–2.86).
Conclusion
A high prevalence of EDST was observed among university students, particularly on smartphones and tablets. Younger students and those in health science programs were more prone to EDST, potentially due to higher academic demands and social media use. Interventions to enhance self-awareness, regulate screen time, and develop time management skills are recommended to mitigate its negative effects on mental health and academic performance.
The overall aim of this thesis was to report on the development and implementation of a standardized psychosocial autopsy to understand and prevent suicide in the Netherlands.
Chapter 2 sets off with an exploration of stakeholder perceptions and needs concerning the implementation of a standardized psychosocial autopsy in the Netherlands. Standardized herein refers to a specific, predetermined set of guiding principles and conditions relating to processes involved with the psychosocial autopsy, ranging from the interview instrument to data collection and the translation into recommendations for prevention.
In the second part of this dissertation, we present findings from psychosocial autopsy studies into adolescent suicides, and railway suicides. In chapter 3 we investigated the differences in suicide-related communication between young male and female (aged under 20 years old) suicide decedents.
We used a qualitative analysis technique called the ‘Constant Comparative Method’101 to investigate 798 suicide-related communication events reported in interviews concerning 35 young male and female decedents.
In chapter 4 we explored the meaning of social media in the lives of the adolescents who died by suicide. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was performed to assess the role social media had in the lives and to the deaths of these adolescents, with particular attention to the ways in which social media use affected their wellbeing and distress.
Chapter 5 reports a mixed-methods psychosocial autopsy of railway suicides. In this study, we combined data detailing the sociodemographic characteristics of all railway suicide decedents in the Netherlands from 2017 and 2021, with data from in-depth psychosocial autopsy interviews concerning 39 railway suicide decedents.
We started working towards a retrospective, dynamic, cross-sectional cohort that facilitates real-time monitoring of psychosocial characteristics of suicides and allows for an analysis of time-trends and clusters in the future. Chapter 6 describes findings from the pilot study with the new, mixed-methods psychosocial autopsy of suicide in young and middle-aged people.
In chapter 7, the use of Large Language Models for automated deductive coding of interview data is explored and evaluated.In chapter 8, we discuss the findings from our research that have yet received little attention in scientific literature, reflect on lessons learned, and discuss the future of the psychosocial autopsy.
El presente estudio examinó el uso de redes sociales y su impacto percibido en el rendimiento académico de estudiantes de 5º y 6º grado de secundaria. Se llevó a cabo una investigación descriptivo-correlacional con enfoque cuantitativo, utilizando un cuestionario estructurado aplicado a 35 estudiantes. Los resultados mostraron que el 48.6% de los participantes utilizaba redes sociales más de tres horas al día, siendo TikTok, Instagram y WhatsApp las plataformas más populares. Además, un 54.3% admitió que usa redes sociales ocasionalmente durante el estudio, aunque un 40% señaló que esto tiene poco efecto en su concentración. Sin embargo, un 42.9% de los estudiantes no tenía claro si el uso de redes sociales afectaba su rendimiento académico o sus calificaciones. Como conclusión el estudio sugiere que los estudiantes no son completamente conscientes de la relación entre sus hábitos digitales y su rendimiento académico, lo que indica la necesidad de intervenciones educativas. Se recomienda promover el uso responsable de redes sociales y fomentar el desarrollo de habilidades de autorregulación para minimizar los efectos negativos sobre el desempeño escolar. Estos hallazgos son relevantes como punto de partida para futuras investigaciones y para el diseño de estrategias pedagógicas que ayuden a los estudiantes a equilibrar el uso de tecnología con sus obligaciones académicas.
p> The institute of education is an instrument of advanced development, a means of forming a new shaping socio-cultural pattern, with its specific means of significant socialization potential in the conditions of rapid development of society's digitalization. Only education, in its present dimension - neuropedagogy, is able to conduct successful socialization of an individual by teaching her from the position of the laws of brain functioning; to intensify this process in the conditions of total digitalization in accordance with the laws of brain functioning. Intensive use of formal and informal education in the daily life of today's society and socialization of the population in the digital environment because of its activities in the virtual sphere create a wide space for the realization of opportunities. They are conditioned by the rapid dynamics of information flow as a global factor of modernity, generating both advantages and problems in the educational process, cognitive development, social adaptation of personality; formation of traditional ways of relations; changes in the neural architecture of the human brain in the long term; emergence of risks beyond the limits of the digital space. It was established how representatives of different generations, grouped into appropriate age focus groups and in the process of receiving formal and informal education, are socialized in the digital space. The paper reveals how the cognitive domain of personality changes under the influence of digitalization in the context of the respondents' stay in the educational environment. The specifics of socialization in the digital environment and the reasons for the preference of virtual form of communication were determined. The types of digital danger in the virtual environment were revealed. </p
Perkembangan media sosial di era teknologi telah membawa perubahan besar dalam kehidupan remaja, khususnya remaja perempuan. Media sosial tidak hanya menjadi sarana komunikasi dan ekspresi diri, tetapi juga dapat meningkatkan tekanan sosial akibat standar kecantikan, gaya hidup, dan validasi sosial yang terus-menerus diekspos. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh kepribadian dan penggunaan media sosial terhadap tingkat tekanan sosial yang dialami oleh remaja perempuan. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan metode survei yang melibatkan responden dari kalangan remaja perempuan di Indonesia. Analisis data dilakukan menggunakan teknik regresi linear untuk menguji hubungan antara variabel-variabel yang diteliti. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kepribadian, terutama dimensi neurotisme dan ekstroversi, memiliki pengaruh signifikan terhadap tingkat tekanan sosial yang dialami remaja perempuan dalam menggunakan media sosial. Individu dengan tingkat neurotisme tinggi lebih rentan terhadap kecemasan sosial dan perbandingan sosial negatif, sedangkan individu ekstrovert cenderung lebih adaptif dalam menghadapi dinamika sosial di media digital. Selain itu, intensitas penggunaan media sosial juga berkontribusi terhadap tekanan sosial, terutama pada platform yang menonjolkan citra tubuh dan gaya hidup ideal. Temuan ini menegaskan bahwa faktor kepribadian dan pola interaksi di media sosial memainkan peran penting dalam membentuk kesejahteraan psikologis remaja perempuan. Penelitian ini memberikan kontribusi dalam memahami bagaimana media sosial dan faktor kepribadian mempengaruhi tekanan sosial pada remaja perempuan, serta implikasinya bagi kesehatan mental mereka. Implikasi penelitian ini dapat digunakan oleh pendidik, orang tua, dan pembuat kebijakan dalam merancang strategi yang lebih efektif untuk membantu remaja menghadapi tekanan sosial di era digital.
Social media's pervasiveness in contemporary life has sparked worries about its possible negative impacts on well-being and mental health. Through a thorough analysis, the purpose of this paper research project was to examine the psychological effects of excessive social media use. To capture the dynamic character of the association between social media use and mental health outcomes, the study used a mixed-methods approach, including a longitudinal design, guided by theoretical frameworks such as the social displacement hypothesis and the social comparison theory. Data was gathered from a heterogeneous group of participants via semi-structured interviews, online questionnaires, psychometric tests, and social media usage logs. The quantitative investigation looked at the connections between the usage of social media and a number of mental health markers, such as loneliness, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. Deeper understanding of the individual experiences and the mechanisms behind the observed relationships was made possible by qualitative data. The findings showed a strong link between excessive social media use and worse mental health outcomes, including elevated symptoms of anxiety and sadness, decreased life satisfaction and self-esteem, and so on. Important mediating variables were found to include addiction-like behavioral patterns, social comparison, and FOMO (fear of missing out). It has been discovered that individual characteristics, such as coping mechanisms and personality features, mitigate the negative effects of social media use on mental health. The results of this study add to the expanding corpus of research on the psychological effects of social media by shedding light on the intricate interactions and underlying mechanisms relating to social media use and mental health. The development of focused treatments, the improvement of theoretical models, and the evaluation of design and policy suggestions for social media platforms are some of the study implications. In the digital age, this study emphasizes how critical it is to address the negative impacts of excessive social media use in order to support mental health and well-being in general.
Media effects research has observed significant diversity in the effects of social media on adolescent well-being, with outcomes ranging from positive to negative and, in some cases, neutral effects. In an effort to comprehend and elucidate this diversity, we have formulated The Swiss Cheese Model of Social Cues, a theoretical framework that systematically categorizes potential sources contributing to these variations. This dynamic model encompasses the complex layers of social cues present within platforms, the social environment, and individual (neuro)susceptibility, collectively shaping how social media influences the well-being of adolescents. The primary goal of this model is to enhance research by concurrently considering a broader range of individual difference factors, providing a comprehensive framework for investigations into the complex interplay of social context in social media effects.
The Cambridge Handbook of Emerging Issues at the Intersection of Commercial Law and Technology is a timely and interdisciplinary examination of the legal and societal implications of nascent technologies in the global commercial marketplace. Featuring contributions from leading international experts in the field, this volume offers fresh and diverse perspectives on a range of topics, including non-fungible tokens, blockchain technology, the Internet of Things, product liability for defective goods, smart readers, liability for artificial intelligence products and services, and privacy in the era of quantum computing. This work is an invaluable resource for academics, policymakers, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the social and legal challenges posed by technological innovation, as well as the role of commercial law in facilitating and regulating emerging technologies.
Over the past decade, the interpersonal theory of suicide has contributed to substantial advances in the scientific and clinical understanding of suicide and related conditions. The interpersonal theory of suicide posits that suicidal desire emerges when individuals experience intractable feelings of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness and near-lethal or lethal suicidal behavior occurs in the presence of suicidal desire and capability for suicide. A growing number of studies have tested these posited pathways in various samples; however, these findings have yet to be evaluated meta-analytically. This paper aimed to (a) conduct a systematic review of the unpublished and published, peer-reviewed literature examining the relationship between interpersonal theory constructs and suicidal thoughts and behaviors, (b) conduct meta-analyses testing the interpersonal theory hypotheses, and (c) evaluate the influence of various moderators on these relationships. Four electronic bibliographic databases were searched through the end of March, 2016: PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Hypothesis-driven meta-analyses using random effects models were conducted using 122 distinct unpublished and published samples. Findings supported the interpersonal theory: the interaction between thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness was significantly associated with suicidal ideation; and the interaction between thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and capability for suicide was significantly related to a greater number of prior suicide attempts. However, effect sizes for these interactions were modest. Alternative configurations of theory variables were similarly useful for predicting suicide risk as theory-consistent pathways. We conclude with limitations and recommendations for the interpersonal theory as a framework for understanding the suicidal spectrum.
Face-to-face social interactions enhance well-being. With the ubiquity of social media, important questions have arisen about the impact of online social interactions. In the present study, we assessed the associations of both online and offline social networks with several subjective measures of well-being. We used 3 waves (2013, 2014, and 2015) of data from 5,208 subjects in the nationally representative Gallup Panel Social Network Study survey, including social network measures, in combination with objective measures of Facebook use. We investigated the associations of Facebook activity and real-world social network activity with self-reported physical health, self-reported mental health, self-reported life satisfaction, and body mass index. Our results showed that overall, the use of Facebook was negatively associated with well-being. For example, a 1-standard-deviation increase in "likes clicked" (clicking "like" on someone else's content), "links clicked" (clicking a link to another site or article), or "status updates" (updating one's own Facebook status) was associated with a decrease of 5%-8% of a standard deviation in self-reported mental health. These associations were robust to multivariate cross-sectional analyses, as well as to 2-wave prospective analyses. The negative associations of Facebook use were comparable to or greater in magnitude than the positive impact of offline interactions, which suggests a possible tradeoff between offline and online relationships.
In this month’s issue of Pediatrics , Mojtabai and colleagues1 sound an alarm with 2 critical public health updates; depression is significantly on the rise in adolescents, with a 12-month prevalence of 11.3% in 2014 versus 8.7% in 2005. Furthermore, despite this disturbing development, the percentage of young people with a history of past-year major depressive episodes seen by primary care providers for depression care is only ∼10% and has not appreciably budged in the past decade.
The second point is disappointing because it occurs despite a 2007 American Academy of Pediatrics statement,2 which could have possibly had an impact on the comparison between 2005 and 2014. This statement strongly encouraged all pediatricians to recognize and identify the risk factors for suicide, then the third leading cause of death for adolescents 15 to 19 years old, of which depression was and remains …
Address correspondence to Anne Glowinski, MD, MPE, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, 4444 Forest Park Ave, St Louis, MO 63108. E-mail: glowinsa{at}wustl.edu
Gender equality has varied across time, with dramatic shifts in countries such as the United States in the past several decades. Although differences across societies and changes within societies in gender equality have been well documented, the causes of these changes remain poorly understood. Scholars have posited that such shifts have been driven by specific events (such as Title IX and Roe versus Wade), broader social movements (such as feminism and women’s liberation) or general levels of social development (for example, modernization theory1). Although these factors are likely to have been partly responsible for temporal variations in gender equality, they provide fairly intermediate explanations void of a comprehensive
framework. Here, we use an ecological framework to explore the role of key ecological dimensions on change in
gender equality over time. We focus on four key types of ecological threats/affordances that have previously been linked to cultural variations in human behaviour as potential explanations for cultural change in gender equality: infectious disease, resource scarcity, warfare and climatic stress. We show that decreases in pathogen prevalence in the United States over six decades (1951–2013) are linked to reductions in gender inequality and that such shifts in rates of infectious disease precede shifts in gender inequality. Results were robust, holding when we controlled for other ecological dimensions and for collectivism and conservative ideological identification (indicators of more broadly traditional cultural norms and attitudes). Furthermore, the effects were partially mediated by reduced teenage birth rates (a sign that people are adopting slower life history strategies), suggesting that life history strategies statistically account for the relationship between pathogen prevalence and gender inequality over time. Finally, we replicated our key effects in a different society, using comparable data from the United Kingdom over a period of seven decades (1945–2014).
Key findings:
Data from the National Vital Statistics System, Mortality •From 1999 through 2014, the age-adjusted suicide rate in the United States increased 24%, from 10.5 to 13.0 per 100,000 population, with the pace of increase greater after 2006. •Suicide rates increased from 1999 through 2014 for both males and females and for all ages 10-74. •The percent increase in suicide rates for females was greatest for those aged 10-14, and for males, those aged 45-64. •The most frequent suicide method in 2014 for males involved the use of firearms (55.4%), while poisoning was the most frequent method for females (34.1%). •Percentages of suicides attributable to suffocation increased for both sexes between 1999 and 2014.
Background:
Depression is a major health concern for college students due to its substantial morbidity and mortality. Although low parental education has been identified as a factor in depression in college students, the mechanisms through which parental educational achievement affects students' depression are not well understood. We tested whether adverse family and college environments mediate the relationship between parental educational level and depression among Chinese college students.
Methods:
A total of 5180 respondents were selected using a cross-sectional survey. We examined the association of parental education, adverse family and college environments with depression in college students using the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, Beck Depression Inventory and socio-demographic questionnaires.
Results:
Lower parental educational level is significantly correlated with depression in college students in our sample. Additionally, low family economic status, paternal or maternal unemployment, long periods spent apart from family, family conflicts, having been scolded and beaten by parents, poor or dissatisfying test performance, conflict with friends, heavy course load and failure in selection processes are also associated with parental education. Low family economic status, paternal or maternal unemployment, long periods spent apart from family, family conflicts, poor or dissatisfying test performance, conflict with friends and heavy course load mediated the relationship between parental education and depression in college students.
Conclusions:
Adverse family and college environments could explain the influence of parental educational level on depression in college students.
Over the last decade, research into "addictive technological behaviors" has substantially increased. Research has also demonstrated strong associations between addictive use of technology and comorbid psychiatric disorders. In the present study, 23,533 adults (mean age 35.8 years, ranging from 16 to 88 years) participated in an online cross-sectional survey examining whether demographic variables, symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, and depression could explain variance in addictive use (i.e., compulsive and excessive use associated with negative outcomes) of two types of modern online technologies: social media and video games. Correlations between symptoms of addictive technology use and mental disorder symptoms were all positive and significant, including the weak interrelationship between the two addictive technological behaviors. Age appeared to be inversely related to the addictive use of these technologies. Being male was significantly associated with addictive use of video games, whereas being female was significantly associated with addictive use of social media. Being single was positively related to both addictive social networking and video gaming. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that demographic factors explained between 11 and 12% of the variance in addictive technology use. The mental health variables explained between 7 and 15% of the variance. The study significantly adds to our understanding of mental health symptoms and their role in addictive use of modern technology, and suggests that the concept of Internet use disorder (i.e., "Internet addiction") as a unified construct is not warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record
The use of self-report surveys for suicide risk screening is a key first step in identifying currently suicidal individuals and connecting them with appropriate follow-up assessment and care. Online methods for suicide risk screening are becoming more common, yet they present a number of complexities compared with traditional methods. This study aimed to assess whether forcing item responses may unintentionally hide or misrepresent otherwise useful missing suicide risk data. We investigated in secondary analyses of 3 independent samples of undergraduates (ns = 1,306; 694; 172) whether participants who chose not to respond specifically to current suicide risk screening items (i.e., Nondisclosers) scored significantly different from other risk response groups (i.e., Deniers, Lower-Risk Endorsers, and Higher-Risk Endorsers) on auxiliary measures related to suicidality. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) tests for each sample revealed that Nondisclosers were rare (ns = 7, 6, 7) and scored significantly higher than Deniers and similarly to Endorsers on suicide risk related measures. In 1 sample, Nondisclosers tended to score higher than all groups on suicide risk related measures. These findings suggest that nondisclosure for suicide risk screening questions is a preferred option for a distinct group of respondents who are likely at elevated suicide risk. Allowing for and flagging Nondisclosers for follow-up suicide risk assessment may be an ethical and feasible way to enhance the sensitivity of online suicide risk screenings for weary respondents, who if forced, may choose to underreport their suicide risk and misrepresent data. (PsycINFO Database Record
We propose that generational differences are meaningful despite some theoretical and methodological challenges (cf. Costanza & Finkelstein, 2015). We will address five main issues: operationalizing generations, measuring generational differences, theoretical models of generations, mechanisms of generational change, and the importance of science versus stereotypes.
Adolescents spend increasingly more time on electronic devices, and sleep deficiency rising in adolescents constitutes a major public health concern. The aim of the present study was to investigate daytime screen use and use of electronic devices before bedtime in relation to sleep.
A large cross-sectional population-based survey study from 2012, the youth@hordaland study, in Hordaland County in Norway.
Cross-sectional general community-based study.
9846 adolescents from three age cohorts aged 16-19. The main independent variables were type and frequency of electronic devices at bedtime and hours of screen-time during leisure time.
Sleep variables calculated based on self-report including bedtime, rise time, time in bed, sleep duration, sleep onset latency and wake after sleep onset.
Adolescents spent a large amount of time during the day and at bedtime using electronic devices. Daytime and bedtime use of electronic devices were both related to sleep measures, with an increased risk of short sleep duration, long sleep onset latency and increased sleep deficiency. A dose-response relationship emerged between sleep duration and use of electronic devices, exemplified by the association between PC use and risk of less than 5 h of sleep (OR=2.70, 95% CI 2.14 to 3.39), and comparable lower odds for 7-8 h of sleep (OR=1.64, 95% CI 1.38 to 1.96).
Use of electronic devices is frequent in adolescence, during the day as well as at bedtime. The results demonstrate a negative relation between use of technology and sleep, suggesting that recommendations on healthy media use could include restrictions on electronic devices.
Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.
Psychologists who study culture tend to do so by compar-ing distinct populations to determine universal and cul-ture-specific patterns of behavior. Research in this tradition has revealed that Westerners tend to be individualist; they emphasize personal autonomy, self-fulfillment, and uniqueness. In contrast, East Asians and Eastern Europeans tend to be collectivist; they emphasize strong family ties, in-group cohesion, and a focus on duty (for reviews, see Markus & Kitayama, 1991; Triandis, 1995). Yet cultures are not static, as suggested by recent studies on cultural change in individualism in the United States (Greenfield, 2013; Twenge, Campbell, & Gentile, 2012) and elsewhere (Hamamura, 2012). In the present research, using the United States as a case study, we aimed to systematically test five socio-ecological hypotheses addressing why the individualism of cultures changes over time.
Between 1972 and 2012, Americans became significantly less trusting of each other and less confident in large institutions, such as the news media, business, religious organizations, the medical establishment, Congress, and the presidency. Levels of trust and confidence, key indicators of social capital, reached all-time or near-all-time lows in 2012 in the nationally representative General Social Survey of adults (1972-2012; N = 37,493) and the nationally representative Monitoring the Future survey of 12th graders (1976-2012; N = 101,633). Hierarchical modeling analyses separating the effects of time period, generation, and age show that this decline in social capital is primarily a time-period effect. Confidence in institutions is also influenced by generation, with Baby Boomers lowest. Trust was lowest when income inequality was high, and confidence in institutions was lowest when poverty rates were high. The prediction of a sustained revival in social capital after 2001 seems to have been premature.
Considerable research on computer-mediated communication has examined online communication between strangers, but little is known about the emotional experience of connectedness between friends in digital environments. However, adolescents and emerging adults use digital communication primarily to communicate with existing friends rather than to make new connections. We compared feelings of emotional connectedness as they occurred in person and through digital communication among pairs of close friends in emerging adulthood. Fifty-eight young women, recruited in pairs of close friends, engaged in four conversations each: in-person, video chat, audio chat, and instant messaging (IM). Bonding in each condition was measured through both self-report and affiliation cues (i.e., nonverbal behaviors associated with the emotional experience of bonding). Participants reported feeling connected in all conditions. However, bonding, as measured by both self-report and affiliation cues, differed significantly across conditions, with the greatest bonding during in-person interaction, followed by video chat, audio chat, and IM in that order. Compared with other participants, those who used video chat more frequently reported greater bonding with friends through video chat in our study. Compared with other participants, those who spoke on the phone more frequently with their participating friend reported greater bonding during audio chat. Use of textual affiliation cues like emoticons, typed laughter, and excessive letter capitalization during IM related to increased bonding experience during IM. Nonetheless, a significantly lower level of bonding was experienced in IM compared with in-person communication. Because adolescent and emerging adults’ digital communication is primarily text-based, this finding has significant real-world implications.
Online social networking is a pervasive but empirically understudied phenomenon. Strong public opinions on its consequences exist but are backed up by little empirical evidence and almost no causally conclusive, experimental research. The current study tested the psychological effects of posting status updates on Facebook using an experimental design. For 1 week, participants in the experimental condition were asked to post more than they usually do, whereas participants in the control condition received no instructions. Participants added a lab “Research Profile” as a Facebook friend allowing for the objective documentation of protocol compliance, participants’ status updates, and friends’ responses. Results revealed (1) that the experimentally induced increase in status updating activity reduced loneliness, (2) that the decrease in loneliness was due to participants feeling more connected to their friends on a daily basis, and (3) that the effect of posting on loneliness was independent of direct social feedback (i.e., responses) by friends.
Over 500 million people interact daily with Facebook. Yet, whether Facebook use influences subjective well-being over time is unknown. We addressed this issue using experience-sampling, the most reliable method for measuring in-vivo behavior and psychological experience. We text-messaged people five times per day for two-weeks to examine how Facebook use influences the two components of subjective well-being: how people feel moment-to-moment and how satisfied they are with their lives. Our results indicate that Facebook use predicts negative shifts on both of these variables over time. The more people used Facebook at one time point, the worse they felt the next time we text-messaged them; the more they used Facebook over two-weeks, the more their life satisfaction levels declined over time. Interacting with other people "directly" did not predict these negative outcomes. They were also not moderated by the size of people's Facebook networks, their perceived supportiveness, motivation for using Facebook, gender, loneliness, self-esteem, or depression. On the surface, Facebook provides an invaluable resource for fulfilling the basic human need for social connection. Rather than enhancing well-being, however, these findings suggest that Facebook may undermine it.
The aim of this study was to improve our insight into the relation between Internet communication and well-being. Drawing on a survey of 816 adolescents, we initially found that Internet communication was negatively related to well-being. However, when adolescents’ (a) closeness to friends and (b) tendency to talk with strangers online were included in our structural equation model, an opposite pattern of results emerged. First, the direct negative relation between Internet communication and well-being disappeared. Second, via the mediator closeness to friends, Internet communication showed a positive influence on well-being. Third, not Internet communication per se, but Internet communication with strangers accounted for a negative effect on well-being. Fourth, the effects of both Internet communication and Internet communication with strangers on well-being were most adverse for lonely adolescents.
Previous research produced conflicting results on whether narcissistic personality traits have increased among American college students over the generations. Confounding by campus may explain the discrepancy. Study 1 updates a nationwide meta-analysis of college students' scores on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) and controls for campus (k = 107; N = 49,818). In Study 2, the authors examine NPI scores among the students on one university campus, the University of South Alabama, between 1994 and 2009 (N = 4,152). Both studies demonstrate significant increases in narcissism over time (Study 1 d =.37, 1982-2008, when campus is controlled; Study 2 d =.37, 1994-2009). These results support a generational differences model of individual personality traits reflecting changes in culture.
Almost all of the available evidence suggests a sharp rise in anxiety, depression, and mental health issues among Western youth between the early 20th century and the early 1990s. Between the early 1990s and the present, more serious problems such as suicide and depression have receded in some data sets, whereas feeling overwhelmed and reporting psychosomatic complaints have continued to increase. Other indicators, such as anxiety, have remained at historically high levels but not continued to increase. This mixed pattern of results may be rooted in the increasing use of antidepressants and therapy and the improvement in some cultural indicators. However, the incidence of youth mental health problems remains unacceptably high.
Young people are sleeping less. Short sleep duration has a range of negative consequences including a hypothesized link with psychological distress, which has yet to be studied
Prospective cohort study
Community-based sample from Australia
Twenty thousand (20,822) young adults (aged 17-24) identified through the state vehicle licensing authority. A random sample (n = 5000) was approached for follow-up 12-18 months later, with 2837 providing full data.
Psychological distress, determined by a Kessler 10 score > 21, at baseline; and as both onset and persistence of distress at follow-up.
Shorter sleep duration was linearly associated with prevalent psychological distress: relative risk (RR) 1.14 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.15). Only the very short (< 5 h) sleepers among those not distressed at baseline had an increased risk for onset of psychological distress (RR 3.25 [95% CI 1.84, 5.75]). Of 945 cohort participants reporting psychological distress at baseline, 419 (44%) were distressed at follow-up. Each hour less of sleep increased the risk of psychological distress persisting after adjustment for potential confounding variables: RR 1.05 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.10). Long sleep duration showed no association with distress at any time point.
Self-reported shorter sleep duration is linearly associated with prevalent and persistent psychological distress in young adults. In contrast, only the very short sleepers had a raised risk of new onset of distress. Different approaches to sleep duration measurement yield different results and should guide any interventions to improve subjective sleep duration in young adults.
Evidence about trends in adolescent emotional problems (depression and anxiety) is inconclusive, because few studies have used comparable measures and samples at different points in time. We compared rates of adolescent emotional problems in two nationally representative English samples of youth 20 years apart using identical symptom screens in each survey.
Nationally representative community samples of 16-17-year-olds living in England in 1986 and 2006 were compared. In 1986, 4524 adolescents and 7120 parents of young people participated in the age-16-year follow-up of the 1970 British Cohort Study. In 2006, 719 adolescents and 734 parents participated in a follow-up of children sampled from the 2002/2003 Health Surveys for England. Adolescents completed the Malaise Inventory and 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Parents completed the Rutter-A scale. Individual symptoms of depression and anxiety were coded combining across relevant questionnaire items. Young people also reported frequency of feeling anxious or depressed.
Youth- and parent-reported emotional problems were more prevalent in 2006 for girls, and rates of parent-reported problems increased for boys. Twice as many young people reported frequent feelings of depression or anxiety in 2006 as in 1986. Some symptoms showed marked change in prevalence over time (e.g., worry, irritability, fatigue), whereas others showed no change (e.g., loss of enjoyment, worthlessness). There was no evidence of differential trends in emotional problems for young people from socially advantaged and disadvantaged or intact and non-intact families. Changes in family structure and ethnic composition did not account for trends in youth emotional problems.
The study provides evidence for a substantial increase in adolescent emotional problems in England over recent decades, especially among girls.
Suicidal behavior is a major problem worldwide and, at the same time, has received relatively little empirical attention. This relative lack of empirical attention may be due in part to a relative absence of theory development regarding suicidal behavior. The current article presents the interpersonal theory of suicidal behavior. We propose that the most dangerous form of suicidal desire is caused by the simultaneous presence of two interpersonal constructs-thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness (and hopelessness about these states)-and further that the capability to engage in suicidal behavior is separate from the desire to engage in suicidal behavior. According to the theory, the capability for suicidal behavior emerges, via habituation and opponent processes, in response to repeated exposure to physically painful and/or fear-inducing experiences. In the current article, the theory's hypotheses are more precisely delineated than in previous presentations (Joiner, 2005), with the aim of inviting scientific inquiry and potential falsification of the theory's hypotheses.
A hypothesized need to form and maintain strong, stable interpersonal relationships is evaluated in light of the empirical literature. The need is for frequent, nonaversive interactions within an ongoing relational bond. Consistent with the belongingness hypothesis, people form social attachments readily under most conditions and resist the dissolution of existing bonds. Belongingness appears to have multiple and strong effects on emotional patterns and on cognitive processes. Lack of attachments is linked to a variety of ill effects on health, adjustment, and well-being. Other evidence, such as that concerning satiation, substitution, and behavioral consequences, is likewise consistent with the hypothesized motivation. Several seeming counterexamples turned out not to disconfirm the hypothesis. Existing evidence supports the hypothesis that the need to belong is a powerful, fundamental, and extremely pervasive motivation.
The aim of this study was to investigate the consequences of friend networking sites (e.g., Friendster, MySpace) for adolescents' self-esteem and well-being. We conducted a survey among 881 adolescents (10-19-year-olds) who had an online profile on a Dutch friend networking site. Using structural equation modeling, we found that the frequency with which adolescents used the site had an indirect effect on their social self-esteem and well-being. The use of the friend networking site stimulated the number of relationships formed on the site, the frequency with which adolescents received feedback on their profiles, and the tone (i.e., positive vs. negative) of this feedback. Positive feedback on the profiles enhanced adolescents' social self-esteem and well-being, whereas negative feedback decreased their self-esteem and well-being.
Background:
Psychological autopsy studies consistently report that the rate of detected mental disorders among suicide decedents is below 100%. This implies three possibilities: (a) a subset of suicide decedents did not have a mental disorder at the time of death; (b) all suicide decedents suffered from a mental disorder, but some were undetected due to methodological limitations; and/or (c) suicide decedents with an undetected mental disorder displayed significant and perhaps subclinical features of a mental disorder.
Objective:
In this article, we examined these possibilities by evaluating the differences in symptoms and stressors between suicide decedents who were undiagnosed and those diagnosed with a mental disorder at the time of death.
Method:
We reviewed 130 case studies of community-based suicide decedents originally described in Robins' (1981) psychological autopsy study.
Results:
Without exception, suicide decedents in Robins' sample suffered either from a clearly diagnosable mental disorder or displayed features indicative of a significant, even if subclinical, presentation of a mental disorder. Undiagnosed and diagnosed suicide decedents did not significantly differ with regards to demographics, violence of suicide method, suicide attempt history, the number and intensity of stressful life events preceding death, and whether their death was a murder-suicide.
Conclusion:
Although clearly not all who suffer from mental disorders will die by suicide, these findings imply that all who die by suicide appear to exhibit, at minimum, subclinical psychiatric symptoms with the great majority showing prominent clinical symptoms. We conclude with clinical implications and recommendations for future study.
This meta-analysis examines the relationship between time spent on social networking sites and psychological well-being factors, namely self-esteem, life satisfaction, loneliness, and depression. Sixty-one studies consisting of 67 independent samples involving 19,652 participants were identified. The mean correlation between time spent on social networking sites and psychological well-being was low at r = -0.07. The correlations between time spent on social networking sites and positive indicators (self-esteem and life satisfaction) were close to 0, whereas those between time spent on social networking sites and negative indicators (depression and loneliness) were weak. The effects of publication outlet, site on which users spent time, scale of time spent, and participant age and gender were not significant. As most included studies used student samples, future research should be conducted to examine this relationship for adults.
Objectives:
Most US studies of national trends in medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids have focused on adults. Given the limited understanding in these trends among adolescents, we examine national trends in the medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids among high school seniors between 1976 and 2015.
Methods:
The data used for the study come from the Monitoring the Future study of adolescents. Forty cohorts of nationally representative samples of high school seniors (modal age 18) were used to examine self-reported medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids.
Results:
Lifetime prevalence of medical use of prescription opioids peaked in both 1989 and 2002 and remained stable until a recent decline from 2013 through 2015. Lifetime nonmedical use of prescription opioids was less prevalent and highly correlated with medical use of prescription opioids over this 40-year period. Adolescents who reported both medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids were more likely to indicate medical use of prescription opioids before initiating nonmedical use.
Conclusions:
Prescription opioid exposure is common among US adolescents. Long-term trends indicate that one-fourth of high school seniors self-reported medical or nonmedical use of prescription opioids. Medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids has declined recently and remained highly correlated over the past 4 decades. Sociodemographic differences and risky patterns involving medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids should be taken into consideration in clinical practice to improve opioid analgesic prescribing and reduce adverse consequences associated with prescription opioid use among adolescents.
Does communication on social network sites (SNSs) or instant messengers (IMs) reinforce or displace
face-to-face (FtF) communication, and how do the 3 channels affect loneliness and life satisfaction?
Using cross-lagged structural equation modeling in a longitudinal and representative sample from
Germany, we found that SNS communication increased both FtF and IM communication 6 months
later. Likewise, IM communication at T1 increased SNS communication at T2. FtF, SNS, and IM
communication did not affect loneliness, and FtF and IM communication did not change life satisfaction. However, communication on SNSs slightly increased life satisfaction. Tus, the data indicated
that conversing via SNSs and IM has a mainly reinforcing effect and that communicating via SNSs
can enhance life satisfaction several months later.
Major depression is a debilitating condition characterised by diverse neurocognitive and behavioural deficits. Nevertheless, our species-typical capacity for depressed mood implies that it serves an adaptive function. Here we apply an interdisciplinary theory of brain function to explain depressed mood and its clinical manifestations. Combining insights from the free-energy principle (FEP) with evolutionary theorising in psychology, we argue that depression reflects an adaptive response to perceived threats of aversive social outcomes (e.g., exclusion) that minimises the likelihood of surprising interpersonal exchanges (i.e., those with unpredictable outcomes). We suggest that psychopathology typically arises from ineffectual attempts to alleviate interpersonal difficulties and/or hyper-reactive neurobiological responses to social stress (i.e., uncertainty), which often stems from early experience that social uncertainty is difficult to resolve.
Objectives:
This study examined national trends in 12-month prevalence of major depressive episodes (MDEs) in adolescents and young adults overall and in different sociodemographic groups, as well as trends in depression treatment between 2005 and 2014.
Methods:
Data were drawn from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health for 2005 to 2014, which are annual cross-sectional surveys of the US general population. Participants included 172 495 adolescents aged 12 to 17 and 178 755 adults aged 18 to 25. Time trends in 12-month prevalence of MDEs were examined overall and in different subgroups, as were time trends in the use of treatment services.
Results:
The 12-month prevalence of MDEs increased from 8.7% in 2005 to 11.3% in 2014 in adolescents and from 8.8% to 9.6% in young adults (both P < .001). The increase was larger and statistically significant only in the age range of 12 to 20 years. The trends remained significant after adjustment for substance use disorders and sociodemographic factors. Mental health care contacts overall did not change over time; however, the use of specialty mental health providers increased in adolescents and young adults, and the use of prescription medications and inpatient hospitalizations increased in adolescents.
Conclusions:
The prevalence of depression in adolescents and young adults has increased in recent years. In the context of little change in mental health treatments, trends in prevalence translate into a growing number of young people with untreated depression. The findings call for renewed efforts to expand service capacity to best meet the mental health care needs of this age group.
Most people use Facebook on a daily basis; few are aware of the consequences. Based on a 1-week experiment with 1,095 participants in late 2015 in Denmark, this study provides causal evidence that Facebook use affects our well-being negatively. By comparing the treatment group (participants who took a break from Facebook) with the control group (participants who kept using Facebook), it was demonstrated that taking a break from Facebook has positive effects on the two dimensions of well-being: our life satisfaction increases and our emotions become more positive. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that these effects were significantly greater for heavy Facebook users, passive Facebook users, and users who tend to envy others on Facebook.
Importance
Previous analyses of obesity trends among children and adolescents showed an increase between 1988-1994 and 1999-2000, but no change between 2003-2004 and 2011-2012, except for a significant decline among children aged 2 to 5 years.
Objectives
To provide estimates of obesity and extreme obesity prevalence for children and adolescents for 2011-2014 and investigate trends by age between 1988-1994 and 2013-2014.
Design, Setting, and Participants
Children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years with measured weight and height in the 1988-1994 through 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.
Exposures
Survey period.
Main Outcomes and Measures
Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) at or above the sex-specific 95th percentile on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) BMI-for-age growth charts. Extreme obesity was defined as a BMI at or above 120% of the sex-specific 95th percentile on the CDC BMI-for-age growth charts. Detailed estimates are presented for 2011-2014. The analyses of linear and quadratic trends in prevalence were conducted using 9 survey periods. Trend analyses between 2005-2006 and 2013-2014 also were conducted.
Results
Measurements from 40 780 children and adolescents (mean age, 11.0 years; 48.8% female) between 1988-1994 and 2013-2014 were analyzed. Among children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years, the prevalence of obesity in 2011-2014 was 17.0% (95% CI, 15.5%-18.6%) and extreme obesity was 5.8% (95% CI, 4.9%-6.8%). Among children aged 2 to 5 years, obesity increased from 7.2% (95% CI, 5.8%-8.8%) in 1988-1994 to 13.9% (95% CI, 10.7%-17.7%) (P < .001) in 2003-2004 and then decreased to 9.4% (95% CI, 6.8%-12.6%) (P = .03) in 2013-2014. Among children aged 6 to 11 years, obesity increased from 11.3% (95% CI, 9.4%-13.4%) in 1988-1994 to 19.6% (95% CI, 17.1%-22.4%) (P < .001) in 2007-2008, and then did not change (2013-2014: 17.4% [95% CI, 13.8%-21.4%]; P = .44). Obesity increased among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years between 1988-1994 (10.5% [95% CI, 8.8%-12.5%]) and 2013-2014 (20.6% [95% CI, 16.2%-25.6%]; P < .001) as did extreme obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years (3.6% [95% CI, 2.5%-5.0%] in 1988-1994 to 4.3% [95% CI, 3.0%-6.1%] in 2013-2014; P = .02) and adolescents aged 12 to 19 years (2.6% [95% CI, 1.7%-3.9%] in 1988-1994 to 9.1% [95% CI, 7.0%-11.5%] in 2013-2014; P < .001). No significant trends were observed between 2005-2006 and 2013-2014 (P value range, .09-.87).
Conclusions and Relevance
In this nationally representative study of US children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years, the prevalence of obesity in 2011-2014 was 17.0% and extreme obesity was 5.8%. Between 1988-1994 and 2013-2014, the prevalence of obesity increased until 2003-2004 and then decreased in children aged 2 to 5 years, increased until 2007-2008 and then leveled off in children aged 6 to 11 years, and increased among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years.
Using data from the 1995 and 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth, the authors' study examined children's family instability from birth to age 12, emphasizing variation by racial and ethnic group. Period and cohort estimates revealed little change in children's experiences of family transitions during the past decade. Family instability levels were comparable for White and Hispanic children, and this pattern persisted over time. However, there was an increase in family instability among Black children, reflecting growth in the share of children born to single mothers who eventually formed partnerships. Indeed, children born to single mothers in the more recent cohort experienced more family transitions, on average, than did the earlier cohort, but family instability for children born to cohabiting mothers remained unchanged. This study elucidates the various family life course trajectories children experience, revealing how these patterns differ depending on family context at birth and by racial and ethnic group.
Results from longitudinal studies on sleep duration and incidence of depression remain controversial.
PubMed and Web of Science updated on October 22, 2014 were searched for eligible publications. Pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effects model.
Seven prospective studies were included, involving 25,271 participants for short sleep duration and 23,663 participants for long sleep duration. Compared with the normal sleep duration, the pooled RR for depression was 1.31 (95% CI, 1.04-1.64; I(2) = 0%) for the short sleep duration overall. For long sleep duration, the pooled RR was 1.42 (95% CI, 1.04-1.92; I(2) = 0%). The associations between short or long sleep duration and risk of depression did not substantially change in sensitivity and subgroup analyses. No evidence of publication bias was found.
This meta-analysis indicates that short and long sleep duration was significantly associated with increased risk of depression in adults.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A 39-item life-event questionnaire was administered to 1,018 adolescents, who indicated the perceived desirability of each event and whether the event had actually happened to them either during the past year or more than one year earlier. A multidimensional scaling revealed seven interpretable dimensions of stress: Family/Parents, Accident/Illness, Sexuality, Autonomy, Deviance, Relocation, and Distress. Each dimension was scored for desirability, and occurrence was summed using unit weighting. Sex, race, and grade-level differences were evaluated for each item and scale score. The scales calculated for the two different time periods revealed that stress is correlated over time only for corresponding areas. Finally, the stress scales were related to measures of health and psychological functioning through canonical and product-moment correlation analyses; distinct patterns of association were revealed. Alternative methods of scoring life events are evaluated.
Since it is still unclear to what extent time allocation retrospectively reported in questionnaires, reflects people’s actual behavior, examining the accuracy of responses to time use survey questions is of crucial importance. We analyze the congruence of time use information assessed through retrospective questionnaires and through experience sampling methodology. The sample comprised 433 individuals ranging in age from 14 to 86 years. Participants completed standard survey questions on time allocation. In addition, a mobile - phone based experience sampling technology was used over a period of three weeks to obtain snapshots of, on average, 54 momentary activities in which participants participated while pursuing their normal daily routines. Experience sampling assessments were scheduled six times a day over at least nine days, including workdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Results indicate that the congruence between time allocation assessed with survey questions (i.e. in SOEP) and time allocation assessed with experience sampling methodology depends on the characteristics of the respective activities. Associations between standard survey questions and experience sampling methods are quite substantial for long-lasting and externally structured activities, such as paid work on workdays. In contrast, associations between survey and experience sampling methods are somewhat weaker, though highly statistically significant, for less externally structured, short-term and infrequent activities, such as errands, housework, and leisure. These moderate and relatively small correlations may indicate either an error-prone estimation of the prevalence of short term and infrequent activities by experience sampling or respondents’ overrating of sporadic and short activities in survey questions. We conclude that activities with a long duration, such as paid work, can be measured in a satisfactory manner using short survey questions. Future research is necessary to elucidate which method (experience sampling method or survey questions) delivers more reliable and valid measures for short term and sporadic activities. Day Reconstruction Methods (DRM) should be included in this future methodological research.
This study used survey data to examine relations among homework, student well-being, and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper middle class communities. Results indicated that students in these schools average more than 3 hr of homework per night. Students who did more hours of homework experienced greater behavioral engagement in school but also more academic stress, physical health problems, and lack of balance in their lives. To better understand the role homework played as a stressor in students’ lives, the authors explored students’ qualitative descriptions of their experiences with homework. The discussion addresses how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students’ advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement, and well-being.
Background
Child and adolescent mental health problems are common, associated with wide-ranging functional impairments, and show substantial continuities into adult life. It is therefore important to understand the extent to which the prevalence of mental health problems has changed over time, and to identify reasons behind any trends in mental health.Scope and MethodologyThis review evaluates evidence on whether the population prevalence of child and adolescent mental health problems has changed. The primary focus of the review is on epidemiological cross-cohort comparisons identified by a systematic search of the literature (using the Web of Knowledge database).FindingsClinical diagnosis and treatment of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders increased over recent decades. Epidemiological comparisons of unselected population cohorts using equivalent assessments of mental health have found little evidence of an increased rate of ADHD, but cross-cohort comparisons of rates of ASD are lacking at this time. Findings do suggest substantial secular change in emotional problems and antisocial behaviour in high-income countries, including periods of increase and decrease in symptom prevalence. Evidence from low- and middle-income countries is very limited. Possible explanations for trends in child and adolescent mental health are discussed. The review also addresses how cross-cohort comparisons can provide valuable complementary information on the aetiology of mental illness.
Two cross-temporal meta-analyses find large generational increases in psychopathology among American college students (N = 63,706) between 1938 and 2007 on the MMPI and MMPI-2 and high school students (N = 13,870) between 1951 and 2002 on the MMPI-A. The current generation of young people scores about a standard deviation higher (average d = 1.05) on the clinical scales, including Pd (Psychopathic Deviation), Pa (Paranoia), Ma (Hypomania), and D (Depression). Five times as many now score above common cutoffs for psychopathology, including up to 40% on Ma. The birth cohort effects are still large and significant after controlling for the L and K validity scales, suggesting that the changes are not caused by response bias. The results best fit a model citing cultural shifts toward extrinsic goals, such as materialism and status and away from intrinsic goals, such as community, meaning in life, and affiliation.
Using General Social Survey data from 1972 to 2008, we found that Americans were on average happier in the years with less national income inequality than in the years with more national income inequality. We further demonstrated that this inverse relation between income inequality and happiness was explained by perceived fairness and general trust. That is, Americans trusted other people less and perceived other people to be less fair in the years with more national income inequality than in the years with less national income inequality. The negative association between income inequality and happiness held for lower-income respondents, but not for higher-income respondents. Most important, we found that the negative link between income inequality and the happiness of lower-income respondents was explained not by lower household income, but by perceived unfairness and lack of trust.
This study aims to address possible associations between excessive or dysfunctional use of mobile phones and certain psychological variables.
Our study focuses on Problematic Mobile Phone Use (PU) in 196 young adults. A survey was arranged to measure PU, daily mobile phone use in minutes, use of short message service (SMS) and also included psychological and health variables (e.g., chronic stress, depression).
Statistic analysis indicates that chronic stress, low emotional stability, female gender, young age, depression, and extraversion are associated with PU.
Future research needs to clarify the causality of these findings and should also intend to develop concepts for a more meaningful use of mobile phone and related technologies.
In a retrospective study of the electroencephalographic (EEG) sleep of major depressives with and without a history of suicide attempts, suicide attempters had longer sleep latency, lower sleep efficiency, and fewer late-night delta wave counts than normal controls. Nonattempters, compared to attempters, had less rapid eye movement (REM) time and activity in period 2, but more delta wave counts in non-REM period 4. Although both attempters and nonattempters were like controls in regard to REM period 2, patients with suicide attempts had altered intranight temporal distribution of phasic REM activity, with increased REM activity (by both visual and automated scoring) in REM sleep period 2 (significant group x period interaction). These findings, which may be more traitlike or persistent than state-related, are discussed in the context of current theories on the role of serotonin in the regulation of sleep and in suicidal behavior.
Several recent, large epidemiologic and family studies suggest important temporal changes in the rates of major depression: an increase in the rates in the cohorts born after World War II; a decrease in the age of onset with an increase in the late teenaged and early adult years; an increase between 1960 and 1975 in the rates of depression for all ages; a persistent gender effect, with the risk of depression consistently two to three times higher among women than men across all adult ages; a persistent family effect, with the risk about two to three times higher in first-degree relatives as compared with controls; and the suggestion of a narrowing of the differential risk to men and women due to a greater increase in risk of depression among young men. These trends, drawn from studies using comparable methods and modern diagnostic criteria, are evident in the United States, Sweden, Germany, Canada, and New Zealand, but not in comparable studies conducted in Korea and Puerto Rico and of Mexican-Americans living in the United States. These cohort changes cannot be fully attributed to artifacts of reporting, recall, mortality, or labeling and have implications for understanding the etiology of depression and for clinical practice.
Existing evidence points to a substantial rise in psychosocial disorders affecting young people over the past 50 years (Rutter & Smith, 1995). However, there are major methodological challenges in providing conclusive answers about secular changes in disorder. Comparisons of rates of disorder at different time points are often affected by changes in diagnostic criteria, differences in assessment methods, and changes in official reporting practices. Few studies have examined this issue using the same instruments at each time point.
The current study assessed the extent to which conduct, hyperactive and emotional problems have become more common over a 25-year period in three general population samples of UK adolescents. The samples used in this study were the adolescent sweeps of the National Child Development Study and the 1970 Birth Cohort Study, and the 1999 British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey. Comparable questionnaires were completed by parents of 15-16-year-olds at each time point (1974, 1986, and 1999).
Results showed a substantial increase in adolescent conduct problems over the 25-year study period that has affected males and females, all social classes and all family types. There was also evidence for a recent rise in emotional problems, but mixed evidence in relation to rates of hyperactive behaviour. Further analyses using longitudinal data from the first two cohorts showed that long-term outcomes for adolescents with conduct problems were closely similar. This provided evidence that observed trends were unaffected by possible changes in reporting thresholds.
Both the professional and the general media have recently published concerns about an 'epidemic' of child and adolescent depression. Reasons for this concern include (1) increases in antidepressant prescriptions, (2) retrospective recall by successive birth cohorts of adults, (3) rising adolescent suicide rates until 1990, and (4) evidence of an increase in emotional problems across three cohorts of British adolescents.
Epidemiologic studies of children born between 1965 and 1996 were reviewed and a meta-analysis conducted of all studies that used structured diagnostic interviews to make formal diagnoses of depression on representative population samples of participants up to age 18. The effect of year of birth on prevalence was estimated, controlling for age, sex, sample size, taxonomy (e.g., DSM vs. ICD), measurement instrument, and time-frame of the interview (current, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months).
Twenty-six studies were identified, generating close to 60,000 observations on children born between 1965 and 1996 who had received at least one structured psychiatric interview capable of making a formal diagnosis of depression. Rates of depression showed no effect of year of birth. There was little effect of taxonomy, measurement instrument, or time-frame of interview. The overall prevalence estimates were: under 13, 2.8% (standard error (SE) .5%); 13-18 5.6% (SE .3%); 13-18 girls: 5.9% (SE .3%); 13-18 boys: 4.6% (SE .3%).
When concurrent assessment rather than retrospective recall is used, there is no evidence for an increased prevalence of child or adolescent depression over the past 30 years. Public perception of an 'epidemic' may arise from heightened awareness of a disorder that was long under-diagnosed by clinicians.
Activity scheduling is a behavioral treatment of depression in which patients learn to monitor their mood and daily activities, and how to increase the number of pleasant activities and to increase positive interactions with their environment. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized effect studies of activity scheduling. Sixteen studies with 780 subjects were included. The pooled effect size indicating the difference between intervention and control conditions at post-test was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.60 - 1.15). This is a large effect. Heterogeneity was low in all analyses. The comparisons with other psychological treatments at post-test resulted in a non-significant pooled effect size of 0.13 in favor of activity scheduling. In ten studies activity scheduling was compared to cognitive therapy, and the pooled effect size indicating the difference between these two types of treatment was 0.02. The changes from post-test to follow-up for activity scheduling were non-significant, indicating that the benefits of the treatments were retained at follow-up. The differences between activity scheduling and cognitive therapy at follow-up were also non-significant. Activity scheduling is an attractive treatment for depression, not only because it is relatively uncomplicated, time-efficient and does not require complex skills from patients or therapist, but also because this meta-analysis found clear indications that it is effective.
Why are today’s teenagers feeling so anxious? The Globe and Mail
- E Anderssen
Anderssen, E. (2013, January 21). Why are today's teenagers
feeling so anxious? The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from
https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/life/healthandfitness/
health/conditions/whyaretodaysteenagersfeelingso
anxious/article7604612/