The internet and mental health

mariaalice

I am curious about this has much been written about how the internet and mental health particularly reinforcing negative thinking.

Pre internet someone who had some sort of metal health issue and though for example 'Ireland was a kip' or who ranted about those on social welfare, they would have very little reinforcement for such thoughts except their own head.

Now in the age of the internet they find an audience for their negative thinking and its constantly reinforced.

On the other hand maybe having an outlet for their thinking is helpful?

JuliusCaesar

I don't know about that Mariaalice, they could always find people to agree with them! Certainly when I was young (80s) we were all in agreement that Ireland was indeed a kip. It was backward and conservative and with high unemployment and we mostly knew we'd have to emigrate.

Besides many Irish people are all for a quiet life and will agree even if they privately don't, just to keep the peace.



But mainly I suppose in depression there is a negative cognitive triad:

1. negative thoughts about the past and the future (remembering negative events much more easily than positive, and making lots of negative predictions);
2. negative thoughts about the world and other people;
3. and negative thoughts about the self (I'm useless, nobody really wants me around).

The last category is not always voiced but when it is, the depressed person won't take any reassurances from their loved ones due to 2 which cause them to think that other people are just saying that and don't mean it etc.

Hope this is an answer to your question. Didn't get around to it earlier due to boards being down. Maybe other people will have other opinions.

The Black Oil

Any news site with a comment section is invariably filled with confirmation bias, trolling, bitchiness and a few sane voices. This'll crank up a bit more now thanks to election season.

As for negative thinking that might be linked to negative emotions, can't say I've read any specific studies around this.

Personally, I think the internet can play a positive role in mental health support, but afaik, there is still largely a preference for face-to-face services.

ReachOut have published a few documents in and around this topic.

Technology, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Ireland – a Good Practice Guide.

Reaching Out in College: Help-Seeking at Third Level in Ireland.

As has Derek Richards of TCD.

http://www.derekrichards.info/pubs.php

mariaalice

I suppose I am asking why people seek conformation of their own bias:p through the internet, and how did they confirmed their own bias before the internet? Why the need to do that, and is it harmful.

The Black Oil

I would put your question to some of the people I've mentioned above. I think they would be a good starting point. Sometimes research can be a little behind what's going on in the real world because it often takes years for a paper to come out.

Maybe try the PSI SIG on cyberpsychology.

https://www.psychologicalsociety.ie/page/art/135/0

JuliusCaesar

The Black Oil wrote: »

As for negative thinking that might be linked to negative emotions, can't say I've read any specific studies around this.

It's a huge field! You might like some of these links:

Scholarpaedia

whereas many behaviors may be reasonably well characterized in terms of cognitive-emotional interactions such that emotion and cognition are partly separable, in many situations, true integration of emotion and cognition may also take place

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2366118/

the study of emotion and cognition should be integrated, because the phenomena themselves are integrated

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02699930903132496

Research shows complex effects of emotion on decision making and reasoning, with emotion sometimes hindering normatively correct thinking and sometimes promoting it.

I think it's generally accepted that thinking is generally mood-congruent.

The Black Oil

Of course, but where does the internet fit into this, if at all?

mariaalice

For the vast majority of people looking at a short video chip of a chubby laughing baby or puppies or kittens makes them smile, and perhaps lifts their mood even if only for seconds.

A example of what I am trying to conceptualise.

A young person has a mental health issue and when they are in a low mood their thinking tends to coalesces around the idea that their parent will not be able to afford to send them to college, that their parents do not have the money to send them to college etc. Now their is no basis in reality for this their parent are not well off but not poor either. The young person is having counselling and begins to develop a more balanced view, is helping themselves and so on.

However

They start researching the issue of paying for college( on the internet ) and find lots of blogs and statistics about student debt, how much college cost for parents, and so on. The reinforces their more negative thinking and anxiety and they struggle to retain their balanced view of the issue.

looksee

My entirely non-professional and unresearched view (so feel free to shoot me down ) is that, if a person is emotionally off balance and is anxious they are going to find something to be anxious about. If, as in the case suggested, they are anxious about being able to go to college, have counselling and genuinely improve their outlook, then the college anxiety will be relieved.

Internet research may then give them cause to think about the college prospects but it should not produce the anxiety that they were being counselled for, and should lead them to do something positive, like discussing possibilities with their parents. It could even help relieve the concern by showing what options and possibilities there are.

What I am saying is that anxiety is not necessarily fed by internet use. A person could, for example, convince themself that they have a terrible disease through reading articles on the internet, but they could do that by going to the library and reading medical books.

I do think that people can be affected by some social media - I am not a facebook hater as I use it for specific conversations with people with whom I share interests. I do not get involved in personal pages at all. People who do read personal pages though, especially young and vulnerable people, and allow themselves to be sucked into the 'everyone is more interesting than me' mindset could create problems for themselves. Again though, this role used be filled by glossy magazines (Hello! for example), though not as personally.

What is important I think is that people need to look outside their electronic existence and actually go out, leave the house and meet people personally. I think the stress of instant communication (which does have its uses) also needs to be considered - if I do not get a reply immediately it means the person doesn't want to talk to me...everyone hates me!

Now I really need to put this laptop down and get started on my day!

JuliusCaesar

You make very valid points, looksee. The thing is that if a person is depressed, they look at everything through depressed-coloured glasses, which confirms everything they think. If they are anxious, they look at everything as a threat which again confirms everything they think.

The internet and social media often gives people the idea that they are the only ones feeling sad or lonely or anxious, if they think that social media/the internet reflect reality. Which of course it doesn't, neither does advertising which is totally aspirational.

And yet... who hasn't been sucked in at some stage by the perfect family/perfect house/perfect dinner portrayed all over the Xmas period?

JuliusCaesar

You make very valid points, looksee. The thing is that if a person is depressed, they look at everything through depressed-coloured glasses, which confirms everything they think. If they are anxious, they look at everything as a threat which again confirms everything they think.

The internet and social media often gives people the idea that they are the only ones feeling sad or lonely or anxious, if they think that social media/the internet reflect reality. Which of course it doesn't, neither does advertising which is totally aspirational.

And yet... who hasn't been sucked in at some stage by the perfect family/perfect house/perfect dinner portrayed all over the Xmas period?

mariaalice

I subscribe to a blog about science based medicine mainly because I have a strong dislike of alternative woo woo stuff.

The big question no one can really answer is why are some people attracted to alternative medicine in the first place ( not talking of complementary treatments who do have a place in supporting people ).

What leads people to have certain though patterns and how do they link with emotions and shape beliefs. Not expecting anyone to answer that.

The Black Oil

https://twitter.com/chrisdancy/status/697542353352003584

!

mariaalice

my problem with technology is that it is the thief of time and it make my procrastination worse. I am suppose to be studying but I keep turning on the internet, however I don't go around with a phone in my hand all the time and when on holiday I turn off the internet.

JuliusCaesar

mariaalice wrote: »

What leads people to have certain though patterns and how do they link with emotions and shape beliefs. Not expecting anyone to answer that.

In general, most people's core beliefs about themselves are laid down in childhood and adolescence.

The Black Oil wrote: »

https://twitter.com/chrisdancy/status/697542353352003584

As a full time therapist I can say this is emphatically NOT the case.

The Black Oil

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

As a full time therapist I can say this is emphatically NOT the case.

Certainly and I don't imagine it's as widespread in therapy rooms as anecdotes (not unique to that tweet) might like to make out.

Here's an Irish based psychologist talking about social media and relationships.

https://vimeo.com/90729720

Q&A. https://vimeo.com/90758998