Mental health is an increasingly vital issue in the 21st century. There are multiple impacts attributed to mental illness which was impacting at least 12% of the world's population in 20191. As of 2019, 15% of the total years lived with disability in the world were due to mental disorders, which increased the global burden of disease rank attributable to mental health from the 12th position in 1990 to the 7th position in 2019[1]. General Anxiety and Depression (GAD), one of the most common mental disorders, is contributing to severe mental illness like schizophrenia, personality disorder, compulsive disorder etc. Globally, 4% (301 million) of people suffered from anxiety depression in 2019 with higher frequencies being observed in higher resourced countries with greater social media usage [2]. There are several risk factors associated with GAD, which are psychological, socio-economic, and lifestyle, and the most important is the use of social media [3].
The use of social media greatly impacts mental health. It enhances connection, increases self-esteem, and improves a sense of belonging [4]. But at the same time, it can also lead to tremendous stress, pressure to compare oneself to others, and increased sadness and isolation. There are 5.04 billion social media users around the world as of January 2024, equating to 62.3% of the total global population [5]. For understanding the plausibility for social media contributing to anxiety depression, Petryszak (1980) [6] summarized theoretical aspects of human nature in 'Sociological Theory and Human Nature.' Using influential writings by Pareto, Mosca, and others, Petryszak explained that humans need continuous interaction, influential figures and heroes, attractions in nature, and guidance for direction from the community [6]. The introvert theory of 'Human Psychology' from 1924 also explains that persons do not want to share everything, every time and with every person [7]. As social media rose in the 2000s and was distributed globally, governments, businesses, high-profile persons, and the most affluent started communication. While social media became a powerful tool for increasing humanitarian support, providing warnings and education, social media also has been linked to increasing cybercrime, diminishing personal privacy, and increasing risks for mental disorders and various types of conflict in society [8, 9]. Accordingly, there has been a simultaneous increase in social media usage and mental disorder frequency over time.
Given the simultaneous rise and population size impacted, there has been considerable research regarding social media usage on mental health. Positive and negative impacts of social media have been described. Fundamentally, social media links people, providing a platform for personal bonding, sharing new information and personal entertainment materials, which has enabled improvements in aspects of mental health [10]. Additionally, while general anxiety and depression are linked to loneliness and/or lack of communication, hope and entertainment, these conditions can manifest into severe mental disorder(s) [11]. Recent research carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic confirms that many turned to social media to seek both emotional and practical social support [12], and the use of social media was positively associated with subjective wellbeing [13]. Social media use during COVID-19 improved subjective happiness and self-rated mental health [14, 15] and reduced stress[16] for many individuals. Conversely, there are also social media use-related risk factors that have been identified for developing a mental health disease, specifically, the duration, frequency, and number of social media platforms being used [17]. Adverse effects linked to increased social media usage include college students reporting declines in their academic performance, [18] which could increase the likelihood of downstream mental health effects and/or be indicative of an upstream mental health impact from social media usage.
Beyond the use of social media, there are several known risk factors associated with anxiety and depression. Firstly, the prevalence of anxiety depression is higher among older aged persons, [19] influenced by older persons having increased vulnerability to diseases and disability, isolation from family, insufficient wealth to maintain a standard of living, or a combination of these factors, among others. A study carried out in China during the COVID period in which movement freedoms were restricted, found that the severity of depression symptoms were decreased with increases in age resilience, but were increased if unemployed, feeling less adapted, and being more stressed. The severity of anxiety symptoms were decreased among those with higher education and greater resilience [20]. Their findings offer clues for further research not able to be addressed because of their small sample size, and limited representation of a diverse set of populations from other countries.
Given the rise in social media, research cannot be limited to only specific communities, countries and cultures, and it is therefore appropriate to inform essential global efforts aimed at the careful utilization of social media for informing policy or guidance in a manner that is scientific, practical, regulative, collaborative and fosters or promotes health. For contributing knowledge, we accessed the free online database from Wellcome Trust [21]. Included are data which were taken from 113 countries using an appropriate representative sample from each country. Such data can yield findings that can act as a backbone for policy considerations globally, regionally, and nationally. Furthermore, this research is significant for policy makers, researchers, academicians and general readers, who are interested in mitigating the potential risk of anxiety depression that can or has already impacted the physical health, disability status, life expectancy, and health span of individuals and families, as well as the social and economic climates for countries. Accordingy, the aim of this study is to scrutinize the factors related to anxiety depression considering the application of social media.