Consequences of Social Media on the Onset of Depression and Anxiety among Teachers from Junior Schools and Students from Teachers' Families and Relatives: A Comprehensive Cross-Section Survey

Background:-Social media offering opportunities for connectivity, information sharing, and entertainment. However, alongside the benefits, there is a negative impact of social media use on mental health, particularly concerning depression and anxiety. This study determined the consequences of social media on the onset of depression and anxiety among teachers from junior schools and students from their families and relatives. Methods:-This is a cross-sectional survey applied on the teachers (n=263) from junior schools and students (n=99) from their families and relatives from Qassim population of Saudi Arabia. A standardized instrument was applied to quantify the social media usage. Depression and anxiety levels were quantified using the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire–7 (GAD-7), respectively. Results:-Among teachers, a majority displayed minimal depression (55.1%), with some showing mild (26.6%), moderate (10.3%), and severe depression (8.0%). Students also exhibited 56.6% minimal depression, followed by mild (16.2%), moderate (17.2%), and severe depression (10.1%). Regarding anxiety, teachers reported minimal (39.9%), mild (40.3%), moderate (12.5%), and severe (7.2%) anxiety. Similarly, students displayed anxiety levels as minimal (48.5%), mild (29.3%), moderate (10.1%), and severe (12.1%). The levels of depression and anxiety among studied teachers and students were not statistically comparable (p>0.05). Conclusion:-This is the first study evaluating the effects of social media usage on the onset of depression and anxiety among teachers in junior schools and students from their families and relatives. A majority of both teachers and students experienced minimal levels of depression and anxiety due to their social media usage. Overall, these findings suggest that teachers from junior schools and students from their families in Qassim did not exhibit significant impacts of severe depression and anxiety from their social media use.