Impact of social media usage time on depression and generalized anxiety in medical students in Bolivia

Abstract

Introduction: Social media has transformed global communication, but excessive use is linked to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Medical students are a vulnerable group due to the inherent stressors of their academic training. This study examines the relationship between social media use and depressive-anxious symptoms in medical students at Franz Tamayo University. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 210 students. The Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory was used, along with questionnaires on daily social media use and platform preferences. Descriptive statistics and regression models were applied to assess the association between usage time and symptoms. Results: Participants used social media for an average of 5.29 hours per day, with TikTok being the most used app (79.52%). Mean depression and anxiety scores were 15.6 (SD = 13.2) and 15.4 (SD = 13.0), respectively. Each additional hour of use was associated with 0.51 more points in depression (p = 0.030) and 0.72 more points in anxiety (p =0.002). Students with a history of anxiety scored 8.59 points higher in anxiety (p = 0.012), and those
with a history of depression scored 14.47 points higher (p < 0.001). The explained variance was 8.2% for anxiety (R²= 0.082) and 12.3% for depression (R² = 0.123). Discussion: A significant association was found between excessive social media use and poor mental health, although other factors also play a role. Conclusion: Excessive social media use is associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression. Universities should promote digital well-being initiatives to improve medical students' mental health.