@article{ref1,
title="Seeking and sharing mental health information on social media during COVID-19: role of depression and anxiety, peer support, and health benefits",
journal="Journal of technology in behavioral science",
year="2022",
author="Akhther, Najma and Sopory, Pradeep",
volume="7",
number="2",
pages="211-226",
abstract="This study conducted a cross-sectional online survey (N = 865) to determine whether self-ratings of depression and anxiety, perceived peer support, and perceived health benefits of social media predicted mental health-related information seeking and sharing behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hierarchical regression models showed only depression self-ratings, anxiety self-ratings, and perceived health benefits predicted information seeking, whereas depression self-ratings, anxiety self-ratings, perceived peer support, and perceived health benefits all predicted information sharing. There was a statistically significant positive interaction of anxiety self-ratings and perceived peer support on information sharing. Participants' experience of COVID-19 predicted both information seeking and sharing. Mental health-related information seeking and sharing differed across social media platforms, with YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram used most for information seeking and Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter used most for information sharing. <br><br>FINDINGS suggest social media mental health-related seeking and sharing behaviors have the potential to facilitate coping surrounding mental health.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2366-5963",
doi="10.1007/s41347-021-00239-x",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41347-021-00239-x"
}