The association between social media and anxiety symptoms among the general population in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Abstract

Background: Social media use has increased in the past few years; it is hardly ever to meet someone who has never been exposed to it. Moreover, individuals vary in their interactions with social media; hence, this may lead to diverse mental health outcomes. Objective: In this study, we sought to estimate the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in the Kingdom of Bahrain, to assess the relationship between social media use and GAD, and to identify the potential risk factors for GAD among the population. Materials and Methods: In November and December 2019, a sample of 703 participants aged ≥18 years answered an online-based questionnaire that was implemented to gather the needed data. A cross-sectional design was used along with demographic data, GAD 7, and social media scales. Ethical standards were met in this study. Results: The prevalence rate of minimal and mild forms of GAD accounts for more than 80% of the study population. Almost 75% of the sample size (73%) were found to use social media more than 6 times/day, and 48% of them felt worried while using different social media platforms. Nearly half of the sample size (44%) agreed that social media use had made them compare themselves with others. Conclusion: We concluded that the relationship between social media use and anxiety depends on multiple factors, and it is bidirectional in nature. Further studies are needed to study more aspects of social media use and to establish causality.