Seventh International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

We tested methods for recruiting study participants on social media platforms and successfully recruited over 1,700 youth and young adults socially networking about mental illness - at a rate of recruiting 50-150 youth per month. Participants, including those with likely depression, were recruited from several social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Tumblr. To target individuals with mental health problems using direct outreach or targeted advertisements, eligible participants were identified as those who had posted about feeling sad or depressed on social media. They completed an online survey about their depression symptoms, interest in treatment, and potential barriers to accessing treatment. Results indicated 1,111 (67%; 1,111/1,651), mean age=22 years old, screened positive for clinical/subclinical DSM-5 depression, and 719 (58%; 719/1,249) for anxiety, with the vast majority not engaged in treatment (80%). We additionally assessed interest in social media mental health outreach, with 84% of our participants indicating they would respond favorably to a social media-based mental health intervention if contacted online. Thus, participants’ preference for online intervention coupled with their interest in online recruitment and mental health support signals the potential and feasibility of engaging people who struggle with mental illness via social media outreach and online intervention. Additionally, of the over 1,000 individuals we engaged with via social media for our studies focused on mental illness, SGM populations were also represented to a greater degree within this social media outreach method (13% vs 9% in the general adolescent population).