Adolescent Social Media Use and Mental Health in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Study

Courtney K. Blackwell; Maxwell Mansolf; Theda Rose; Sarah Pila; David Cella; Alyssa Cohen; Leslie D. Leve; Monica McGrath; Jenae M. Neiderhiser; Audrey Urquhart; Jody M. Ganiban

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.12.003

Adolescent Social Media Use and Mental Health in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Study

Courtney K. Blackwell^*, Maxwell Mansolf, Theda Rose, Sarah Pila, David Cella, Alyssa Cohen, Leslie D. Leve, Monica McGrath, Jenae M. Neiderhiser, Audrey Urquhart, Jody M. Ganiban

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Purpose: Research on adolescent social media use focuses on negative mental health outcomes, with less attention on potential positive outcomes. The current study addresses this limitation by investigating associations between adolescent social media use and both psychological well-being and psychopathology. Methods: Three US-based pediatric cohort sites participating in the National Institutes of Health Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes study contributed cross-sectional survey data. Adolescents (13–18 years) self-reported the time spent and type of (active, passive) social media use, and their psychological well-being (Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System [PROMIS] Life Satisfaction and Meaning and Purpose), psychopathology (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and PROMIS Depressive Symptoms), and peer relationship quality (PROMIS Peer Relationships). We estimated associations between social media use and 4 mental health groups aligned to the dual factor model of mental health (high well-being/low psychopathology; high well-being/high psychopathology; low well-being/low psychopathology; low well-being/high psychopathology), and tested interactions with peer relationships. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and family income. Results: Participants (N = 963) were sociodemographically diverse (22% income ≤130% federal poverty level; 42% adolescents of color). Elastic net regressions revealed more hours using social media increased the probability of being in the high psychopathology/low well-being group; adolescents with poor peer relationships spending ≥7 hours/day on social media had the greatest risk of poor mental health. Positive peer relationships were the strongest predictor of positive mental health. Discussion: Peer relationships were the most meaningful contribution to adolescent mental health, and quality of social media use had little influence.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	647-656
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume	76
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.12.003
State	Published - Apr 2025

Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, under Award Numbers U2COD023375 (Coordinating Center), U24OD023382 (Data Analysis Center), U24OD023319 with co-funding from the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research (Measurement Core), U24OD035523 (Laboratory Core), UH3OD023332 (Clancy Blair, Leonardo Trasande), UG3/UH3OD023282 (James Gern), and UG3/UH3OD023389 (Leslie Leve, Jody Ganiban, Jenae Neiderhiser). For a complete list of funding for the ECHO Cohort Consortium, see Appendix. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Keywords

Adolescence
Mental health
Social media

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Psychiatry and Mental health

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.12.003

Cite this

@article{b854d2c0c66d41f88232c393ee31a6de,

title = "Adolescent Social Media Use and Mental Health in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Study",

abstract = "Purpose: Research on adolescent social media use focuses on negative mental health outcomes, with less attention on potential positive outcomes. The current study addresses this limitation by investigating associations between adolescent social media use and both psychological well-being and psychopathology. Methods: Three US-based pediatric cohort sites participating in the National Institutes of Health Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes study contributed cross-sectional survey data. Adolescents (13–18 years) self-reported the time spent and type of (active, passive) social media use, and their psychological well-being (Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System [PROMIS] Life Satisfaction and Meaning and Purpose), psychopathology (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and PROMIS Depressive Symptoms), and peer relationship quality (PROMIS Peer Relationships). We estimated associations between social media use and 4 mental health groups aligned to the dual factor model of mental health (high well-being/low psychopathology; high well-being/high psychopathology; low well-being/low psychopathology; low well-being/high psychopathology), and tested interactions with peer relationships. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and family income. Results: Participants (N = 963) were sociodemographically diverse (22% income ≤130% federal poverty level; 42% adolescents of color). Elastic net regressions revealed more hours using social media increased the probability of being in the high psychopathology/low well-being group; adolescents with poor peer relationships spending ≥7 hours/day on social media had the greatest risk of poor mental health. Positive peer relationships were the strongest predictor of positive mental health. Discussion: Peer relationships were the most meaningful contribution to adolescent mental health, and quality of social media use had little influence.",

keywords = "Adolescence, Mental health, Social media",

author = "Blackwell, {Courtney K.} and Maxwell Mansolf and Theda Rose and Sarah Pila and David Cella and Alyssa Cohen and Leve, {Leslie D.} and Monica McGrath and Neiderhiser, {Jenae M.} and Audrey Urquhart and Ganiban, {Jody M.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine",

year = "2025",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.12.003",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "76",

pages = "647--656",

journal = "Journal of Adolescent Health",

issn = "1054-139X",

publisher = "Elsevier Inc.",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Adolescent Social Media Use and Mental Health in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Study

AU - Blackwell, Courtney K.

AU - Mansolf, Maxwell

AU - Rose, Theda

AU - Pila, Sarah

AU - Cella, David

AU - Cohen, Alyssa

AU - Leve, Leslie D.

AU - McGrath, Monica

AU - Neiderhiser, Jenae M.

AU - Urquhart, Audrey

AU - Ganiban, Jody M.

PY - 2025/4

Y1 - 2025/4

N2 - Purpose: Research on adolescent social media use focuses on negative mental health outcomes, with less attention on potential positive outcomes. The current study addresses this limitation by investigating associations between adolescent social media use and both psychological well-being and psychopathology. Methods: Three US-based pediatric cohort sites participating in the National Institutes of Health Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes study contributed cross-sectional survey data. Adolescents (13–18 years) self-reported the time spent and type of (active, passive) social media use, and their psychological well-being (Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System [PROMIS] Life Satisfaction and Meaning and Purpose), psychopathology (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and PROMIS Depressive Symptoms), and peer relationship quality (PROMIS Peer Relationships). We estimated associations between social media use and 4 mental health groups aligned to the dual factor model of mental health (high well-being/low psychopathology; high well-being/high psychopathology; low well-being/low psychopathology; low well-being/high psychopathology), and tested interactions with peer relationships. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and family income. Results: Participants (N = 963) were sociodemographically diverse (22% income ≤130% federal poverty level; 42% adolescents of color). Elastic net regressions revealed more hours using social media increased the probability of being in the high psychopathology/low well-being group; adolescents with poor peer relationships spending ≥7 hours/day on social media had the greatest risk of poor mental health. Positive peer relationships were the strongest predictor of positive mental health. Discussion: Peer relationships were the most meaningful contribution to adolescent mental health, and quality of social media use had little influence.

AB - Purpose: Research on adolescent social media use focuses on negative mental health outcomes, with less attention on potential positive outcomes. The current study addresses this limitation by investigating associations between adolescent social media use and both psychological well-being and psychopathology. Methods: Three US-based pediatric cohort sites participating in the National Institutes of Health Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes study contributed cross-sectional survey data. Adolescents (13–18 years) self-reported the time spent and type of (active, passive) social media use, and their psychological well-being (Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System [PROMIS] Life Satisfaction and Meaning and Purpose), psychopathology (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and PROMIS Depressive Symptoms), and peer relationship quality (PROMIS Peer Relationships). We estimated associations between social media use and 4 mental health groups aligned to the dual factor model of mental health (high well-being/low psychopathology; high well-being/high psychopathology; low well-being/low psychopathology; low well-being/high psychopathology), and tested interactions with peer relationships. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and family income. Results: Participants (N = 963) were sociodemographically diverse (22% income ≤130% federal poverty level; 42% adolescents of color). Elastic net regressions revealed more hours using social media increased the probability of being in the high psychopathology/low well-being group; adolescents with poor peer relationships spending ≥7 hours/day on social media had the greatest risk of poor mental health. Positive peer relationships were the strongest predictor of positive mental health. Discussion: Peer relationships were the most meaningful contribution to adolescent mental health, and quality of social media use had little influence.

KW - Adolescence

KW - Mental health

KW - Social media

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85217047308&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85217047308&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.12.003

DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.12.003

M3 - Article

C2 - 39918508

AN - SCOPUS:85217047308

SN - 1054-139X

VL - 76

SP - 647

EP - 656

JO - Journal of Adolescent Health

JF - Journal of Adolescent Health

IS - 4

ER -

Adolescent Social Media Use and Mental Health in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Study

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this