Social Media Use Among Emerging Adults With Psychosis: Oversights and Opportunities

Social support improves outcomes for individuals after first-episode psychosis (FEP). Illness-related changes in social behavior (e.g., social anxiety, withdrawal, and stigma) may hinder such individuals' comfort with in-person interactions; however, online relationships may appeal to emerging adults (i.e., those ages 18-29 years) with FEP who frequently rely on and are facile with digital interactions. Despite the large footprint of the Internet in emerging adults' lives, little work has examined online social support for those with FEP. In this column, the authors suggest approaches that clinicians and researchers can take when assessing sources of social support to consider online relationships as potential alternatives to in-person interactions for emerging adults with FEP.