Psychiatric trainees’ perspectives on patients’ social media use: A survey study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29329/jsomer.54Keywords:
Problematic Social Media Use, Social Media Addiction, Depression symptoms, social comparison, body imageAbstract
This study aimed to explore psychiatric trainees’ personal use of social media, their clinical practices regarding patient social media use, and their attitudes toward its impact on mental health. A survey addressing attitudes toward social media use was sent to psychiatry residents and fellows at a major academic medical center in the United States. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. 28/62 (45%) of trainees (PGY-1–PGY-4 and fellows) completed the survey. Most (85.7%) reported using social media, averaging 4.4 hours per week. Trainees recognized potential benefits of social media for patients, including social support (78.6%), self-expression (75.0%), and community building (67.9%). However, 57.1% viewed social media as predominantly harmful to patients' mental health, and none considered it predominantly beneficial. Identified harms included disrupted sleep (96.5%), body image issues (100%), reinforcement of behaviors like self-injury (89.3%), and misinformation (92.9%). Despite these concerns, social media use was addressed in only 13.8% of initial and 15.0% of follow-up evaluations. Most (82.1%) felt that screening tools would encourage more discussion of social media use in visits. Trainees who viewed social media as a positive part of their lives were significantly more likely to endorse its benefits for patients (p=0.049), and significantly less likely to perceive harm (p=0.019) or negative functional impact (p=0.014). In this small, exploratory study, trainees recognized both the risks and benefits of social media use but rarely addressed these issues in clinical settings. Personal perceptions influenced attitudes in clinical practice. Further research is warranted to characterize psychiatrists’ views on social media use and improve clinical engagement around this issue.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Victoria Lenihan, MD, Edwina Awuku-Aboagye, Jason Straub, Sarah Collica
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