The Relationship between Social Media Use and Depression among Nursing Students at Governmental University

Abstract

Context: Students in the modern world are busy using social media for different purposes and activities. Misuse of social media applications can negatively impact students' psychological health.
Aim: To determine the relationship between social media use and depression among nursing students in governmental universities. Methods: Descriptive correlational study design was conducted among 267 nursing students in nursing college at a governmental university in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using the Social Media Use Integration Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory scale to assess the relationship between depression and social media use among nursing students.

Results: Social media use among nursing students was high (50.90%) while 31.1% of them were overused, while depression level was mild among 26% of study participants and there was a statistically significant relationship between social media applications, used number of hours spent on social media per day, and level of depression among nursing students at the governmental university.
Conclusions: The collected data analysis revealed a statistically significant positive moderate correlation between used social media and depression among nursing students at the university. Hence, it is essential to establish an educational program through routine checkups for depression levels among nursing students besides arranging for weekly group discussions and consultations to express feelings and thoughts, creating a supportive academic environment.