LifeStance Health has officially published the results from a new survey, which reveals profound impact of social media on Americans’ mental health and relationships.
Going by the available details, this impact comes, by and large, from the prevalence of an “always-on” connectivity culture and a growing reliance on online mental health content, despite concerns about misinformation and credibility.
More on that would reveal how, named as Navigating Mental Health in the Age of Social Media, the stated report found that nearly one-quarter (23%) of respondents have sought mental health advice on social media, whereas on the other hand, almost one-third (29%) have self-diagnosed a mental health condition based on what they have seen online.
Beyond this, more than half (54%) of respondents would also report seeing mental health misinformation on social media at least weekly, and 27% reported experiencing stress or anxiety from attempted self-diagnosis. An estimated of 81% respondents were also found to deem mental health content on social media as an inadequate replacement for evidence-based mental health care.
Talk about the given results on a slightly deeper level, we begin from the fact that more than one-quarter (26%) of respondents said they check social media within five minutes of waking up and the same portion (26%) spends four hours or more daily on social media.
Next up, we must dig into how nearly one-third (29%) of respondents reported being “constantly connected” to the internet or social media, with Gen Z (45%) and millennial respondents (39%) most likely to be constantly connected, as compared to respondents from the Gen X (25%) and baby boomer (14%) generations.
Another detail worth a mention is rooted in the way well over half (57%) of respondents would identify with the term “chronically online,” meaning they believe the term accurately describes their relationship with social media.
As a result of this reality, one-in-five (21%) respondents also reported experiencing negative impacts on their mental health from constant online connectivity. Over half (54%) of respondents also reported seeing misinformation about mental health on social media at least once a week.
The latter detail becomes even worse when you consider how nearly one-quarter (23%) of respondents have sought mental health advice on social media. The stated number literally jumps to 55% for Gen Z and 30% for millennial respondents. Out of that contingent, almost 45% respondents were discovered to bank upon social media for mental health advice due to its convenience and immediacy.
In contrast, 82% respondents said they trust online information from credentialed health care providers the most, compared to 64% for mental health influencers and 53% for information shared by other social media users.
Having said so, around one-third (29%) of respondents have also self-diagnosed mental health conditions based on online information. Here, Gen Z (50%) and millennial (38%) emerged as leading respondents in self-diagnosis. Less than half (47%) of respondents, who self-diagnose, said they often or always discuss their symptoms with a clinician, with almost a quarter (24%) rarely or never do.
On the other hand, 27% of respondents would report experiencing unnecessary stress or anxiety from attempted self-diagnosis.
Hold on, there is more, considering we haven’t yet touched upon a contingent of 40% respondents who report seeing terms like “trauma,” “narcissist” and “toxic” on social media daily or multiple times a week. Not just that, nearly one-in-three (32%) respondents also say that social media content has made them question their relationships, leading people to believe that a partner or loved one is “toxic” (52%), “gaslighting” them (45%) or “love bombing” them (28%).
Among other things, 30% of female respondents would report using “therapy speak” regularly in online and in-person conversations, as compared to 25% of male respondents.
“Social media is a double-edged sword. While it has helped to normalize discussions about mental health, its potential for spreading misinformation poses a threat to individual well-being through the risk of harmful self-diagnosis and delayed professional intervention,” said Dr. Ujjwal Ramtekkar, Chief Medical Officer at LifeStance Health. “Our survey emphasizes the importance of recognizing the limitations of online content and seeking online information from qualified sources and evidence-based mental health care from licensed clinicians.”
