Social media use, anxiety, depression, and attitudes toward counselling among young adults

Abstract

Background: In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion on how social media affects the psychological well-being of young adults. The purpose of the present study is to essentially identify the relationship between attitude towards seeking professional help and usage of social media. In addition, we aim to identify the relationship between attitude towards seeking professional help and anxiety and depression and whether one affects the other in the latter two variables. Materials and methods: Using A convenience sampling technique 92 young adults, between the ages 18-25 years, from the Kolkata urban area voluntarily participated in the study. Attitude Toward Seeking Professional Help, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Social Media Engagement Questionnaire, were administered using Google Form. Results: The results depicted no significant correlation between attitudes toward seeking professional help and either anxiety or depression, nor between these attitudes and social media usage. However, a significant positive correlation between anxiety and depression was identified, consistent with previous research on their comorbidity. The high variance in the data, potentially due to a diverse sample, suggests the need for larger, more representative samples in future research. Conclusion: Despite the increasing use of social media to raise mental health awareness, this has not translated into significant changes in attitudes toward seeking professional help. The study underscores the necessity of addressing the deep-rooted stigma surrounding mental health and highlights the importance of educating the next generation on prioritizing mental health.