Mental Disorders and Treatment

Social Networking Sites and Mental Health Interventions in Youth

Abstract

Md Amjad Noor*

The beginning of mental health issues surges between adolescence and young adulthood, yet young people encounter treatment hurdles and are frequently hesitant to seek professional care. There is a promising opportunity to use social networking sites (SNSs) to deliver or integrate with youth-focused online mental health interventions as many people are instead turning to the Internet, particularly through social networking sites (SNSs), to find support and information about their mental health. A number of prior evaluations have assessed the efficacy of SNSs in treating certain illnesses in young people, but none have examined the whole range of SNS-based adolescent mental health therapies that are available for all types of mental health difficulties. This study aims to comprehensively identify the evidence that was available on the use of SNSbased therapies to support the mental health of young people up to the age of 25, to assess their efficacy, appropriateness, and safety, and to pinpoint any gaps and future research possibilities. With the use of exploding keywords and phrases, the PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched. 235 articles were selected for full-text screening from the double-screened, retrieved abstracts (n=974). Nine articles out of these fulfilled the review inclusion criteria. A quantitative meta-analysis was not feasible because of the sparse number of studies and the variety of outcome measures utilised. 5 distinct interventions were addressed by the 9 publications (quantitative studies, qualitative studies, and descriptions of the iterative design process). Two of the five treatments made use of platforms specifically designed for the moderated online social therapy (MOST) paradigm, two used Facebook, and one involved the evaluation of a mobile app specifically designed for the purpose. The 2 MOST treatments addressed particular mental health conditions (depression and psychosis), whilst the rest worked to increase mental health knowledge, social support, and overall wellbeing. In order to provide proof of concept, only 3 quantitative studies were found, and they all employed a pre-post design (without a control group). The number of depressive symptoms and mental health knowledge were the only end variables that showed substantial changes, whereas there was no improvement in the symptoms of anxiety or psychosis. The SNS platforms were generally well-liked and actively used, and their perceived value and security were positive. It was determined that one of the more effective approaches was clinical specialists moderating. Users choose mobile applications over web-based interfaces when given the option. The examined data indicates that young people find SNS-based treatments to be very helpful, interesting, and encouraging. Future research must, however, address the existing dearth of reliable data supporting their effectiveness in easing mental health symptoms. Given that young people currently use SNSs for peer-to-peer support and information seeking, SNS-based youth mental health treatments offer a chance to address some of the obstacles that prevent them from gaining access to competent mental health help and information.