Accelerated media and mental health: A descriptive study among Saudi general population

Abstract

Media acceleration behavior has been increasing recently. According to cognitive behavioral theory, acceleration behavior could affect a person's feelings, which may affect his/her mental health. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of accelerated media behavior and its correlation with depression and anxiety among the general Saudi population. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1091 media users in Saudi Arabia. An online survey included socio-demographic characteristics, accelerated media characteristics, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). The mean participant age was 27.76 +/- 7.95 years, 68.5% were females, 92.9% were of Saudi nationality and 22.4% were from the Southern region of Saudi Arabia. Most participants accelerated both video and audio formats (68%) within the last two years (72.1%) and 42.2% accelerated their use at 1.5 speed. Significant predictors of media acceleration included female, Saudi nationality, desire to accelerate life, previous history of depression and/or anxiety (p =