Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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, social networking sites, depression, suicidality, adolescents. Over the past several decades, adolescent depression and suicidal behaviours have increased considerably. In the USA, depression diagnoses among youth increased from 8.
Additionally, suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth between the ages of 10 and 34 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, , with a SM includes forms such as email, text, blogs, message boards, connection sites online dating , games and entertainment, apps, and social networking sites SNS Manning, Over the past decade, SNS platforms designed to help people communicate and share information online have become ubiquitous.
Conversely, others have described potential benefits of SM use in adolescents such as feelings of greater connection to friends and interactions with more diverse groups of people who can provide support Pew Research Center, b. These findings suggest that internet use, including SM, may provide opportunities for social connection and access to information Reid Chassiakos et al.
