Association between social media usefulness, depression, and self-esteem among adults with disabilities: a longitudinal panel study

Abstract Background This study aims to investigate the association between the usability of social media services and the mental health of people with disabilities. Methods This study used data from the Disability and Life Dynamics Panel (2019–2021) and included a total of 819 individuals with disabilities aged 19 years or older. The usefulness of social media was measured through a self-report questionnaire based on the model proposed in the Technology Acceptance Model. The primary outcome variable was depression, measured using the CES-D-11 scale, and the secondary outcome variable was self-esteem, measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The association between social media usefulness and depression and self-esteem among people with disabilities was analyzed using generalized estimating equation modeling. Results Among participants, 36.3% reported depression and 24.5% low self-esteem. People with disabilities who rated the usefulness of social media highly were associated with lower depression and higher self-esteem (depression, odds ratio (OR): 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34–0.99; self-esteem, OR: 2.02, 95% CI 1.32–3.08). This association was particularly pronounced among people with deafness, speech or language impairment (depression, OR: 0.39, 95% CI 0.23–0.67), and employed people (depression, OR: 0.48, 95% CI 0.25–0.94; self-esteem, OR: 2.37, 95% CI 1.42–3.96). Conclusion The usefulness of social media was associated with reduced depression and improved self-esteem among people with disabilities.