YoungPsych: The interplay between social media and mental health in adolescents and young adults

Summary

The purpose of the project is to investigate the interplay between mental health and social media use, and to what extent this contributes to the increase in mental health issues among young people.

An increasing proportion of children and young people are seeking help for psychological problems related to anxiety and depression. This development has in some contexts been described as a "teen mental health crisis”. This development has also caused concern among researchers, the public, and policy makers about the long-term societal effects related to labor market participation, family formation, and social functioning.

One explanation for the increase in reported mental health problems among young people is the increasing use of social media. The YoungPsych project will examine the extent to which the changes in reported mental health problems can be attributed the use of social media. In addition, the project will shed light on which subgroups are particularly vulnerable to the use of social media. The project will further address pathways through which social media affect mental health, and whether there are long-term consequences of social media use for functioning in other life domains.

To shed light on these issues, the project will use large longitudinal surveys. Results from the project will help policymakers, researchers and the interested public to better understand the recent increases in mental health problems in adolescents and young adults.