Problematic social media use, digital health literacy, and psychological distress in Saudi adolescents
- 1Department of Women and Child Health, College of Medicine, Taibah University , ,
Abstract
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.
Related
- The effectiveness of the Youth-Oriented Mental Health Education Program (Y-MIND) school-based psychoeducational program in improving mental health literacy and reducing psychological distress among adolescents in Klaten, Indonesia: A quasi-experimental study
- Symptom Patterns of Problematic Social Media Use and Psychological Distress Across Adulthood
- Prospective associations between perceived school climate and psychological distress among Chinese adolescents: a three-wave longitudinal study of school belonging, social avoidance, and psychological resilience
- A physical activity and sitting time balance index and psychological distress in adolescents: a prospective cohort study
- Perfectionistic Motherhood and Adolescents’ Internalizing Problems: A Mediation Model Through Maternal Psychological Distress
BibTeX
@article{shahat2026problematic,
title = {{Problematic social media use, digital health literacy, and psychological distress in Saudi adolescents}},
author = {Khaled A. Shahat},
journal = {Frontiers in public health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1926618},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13671973},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Problematic social media use, digital health literacy, and psychological distress in Saudi adolescents
AU - Khaled A. Shahat
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
JO - Frontiers in public health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1926618
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13671973
AB - 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.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -