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Depression may be a predictor of Facebook addiction

Depression, age, gender and minutes of Internet use are predictors of dependency on Facebook, according to study findings in European Psychiatry.

“Facebook has become a very popular social networking platform today, particularly among adolescents and young adults, profoundly changing the way they communicate and interact,” study researcher Agata Blachnio, PhD, of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin in Poland, and colleagues wrote. “However, some reports have indicated that excessive Facebook use might have detrimental effects on mental health and be associated with certain psychological problems.”

To determine associations between Internet use, depression and Facebook intrusion, which researchers defined as how the deep engagement in Facebook intrudes on daily life, the researchers surveyed 672 individuals with a mean age of 27.53 years.

Daily Internet use was positively associated with Facebook intrusion (P < .001) and Facebook intrusion was positively associated with depression (P ≤ .001).

Daily Internet use was not associated with depression (P = .08), according to researchers.

Analysis indicated that male gender, young age and extensive time spent on the Internet were predictors of Facebook intrusion.

“Facebook addiction has become a reality; with the increasing number of Facebook users and with the extended amount of usage time, this negative phenomenon may spread even more rapidly,” Blachnio and colleagues wrote. “Therefore, in order to prevent this, more studies should be done to examine the possible symptoms occurring as the first signs of the problem. On the basis of this study, it is possible to conclude that there are certain demographic and personal variables — such as age, gender, or time spent online — that may help in outlining the profile of a user who may be in danger to becoming addicted to Facebook and depression.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.