Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Szlyk, Hannah
• Deng, John
• Xu, Christine
• Krauss, Melissa J.
• Cavazos‐Rehg, Patricia A.

Titel

Leveraging social media to explore the barriers to treatment among individuals with depressive symptoms

Ist Teil von

• Depression and anxiety, 2020-05, Vol.37 (5), p.458-465

Ort / Verlag

United States: Wiley Subscription Services, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2020

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

EBSCOhost Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Background Individuals with depression may not seek treatment for their symptoms due to several types of barriers to treatment. In support of the growing research on mental health care access and the role of social media, this study aimed to increase knowledge of these barriers among social media users. Methods Participants were recruited from several social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, and online depression forums. Eligible participants had endorsed having posted about feeling sad or depressed on social media, or followed social media groups that post about depression‐related topics. Participants completed an online survey about their depression symptoms, interest in treatment, and potential barriers to accessing treatment. Results Of the participants reaching criteria for depression, those with major depression were more likely to seek out treatment, to report an unmet need for treatment, and have a higher risk of suicide. For participants with major depression, barriers to treatment were more likely to be attitudinal, while participants with mild depression experienced more structural barriers. Conclusions This study demonstrates several barriers to treatment that occur for individuals struggling with depression, and that online platforms are effective mediums to recruit individuals with depression symptoms who seek mental health support.