Like, Dislike, or Disregard?

Facebook and Mental Health
You probably reached us via facebook, we are glad you did! Many of us use it several times a day to see what our friends are doing.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Facebook can be both a blessing and a curse. While it can be a lot of fun to see what acquaintances are doing, scroll through pictures, or just laugh about cat videos, sometimes one can log off feeling unhappy. In the past few years, the social media site has truly become a force of nature, with more than 1.3 billion subscribers reported in 2014 [1]. Unsurprisingly, researchers have begun to study the site with intensity, looking for the ways in which it may change the way we see ourselves and others.
The field is still young, but for mental health, there have already been several interesting findings. Firstly, as any user will tell you, the site can be highly addictive. So much so, in fact, that a specialized scale has been developed to monitor Facebook addiction [2]. A recent meta-analysis demonstrated that lonely or bored users may start logging in with maladaptive frequency and giving up other worldly pleasures [3]. Other work has shown that use of the site can foster intense anxiety and feelings of social inadequacy [4].

As any user will tell you, it’s highly addictive

But what about all the positive benefits of seeing friends or loved ones? A recent study has shown that Facebook may actually provide huge benefits to individuals suffering from depression [5]. Other studies have found similar effects in non-clinical populations, with Facebook having positive effects on social esteem and communication skills [6]. Thus, it appears that the jury is still out on social networking sites. We just need to always remember to treat Facebook as a tool of fun and casual social interaction, not a place for comparing ourselves with others or feeding ravenous egos.
But please, if you’re reading this article online, don’t forget to “like” it!

[1] http://bit.ly/1uZUCLf
[2] Andreassen et al, Psychol Rep, 2012
[3] Ryan et al, J Behav Addict, 2014
[4] http://bit.ly/1DCJOWj
[5] Mota Pereira, Scientific World Journal, 2014
[6] Pantic, Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw, 2014

Constance Holman, PhD student AG Schmitz
This article originally appeared in CNS Volume 7, Issue 4, Communication and Social Media  

Psychosis from Using Social Media?

The title of this article could certainly be a cause for worry, as almost all of us use some form of social media daily.

source: pixabay

Researchers at the Charité recently reported a rare case of psychosis believed to be induced by ‘Twitter’, an online short-form communication system [1]. The article, titled ‘Twitter Psychosis: Rare Variation or Distinct Syndrome’, describes the development of psychosis in a 31-year-old female, Mrs. C, which coincided with the excessive use of Twitter. Mrs. C had no previous history of psychiatric illness prior to the episode of “twitter-induced psychosis”. Even her family history was clean. The authors conclude that social media like Twitter might have the ability to induce psychosis in predisposed users [1].

Twitter can induce psychosis in predisposed users

This may be the first documented case of psychosis being caused by Twitter, but such computer-mediated psychosis was already reported in 2011. Nitzan et al. talk about three patients who also experienced a psychotic episode, which coincided with excessive computer-mediated communication (CMC), such as Facebook or chats [2]. Similar to the case of Mrs.C, none of these patients had a history of psychiatric illness and also described symptoms akin to the ‘Twitter Psychosis’ episode, such as misinterpretation of information and hyperpersonal relationships with strangers.

Facebook can help people suffering from depression

Importantly, however, all these patients had turned to the internet as a refuge from loneliness, emotional distress and job insecurities. At the other end of the spectrum, studies have found that Facebook can actually help people suffering from depression [4]. Thus, CMC is capable of generating broad psychopathological phenomena especially in vulnerable individuals. Now, you can go back to your Facebook page since you know that casual use of social media is not going to make you psychotic but can actually have a positive effect. But remember to read ''Like, Dislike or Disregard'' on March 1 for more about Facebook and mental health.

[1] Kalbitzer et al, J Nerv Ment Dis, 2014
[2] Nitzan et al, Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci, 2011
[3] Mota Pereira, Scientific World Journal, 2014

by Apoorva Rajiv Madipakkam, PhD Student AG Sterzer
This article originally appeared in CNS Volume 7, Issue 4, Communication and Social Media