Cross-cultural study on social media usage and its correlation with mental health and family functioning

Abstract

Social media has the potential to influence both mental health and family dynamics significantly. However, there is limited research on the relationship between social media usage, mental health, and family functioning. To address this gap, we developed a novel mobile app, Social Brain, and conducted a study with 563 social media users to evaluate their preferences for the app's interface and functionality. The user-preference app design was validated with a separate study involving 65 social media users.

The Social Brain app provides personalized, visually engaging weekly reports on users’ mental health, family functioning, and social media usage patterns. Participants from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom were recruited to use the app for four weeks. A detailed survey conducted with 25 participants revealed significant correlations: mental health was notably associated with marital and employment status, while family functioning was linked to marital status, nationality, employment status, and religion.

Our results indicated a significant decrease in mean mental health scores after using the Social Brain app compared to pre-app usage assessments (2.11 ± 0.49 vs. 25.28 ± 5.72, P < 0.001). This finding highlights the need to view technology as a complement rather than a replacement for traditional mental health approaches. Our study offers valuable insights into the complex relationship between social media usage, mental health, and family functioning, suggesting pathways for future interventions at this intersection.