Highlights
Metacognitions and emotion recognition predict IGD in early adolescence.
Re-parenting, building assertiveness skills and metacognitions modification may protect adolescents from IGD.
Social networking sites (SNSs) enrol new subscribers each day. However, problematic SNS use has undesirable effects on psychological functioning. Therefore, it is important to identify the factors that contribute to the development of problematic SNS use. Very few studies have focused on revealing the underlying mechanisms of problematic SNS use. Although many past studies have examined the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and Internet addiction, the association between metacognitive beliefs and problematic SNS use has not been adequately explored. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between metacognitive beliefs and problematic SNS use among young adults. A total of 308 individuals participated in this study. A socio‐demographic data form, the Metacognitions Questionnaire‐30 (MCQ‐30), and Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS) were administered. Group comparisons were performed using multivariate analysis of covariance. Pearson's correlational and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between metacognitive beliefs and problematic SNS use. The SNS addicts scored higher in all of the SMAS assessments. When compared to non‐addicts, SNS addicts obtained higher scores on all the subtests of the SMAS and MCQ‐30 except cognitive self‐consciousness. The negative beliefs about the uncontrollability and danger of worry, cognitive confidence, and need for control thoughts were associated with SMAS mood modification, relapse and conflict subdimensions. Our findings revealed that dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs are related to problematic SNS use among young adults. These findings indicate that mental health workers should consider the modification of metacognitive beliefs in the treatment of problematic SNS use.
Background: Although excessive use of social networking site (SNS) is related to undesired effects on healthy individual’s psychological well-being, there is a huge gap in studies performed with individuals who suffer from various mental disorders. Aim: The main goal of this study is to examine the association between problematic utilization of SNSs and depressive symptoms across patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: 111 patients diagnosed with MDD (diagnoses confirmed via the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5–Clinician Version (SCID-5/CV)) and 108 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited for the study. Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) were administered by both MDD and HC groups. Group comparisons were estimated with multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) analyses. To identify the relationship between SNS addiction and depressive symptoms, the Pearson correlations were performed, and finally, we computed the multiple linear regression analyses to determine whether SNS addiction predicts depressive symptoms. Results: The results revealed that MDD group is more addicted to SNS relative to HC. In addition, depressive symptoms were significantly predicted by ‘relapse’ subdimension and the overall score of SNS addiction in the MDD group. Conclusion: Our study illustrated the detrimental effects of excessive SNSs usage on depressive symptoms in MDD particularly for the individuals in ‘relapse’ state of SNS addiction. The mental health workers should consider the usage patterns of SNSs in patients diagnosed with MDD during their clinical observation and management.
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