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Psychopathology and problematic social media use among children and adolescents: what possible links?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

A. Ben Othman ,
M. Hamza ,
B. Amemou ,
S. Bourgou ,
A. Ben Hamouda ,
F. Charfi  and
A. Belhadj
A. Ben Othman*
Affiliation:
Mongi Slim University Hospital, Child And Adolescent Psychiatry Department, La Marsa, Tunisia
M. Hamza
Affiliation:
Mongi Slim University Hospital, Child And Adolescent Psychiatry Department, La Marsa, Tunisia
B. Amemou
Affiliation:
Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, Psychiatry Department, Monastir, Tunisia
S. Bourgou
Affiliation:
hospital of mongi slim, Pedopsychiatry, Tunis, Tunisia
A. Ben Hamouda
Affiliation:
Mongi Slim University Hospital, Child And Adolescent Psychiatry Department, La Marsa, Tunisia
F. Charfi
Affiliation:
Mongi Slim University Hospital, Child And Adolescent Psychiatry Department, La Marsa, Tunisia
A. Belhadj
Affiliation:
Mongi Slim University Hospital, Child And Adolescent Psychiatry Department, La Marsa, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Social Media (SM) have recently gained substantial popularity among youth. However, the relationship between problematic use of social media (PUSM) and psychopathology in children and adolescents remains unclear.

Objectives

To study in a population of children and adolescents followed in outpatient psychiatry unit, the prevalence, and psychopathological factors linked to PUSM.

Methods

A descriptive study was led among child and adolescent’s psychiatry patients. Parents were asked to provide answers for the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). PUSM was assessed using the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS). Mental disorders’ related data were extracted from patients’ medical records.

Results

Our study included 76 patients with a mean age of 14.2 ± 2.6 [11,18] years and a sex-ratio of 1. The prevalence of PUSM was estimated at 9.2% in our population according to the conservative approach, rising to 48.7% according to the liberal approach. Anxiety (32.4%) and depressive disorders (24.3%) were most prevalent among patients with PUSM. BSMAS scores were significantly higher among patients with smoking habits (p=0.03). CBCL T-scores interpretation showed internalizing and externalizing disorders among 80.3% and 64.5% patients respectively. BSMAS scores were significantly higher among patients belonging to the clinical range of all the CBCL syndrome scales, except for social problems, and among patients suffering from both internalizing and externalizing disorders (p=0.005).

Conclusions

PUSM was shown to be more prevalent among clinical populations compared to healthy controls. Research has indicated a potential link between PIUSM and psychopathology; however, the significance of the correlation remains unclear.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

Bergen Social Media Addiction ScaleChild behaviour checklistPsychopathologyproblematic use of social media
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S274
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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