Author(s)
Sana Khan
Nour Rezk
Mona Singh
Hossein Kalantari
Jeff Cheung
Mentor: Getaw Worku Hassen
Affiliation(s)
Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College/Metropolitan
Abstract:
Introduction:
Overall, individuals with a mental health diagnosis make 25% more visits to the emergency department (ED) than those without mental illness. Suicidality is a multifactorial problem with genetic, environmental, and social factors. Several stressors, including the season, emotional distress, substance use, and Bullying, particularly cyberbullying, can trigger suicidality. Social media is a platform used for cyberbullying. According to a statistic from 2023, approximately 26% of adolescents reported being cyberbullied; females are more affected than men. Cyberbullying has been reported as a factor in suicidality. Unpublished data from our group showed that children aged 10-18 spend more time on social media and feel left out if they do not participate in social media activities.
Our study demonstrated that overall, 18% of the patients reported being bullied, of which 61% were female. Of all the patients, 13% had a history of sexual abuse, of which 91.4% were females. Substance use was reported by 18.5% of the patients, of whom 66.7% were females.
Specific Aims:
In this QI project, we will administer a questionnaire to volunteer participants that includes items on age, educational level, gender, and the extent and impact of social media use on well-being.
Material and Methods:
Pediatric patients aged 10-18 and their caregivers will be given a questionnaire containing several items (see attached document). The question is anonymous and does not include patient identifiers.
Results:
A total of 40 children were surveyed. Twenty-four were female, and 16 were male. Thirty-eight reported using one of several social media platforms (e.g., TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook). Seventeen participants (8 female, 9 male) reported spending more than 6 hours per day on Social media, and 9 (4 female, 5 male) reported feeling left out when not using social media. Four participants (3 female, 1 male) reported being bullied over social media at school, and one female participant was hospitalized.
Statistical analysis:
Descriptive statistics were conducted after the data were collected.
Conclusion:
It appears that social media may affect children's well-being and mental health. More data are needed to assess the extent of its effect and to devise a plan to mitigate it.