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Review
. 2020 May;32(3):235-253.
doi: 10.1080/09540261.2020.1720623. Epub 2020 Feb 17.

Social media use and depression in adolescents: a scoping review

Carol Vidal  1 , Tenzin Lhaksampa  1 , Leslie Miller  1 , Rheanna Platt  1
Affiliations
Review

Social media use and depression in adolescents: a scoping review

Carol Vidal et al. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2020 May.

Abstract

There have been increases in adolescent depression and suicidal behaviour over the last two decades that coincide with the advent of social media (SM) (platforms that allow communication via digital media), which is widely used among adolescents. This scoping review examined the bi-directional association between the use of SM, specifically social networking sites (SNS), and depression and suicidality among adolescents. The studies reviewed yielded four main themes in SM use through thematic analysis: quantity of SM use, quality of SM use, social aspects associated with SM use, and disclosure of mental health symptoms. Research in this field would benefit from use of longitudinal designs, objective and timely measures of SM use, research on the mechanisms of the association between SM use and depression and suicidality, and research in clinical populations to inform clinical practice.

Keywords: Social media; adolescents; depression; social networking sites; suicidality.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA flow chart of data selection process.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Number of studies by theme (quantity, quality, social and disclosure) and time period (2011–2012, 2013–2014, 2015–2016 and 2017–2018).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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