Study: Social contacts in person, but not online, can protect against psychiatric disorders

In-person social contacts seem to offer some protection against depression and symptoms of PTSD, but the same is not true for Facebook contacts, suggests a study by Portland Health Care System researchers and researchers. Oregon Health and Science University. The results are online and should appear in the January 15, 2019 issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Dr. Alan Teo, lead author of the paper, summed up the results as follows: "When we first compare the time spent socializing on Facebook versus the face-to-face conversation, it's the time spent to anyone with our friends and family who probably matters most to reduce the symptoms of depression and PTSD among veterans. "

Previous research has shown that social isolation is closely related to negative outcomes for mental health. Social support can serve as a buffer against stressors that aggravate depression, anxiety, or other emotional problems. While in-person social contacts can improve health, there is little research as to whether this relationship also applies to interaction with social media on the Internet.

To find out, researchers surveyed 587 veterans online since September 2001. Participants were recruited via Facebook ads, which means that all participants in the study were Facebook users. The survey asked participants how often they had social contacts with family and friends, in person and on Facebook. Each participant was also screened for major depression, PTSD, alcoholism and suicidality.

The results showed that participants who had had in-person contacts at least several times a week had an approximately 50% lower probability for major depression and symptoms of PTSD, compared to participants who had rarely saw their friends and family. The researchers warn that the results can not prove a direct cause and effect between social contact and better health. While this research and others suggest that social relationships can directly affect health, it is also possible that mental health problems lead to increased social isolation.

The frequency of social contacts via Facebook did not affect the risk of depression or PTSD. The frequency of in-person interactions or Facebook did not affect the risk of alcohol-related disorder or suicidal tendency for the study group.

The results align with previous research. A 2015 Teo-led study found that face-to-face social contact reduced the risk of developing depression, but that phone, written or email contact did not.

Although contacts with Facebook do not seem to directly affect mental health in one way or another, staying in touch through social media could have other benefits. The results show that participants who had more frequent contact with other people on Facebook also had more social contacts in person. Among participants who used Facebook at least once a day, 37% also met with family or friends several times a day. Only 19% of those who used Facebook less than daily saw people in person several times a day.

The researchers point out that this finding refutes the common theory that frequent Facebook users have fewer face-to-face social contacts than casual users.

The use of social media has become increasingly common in recent years. The average Facebook user spends 50 minutes a day on the platform. As the researchers explain, "in today 's world, online communication with friends and family, and especially via social media, is part of everyday life. Although the results of the study suggest that frequent users of Facebook are also very social in real life, it is their in-person interactions that seem to guard against psychiatric problems.

The researchers conclude that lack of face-to-face time with family and friends can pose a "unique and specific risk" to veterans' mental health, which tends to have higher rates of depression and PTSD. higher than the general population. Social contact on the Internet does not replace face-to-face interaction, the researchers say.

According to Teo, doctors must keep in mind the importance of personal contacts when treating patients. "I think that the excitement generated by online interventions is generating a lot of enthusiasm within the AV and other health systems. However, this study is a bit reminiscent of the basic good mental health probably starts with the promotion of good, old-fashioned social ties, "he says.

Teo's subsequent research continues to explore this connection. A recently completed project, now online in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, compared the risk of depression based on the use of several different forms of online communication. The results showed that the most similar interactions to face-to-face interactions, such as Skype use, are related to lower depression rates.

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