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Cited by 121Impact of Technology on AdolescentsCOVID-19 and Mental HealthStudent Stress and Coping

The impact of social media on college mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multinational review of the existing literature

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Haddad, Jessica M., Macenski, Christina, Mosier-Mills, Alison, Hibara, Alice, Kester, Katherine, Schneider, Marguerite, Conrad, Rachel C., Liu, Cindy H.·2021·Current Psychiatry Reports
DOI 10.1007/s11920-021-01288-yPMC PMC8493361
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Abstract

Purpose of review During the COVID-19 pandemic, both social media use and rates of anxiety and depression among college students have increased significantly. This begs the question, what is the relationship between social media use and college student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic? Recent findings Prior studies have found mixed results regarding the relationship between social media use and college student mental health. This relationship has become increasingly complex during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that excessive or problematic social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic was correlated with worse mental health outcomes that could be mitigated by dialectical thinking, optimism, mindfulness, and cognitive reappraisal. The COVID-19 pandemic acts as a moderator by strengthening the relationship between social media use and mental health. Future studies should consider the impact of social media on college student mental health and concentrate on intervention initiatives to ensure the psychological well-being of college students during a global pandemic outbreak.

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Haddad, J. M., Macenski, C., Mosier-Mills, A., Hibara, A., Kester, K., Schneider, M., Conrad, R. C., & Liu, C. H.
Affiliations
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Boston Children's Hospital (US)
Corresponding author
Haddad, Jessica M.
ORCID
Venue
Current Psychiatry Reports
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-10-06
Volume
23
Issue
11
Pages
70-70
ISSN
  • 1523-3812 (ISSN-L)
  • 1535-1645
DOI
10.1007/s11920-021-01288-y
PMC
PMC8493361
OpenAlex
W3203170149
Cited by
121
References
28
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 35 · 2023: 35 · 2022: 22 · 2014: 1
FWCI
4.41
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Current Psychiatry Reports (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
Keywords
social media use, college student mental health, COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety, depression, social media addiction, dialectical thinking, optimism, mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal, psychological well-being
MeSH terms
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Humans, Mental Health, Pandemics, Social Media

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