Social Media and Mental Health

Can we use social media to assess mental health?

This study was conducted to see whether we can assess the relationship between writing about social and health behaviors on social media platforms and self-reported activities of social and health outcomes. We examined whether social media are acceptable and feasible technology that can be scaled to predict outcomes for social and health outcomes.

Volunteers of this study completed a 20-minute online survey about their health, social, and school activities. They were also asked to follow a designated Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account solely created for this project for one year. These social media accounts will remain active indefinitely. We asked for permission to view volunteers social media content to see whether it can provide further information related to their responses about your health on your surveys.

Data was only recorded from those participants who provided signed consent. All responses were treated as confidential. Records of user names from social media have been destroyed.

Eligibility criteria:

1) between the age of 18-29 years old,

2) have a Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account and

3) make active posting on your social media accounts(s).