South African University Students' Use of Mental Health Content on Instagram

To date, there has been little research on how young adults engage with mental health content on social networking sites (SNS), particularly in lower resource settings. The current sequential mixed methods study explored South African university students' experiences of accessing and engaging with mental-health-related content on Instagram. An online survey was administered to 567 university students (335 psychology students and 232 nonpsychology students) examining their use of Instagram to access mental health content. To supplement survey data, a subsample of survey participants (n = 7) were then interviewed to further explore their experiences of Instagram mental health content. A combination of descriptive statistics and thematic analysis was used to analyze data. Participants intentionally accessed Instagram mental health content using a variety of methods. The most common types of mental health content accessed by participants were inspirational and motivational posts, self-help tips and coping strategies, and information about mental health symptoms and treatment. In qualitative findings, participants expressed that mental health content accessed on Instagram provides motivation and comfort during times of distress, increases awareness of mental health symptoms, enhances coping strategies, and provides experiences of connectedness, support, normalization, and validation. Instagram appears to offer an accessible and acceptable source of mental health information, affirmation, and affiliation within a higher education setting in South Africa. The potential benefits of accessing mental health content on social media should be considered alongside the potential harms of SNS use. Public Policy Relevance StatementStudents at a South African university perceived Instagram as an accessible and acceptable source of mental health information and support. They expressed the value of Instagram mental health content in providing information, motivation, and coping strategies, as well as a space for validation and connection. Social networking sites like Instagram could play a valuable role in providing mental health information and support for university students in lower-resource contexts with constrained mental health services.