Association between the Frequency of Social Media Exposure and Mental Health Problems among Employees at Ain Shams University during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic created a threat to human well-being. The rapid spread of the coronavirus disease combined with quarantine measurements made people use social media platforms more than before. The improper and excessive use of social media affected people’s mental health, resulting in increased levels of depression and anxiety. Objective This study aimed To measure the frequency of anxiety and depression in the last 12 months, during the COVID-19 pandemic among employees at Ain Shams University. And to measure the association between social media exposure and mental health, including anxiety and depression among employees at Ain Shams University in the last 12 months, during the Covid- 19 pandemic. Method Data was gathered through a 6- month cross-sectional analytical study including 405 staff members who were asked to answer a standardized self-administered questionnaire from 1 September 2021 to 31 March 2022. The questionnaires contain three parts: (1) socio- demographic information (2) Daily use of social media and other types of media (3) Measurement of levels of anxiety and depression using the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scales Result Overall 405 participants were enrolled, 203 males and 202 females ranging from the age (20-30) to 51 and above. (78.8%) of the study sample used social media to be updated about the pandemic. (40.7%) and (41.6%) of the participants who visited social media six times or more per day scored severely depressed on the PHQ-9 scale and severely anxious on the GAD-7 scale, respectively. Furthermore, (33.1%) of participants who used social media for 4 hours or more had severe depression according to the PHQ- 9, and (29.9%) had severe anxiety according to the GAD-7. Conclusion and Recommendations Our findings offer some evidence for a troubling relationship between COVID-19-related media exposure on social media and psychological problems, and therefore understanding these problems can help to prevent them in future crises. Additionally, it could help governments monitor the spread of misinformation.