Mental Health of Youth: Anxiety and Depression

Abstract

Anxiety and depression are among the most prevalent mental health disorders in youth, significantly affecting emotional, cognitive, and social development and functioning. This thesis describes how these conditions develop, touching on the interplay of genetic, environmental, and psychosocial factors, which include family history of mental illness, trauma, chronic stress, poor peer support, societal pressures, and the particular focus of this thesis, social media. The main aim of this research endeavour is to investigate the relationship between social media and anxiety and depression in youth. The research explores the positives of social media and how it has become a key source for mental health resources and help in the current generation. However, the greater discussion revolves around the negative impact of social media, mainly by uncovering how social media affects self-esteem, promotes a culture of comparison, creates unrealistic expectations, provides a medium for cyber-bullying, racism, sexism, and discrimination, as well as how it draws youth away from healthy behaviours and lifestyle, by affecting sleep and reducing the amount of time spent engaging in in-person activities. The review concludes with some actionable recommendations for youth, parents & caregivers, educators, mental health professionals, policymakers and social media companies to help counter the negative effects of social media on mental health and offers suggestions for future research.