How social media-induced secondary traumatic stress affects depression: a moderated mediation model of self-compassion and problematic social media use in college students

Background: Social media use has grown rapidly among college students, who constitute one of the most active user groups. However, exposure to negative and traumatic content on social media may lead to secondary traumatic stress (STS-SM), which may be linked to depression. This study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between STS-SM and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students. Methods: A total of 1080 Chinese college students (382 females and 698 males; mean age = 19.07 years, SD = 1.08) completed web-based questionnaires including Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale for Social Media, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Self-compassion scale, and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. Age, gender, educational level, marital status, ethnicity, and subjective socioeconomic status were treated as covariates. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed to examine the role of self-compassion and problematic social media use (PSMU) in the relation between STS-SM and depression using the PROCESS macro in SPSS. Results: STS-SM was found to be positively associated with depression (r = 0.48, p < .001), and this correlation was mediated by self-compassion (b = 0.09, 95% CI [0.07, 0.11]). Moreover, the effect of self-compassion on depression was moderated by PSMU, with the effect being stronger for students with high PSMU (b = −0.32, p < .001) than those with low PSMU (b = −0.12, p < .001). Conclusions: STS-SM contributed to increased depressive symptoms by reducing individuals’ levels of self-compassion, with the effect of self-compassion on depression moderated by PSMU. These findings underscore the importance of regulating traumatic content online and highlight self-compassion training as a promising intervention, particularly for those with PSMU. Frequent exposure to traumatic content on social media may lead to secondary traumatic stress (STS-SM) among college students, which is positively associated with depression.Self-compassion mediates the relationship between STS-SM and depression.The buffering effect of self-compassion on depression is more pronounced in individuals with high problematic social media use. Frequent exposure to traumatic content on social media may lead to secondary traumatic stress (STS-SM) among college students, which is positively associated with depression. Self-compassion mediates the relationship between STS-SM and depression. The buffering effect of self-compassion on depression is more pronounced in individuals with high problematic social media use.