Problematic social media use, digital health literacy, and psychological distress in Saudi adolescents.

OBJECTIVES

This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of problematic social media use (PSMU) among Saudi adolescents and its associations with digital health literacy (DHL) and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress).

METHODS

A total of 330 Saudi adolescents (170 male, 160 female) aged 13-18 years from intermediate and secondary schools in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, completed validated Arabic versions of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI), and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with PSMU and its mental health correlates.

RESULTS

The prevalence of PSMU was 34.8% (95% CI: 29.7-40.2%), with significantly higher rates among females compared to males (41.9% vs. 28.2%, p = 0.009). Low DHL was independently associated with PSMU (adjusted OR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.70-4.58, p < 0.001). Participants with PSMU had significantly higher mean scores on all DASS-21 subscales compared to non-problematic users (depression: 14.1 ± 5.5 vs. 8.6 ± 4.2, p < 0.001; anxiety: 12.7 ± 5.0 vs. 7.8 ± 3.9, p < 0.001; stress: 15.5 ± 5.7 vs. 10.0 ± 4.6, p < 0.001). PSMU was significantly associated with moderate-to-severe depression (aOR = 3.18, 95% CI: 1.88-5.38), anxiety (aOR = 2.90, 95% CI: 1.72-4.89), and stress (aOR = 2.64, 95% CI: 1.56-4.47).

CONCLUSION

PSMU is highly prevalent among Saudi adolescents in Madinah and is strongly associated with low digital health literacy and adverse mental health outcomes. These cross-sectional findings demonstrate associations between PSMU, low digital health literacy, and adverse mental health outcomes, suggesting the potential value of school-based digital literacy interventions and mental health screening programmes. However, longitudinal studies are needed to establish causal relationships before definitive intervention recommendations can be made.