Mental Health Topics Research Articles

The impact of social media usage on lifestyle behaviors and health

AbstractIntroductionDespite the increasing popularity of social media, little research has been conducted on its impact on lifestyle behaviors and health outcomes among adults. This study aimed to investigate whether more frequent social media screen time use is associated with poorer lifestyle behaviors, overweight or obesity, and depressive symptoms. Additionally, this study examined the potential use of social media to positively influence health.MethodsAn anonymous one‐time survey was conducted among English‐speaking social media users aged 18–34 in Southern California. Self‐reported height and weight were used to calculate body mass index (BMI), and the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9) was used to estimate the severity of depressive symptoms. A cumulative risk score for lifestyle behaviors was also tallied. Three focus groups were held with a subset of the survey population to gain insights on social media, lifestyle behaviors, and health. A mixed method analysis was used to analyze the data.ResultsThe survey data of 86 complete cases showed a positive correlation (r = 0.421; p < 0.001; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.223, 0.585]) among PHQ‐9 depression scores and negative correlation (r = −0.230; p = 0.033; 95% CI [−0.426, −0.12]) for BMI compared to actual social media screen time usage, respectively. However, social media screen time usage ≥3 h showed no association for either BMI, depressive symptoms, or cumulative risk score. Participants viewed social media as a “double‐edged sword,” providing benefits such as “connection” and “information sharing,” but also having a negative impact on mental health (theme 1). Participants also believed public health needs to take a more proactive role in using social media, while social media platforms should manage the “authenticity” of content and modify their “algorithms” to improve health and lifestyle practices (theme 2).ConclusionsThis study suggested that social media may have some protective benefits related to becoming overweight or obese as indicated by the focus group participants, but further research is needed on the relationship between social media screen time usage and adult mental health. Social media platforms may have the potential to promote positive lifestyle behaviors and improve health if used properly.

Leveraging social media data using latent dirichlet allocation and naïve bayes for mental health sentiment analytics on Covid-19 pandemic

In Malaysia, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the negative impact on mental health became noticeable. The public's psychological and behavioral responses have risen as the COVID-19 outbreak progresses. A high impression of severity, vulnerability, impact, and fear was the element that influenced higher anxiety. Social media data can be used to track Malaysian sentiments in the COVID-19 era. However, it is often found on the internet in text format with no labels, and manually decoding this data is usually complicated. Furthermore, traditional data-gathering approaches, such as filling out a survey form, may not completely capture the sentiments. This study uses a text mining technique called Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) on social media to discover mental health topics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, a model is developed using a hybrid approach, combining both lexicon-based and Naïve Bayes classifier. The accuracy, precision, recall, and F-measures are used to evaluate the sentiment classification. The result shows that the best lexicon-based technique is VADER with 72% accuracy compared to TextBlob with 70% accuracy. These sentiments results allow for a better understanding and handling of the pandemic. The top three topics are identified and further classified into positive and negative comments. In conclusion, the developed model can assist healthcare workers and policymakers in making the right decisions in the upcoming pandemic outbreaks.

Pilot effectiveness trial of Mood Lifters for individuals who self-report bipolar disorder

PurposeBipolar disorder is associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes, and therefore, it is crucial to research and develop effective interventions for this population (Grande et al., 2016). Unfortunately, research on the efficacy of current interventions shows only small improvements in symptoms and quality of life (Oud et al., 2016). Additionally, individuals with bipolar disorder face barriers to accessing care like social stigma, isolation and financial constraints (Blixen et al., 2016). This paper aims to introduce and examine the effectiveness of an accessible, peer-led group program, Mood Lifters (Votta and Deldin, 2022), in those who completed the program and also self-reported a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.Design/methodology/approachMood Lifters is a 15-week, peer-led group program that approaches mental wellness from a biopsychosocial framework using strategies from a variety of evidence-based treatment methods (e.g. cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, etc.). Participants meet once a week for 1 hour to review various mental health topics, including behavioral changes and insight into mood patterns. Individuals who participated in nonacademic groups in a company setting and self-reported a bipolar diagnosis were surveyed at the beginning and end of their program to measure various aspects of psychological functioning.FindingsResults suggest that these individuals experienced significant improvements in depression, anxiety, social functioning and perceived stress, along with flourishing and positive and negative affect.Originality/valueThese findings are promising, given that bipolar disorder is historically difficult to treat (Grande et al., 2016). Based on this preliminary evidence, the authors have developed a Mood Lifters program specifically for individuals with bipolar disorder and are launching a randomized control clinical trial.

Mental health concerns precede quits: shifts in the work discourse during the Covid-19 pandemic and great resignation

To study the causes of the 2021 Great Resignation, we use text analysis and investigate the changes in work- and quit-related posts between 2018 and 2021 on Reddit. We find that the Reddit discourse evolution resembles the dynamics of the U.S. quit and layoff rates. Furthermore, when the COVID-19 pandemic started, conversations related to working from home, switching jobs, work-related distress, and mental health increased, while discussions on commuting or moving for a job decreased. We distinguish between general work-related and specific quit-related discourse changes using a difference-in-differences method. Our main finding is that mental health and work-related distress topics disproportionally increased among quit-related posts since the onset of the pandemic, likely contributing to the quits of the Great Resignation. Along with better labor market conditions, some relief came beginning-to-mid-2021 when these concerns decreased. Our study underscores the importance of having access to data from online forums, such as Reddit, to study emerging economic phenomena in real time, providing a valuable supplement to traditional labor market surveys and administrative data.

Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Training in Mental Health: A Survey of Program Directors.

Psychological and psychiatric care is a core domain of palliative care. Despite a high burden of mental health comorbidity among individuals with serious illness, the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education gives little guidance about training hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) fellows in this domain of care. Currently, there is a lack of empiric data on HPM physician fellowship training in mental health topics. To characterize HPM physician fellowship training practices in the psychological and psychiatric aspects of palliative care. A cross-sectional survey study querying HPM fellowship training directors nationally. A total of 95 programs participated (51% response rate). A total of 98% programs offered didactics on mental health topics. Topics universally deemed as important by program directors were commonly taught, but there was variability in both the perceived importance and the didactic coverage of several topics. Only 15% of programs offered core rotations in psychiatry. Most programs offered psychiatry electives, but such electives were only rarely utilized by fellows. Interdisciplinary team (IDT) rounds infrequently included doctoral mental health clinicians. Beyond a few commonly identified and taught key topics, there is variability in clinical and didactic exposure to mental health training among HPM fellowships. Standardizing key learning objectives and guiding educators in how to achieve these objectives could improve the preparedness of the physician workforce in HPM to meet the mental health needs of patients with serious illness.

Nonsuicidal Self‐Injury and Content Moderation on TikTok

ABSTRACTOnline nonsuicidal self‐injury communities commonly create and share information on harm reduction strategies and exchange social support on social media platforms, including the short‐form video sharing platform TikTok. While TikTok's Community Guidelines permit users to share personal experiences with mental health topics, TikTok explicitly bans content depicting, promoting, normalizing, or glorifying activities that could lead to self‐harm. As such, TikTok may moderate user‐generated content, leading to exclusion and marginalization in this digital space. Through semi‐structured interviews with eight TikTok users with a history of nonsuicidal self‐injury, this pilot study explores how users experience TikTok's algorithm to create and engage with content on nonsuicidal self‐injury. Findings demonstrate that users understand how to circumnavigate TikTok's algorithm through algospeak (i.e., codewords or turns of phrases) and signaling to maintain visibility on the platform. Further, findings emphasize that users actively engage in self‐surveillance and self‐censorship to create a safe online community. In turn, content moderation can ultimately hinder progress toward the destigmatization of nonsuicidal self‐injury and restrict social support exchanged within online nonsuicidal self‐injury communities.

Mental health data available in representative surveys conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean countries: a scoping review

BackgroundMental health data from Latin America and the Caribbean countries (LACC) national and international surveys are essential for public health surveillance. This review aimed to identify and describe available mental...

Predictors of Satisfaction and Value of Advanced Training for Mental Health Professionals in Wartime Ukraine

The full-scale escalation of Russia’s war against Ukraine in 2022 created a surge of mental health issues, requiring urgent, evidence-based interventions to reduce trauma and mitigate stress. Reflecting recommendations from leading specialists in the field, Ukrainian mental health professionals sought to develop appropriate skills and knowledge for working in wartime through advanced training programs. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of Ukrainian mental health professionals having completed advanced training in mental health topics in wartime. A survey design was adopted, using the purposefully developed, and validated ‘Wartime Learning Satisfaction Scale’. Regression analysis assessed the hypothesized contribution of four scales (Education, Educator, Learner, and War) to the perceived value of advanced training and learners’ satisfaction. Respondents (n = 271) were trained in up to 30 courses (M = 4.27, SD = 3.03) lasting from two to over 120 h. Regression analysis revealed different predictors for satisfaction and value of the courses. Advanced training resulted in higher satisfaction with learning if it matched professional goals of mental health professionals and perceived higher value when relevant to societal demand, consistently constructed, practically useful, and not solely focusing on war-related issues. Respondents who completed all advanced training courses they were interested demonstrated significantly higher confidence in working in wartime. These findings are essential for effective mental health practice during wartime.

Interpersonal Needs, Mental Pain, and Hopelessness in Psychiatric Inpatients with Suicidal Ideation.

Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide and models may help the understanding of the phenomenon and ultimately reduce its burden through effective suicide prevention strategies. The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide and Shneidman's Model have tried to describe different unmet needs related to suicidal ideation. The study aims to assess the association between thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and suicidal ideation in a sample of psychiatric inpatients and the mediating role of hopelessness and mental pain in this association. 112 consecutive adult psychiatric inpatients were administered the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), the Italian version of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire-15-I (INQ-15-I), the Physical and Psychological Pain Scale, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). Mediation models indicated a significant indirect effect of perceived burdensomeness (with thwarted belongingness as covariates) on suicidal ideation intensity with hopelessness as a mediator. When thwarted belongingness (controlling for perceived burdensomeness as a covariate) was included in a model as an independent variable, direct and indirect effects on suicidal ideation intensity were not significant. Psychosocial interventions focusing on identifying and decreasing the perception of being a burden for others and the feeling hopeless could represent a powerful pathway for reducing suicidal ideation. Moreover, the attention toward unmet interpersonal needs may help increase and focus clinical discussions on risk factors, which may help engagement toward psychiatric care and downsize the stigma related to suicide. Raising awareness toward mental health topics is a goal of healthcare services globally.

Public interests in mental health topics in COVID-19: evidence from Wikipedia searches

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of the study was to explore community interest in mental health topics during and before the COVID-19 pandemic. Method We gathered and analysed a large dataset (over 3 billion) of views of 1763 English Wikipedia mental health articles, and their counterparts in nine other language versions of Wikipedia, between the period of January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020. Results The results of this study show that the patterns of Wikipedia searches during the pandemic changed. Interest in articles about insecurities and paraphilias increased. There were more searches for child abuse-related topics. Views for depression decreased. Discussion We hypothesise that during the lockdown and enforced video communication, people’s concern about self-image and privacy arose, and the tendency to follow one’s desires online increased. There may be a possible interaction between media coverage and the novelty with the saturation of a given concept in the public discourse. The observations on the online interests of peers may become a sensitive predictor and early sign of arising new phenomena and increase of ongoing public health problems. The results of this study and future in-depth research may contribute to providing preventive programs including screening digital tools, and online apps for early intervention.

Media for advocacy of mental health in the Ethiopian context. Current practice, gaps, and future directions.

Media plays a crucial role in reshaping societal attitudes and behaviors towards individuals with mental illness. It contributes to improved rights of people living with mental health conditions and access to care services. However, in Ethiopia, mental health advocacy faces obstacles such as deep-rooted misconceptions, fear, and discrimination about mental illness, as well limited engagement of stakeholders and language barriers. Both mainstream and social media play a large role in disseminating mental health topics in Ethiopia. However, they need organized initiatives and efforts in order to be successful in promoting mental health awareness to the public. Implementing a comprehensive strategy comprising public awareness campaigns, policy advocacy, community engagement, stakeholder collaboration, responsible reporting, and increased coverage of mental health topics is crucial. The World Health Organization also emphasizes the role of health ministries in supporting mental health advocacy efforts. By promoting education, challenging stigmas, and improving access to mental health services, media advocacy can contribute to creating a more informed and supportive society for individuals with mental illness in Ethiopia.

Pesticides and passion: a qualitative psychological autopsy study of suicide in Guyana

The suicide rate in Guyana has consistently ranked in the top ten globally, yet there is only limited literature related to the context in which these suicides occur. This study aims to better understand the psychosocial circumstances and characteristics of suicides in Guyana. This case series study utilised a qualitative psychological autopsy method. One to three informants per deceased person (N=31) were interviewed regarding the lives of 20 Guyanese who died by suicide (14M, 6F, aged 10-74 years). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was utilised for the data. Four superordinate themes were identified: Interpersonal Conflict, Trauma, Health, and Unknown Reasons. Interpersonal conflict included subordinate themes of Domestic Abuse, Marital Separation, and Financial Disputes. Health included subordinate themes of Physical Health and Mental Health. Pesticide poisoning was the method used by Guyanese people whose suicide was triggered primarily by interpersonal conflict. The findings illustrate the complexities of suicide in Guyana and the importance of adopting a biopsychosocial perspective to suicide prevention. Suicide prevention should include mental health and suicide literacy training of medical professionals. It is recommended that the importation of highly toxic pesticides be restricted, and that less toxic substitutes be promoted. Convenience sampling, recall bias, and limited informants are limitations of this study. Future research should focus on suicidal behaviour using larger sample sizes. This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship through Griffith University Australia.

Photovoice experiences in the Mediterranean and Western Balkan area, analysis of the drivers and barriers to a successful implementation

This paper regards photography and defines its social function as an enabler in expressing and communicating a community's needs, resources, desires and reporting events, focusing on photovoice projects. Photovoice is a qualitative action research method used in community-based participatory frameworks to promote the exploration of relevant topics and the surfacing of issues and resources. The topic exploration was conducted through desk research and online outsourcing of information. The research describes photovoice implementation processes in the Mediterranean and the Western Balkan region with various targets, mainly on climate change, and migration and wellbeing, where applicable. The study defines the barriers and drivers in the implementation of Photovoices initiatives, focusing on analysing the implementation processes of the most fitting projects collected, four from each selected macro area. Further, the research collects good and best practices to provide suggestions for future Photovoice initiatives and starting points to be explored and deepened in future research and analysis activities. Finally, the study assesses, where possible, the target groups and community level of engagement in the activity. After analysing the eight projects, the paper recommends the usage of Photovoice as a tool to tackle climate change, migration consequences and wellbeing, mental health and human rights topics, since it provides data as well as awareness, engagement, and empowerment.

Sports psychiatry clinical curriculum for sports and exercise medicine fellows in one Canadian university

Abstract: Introduction: Athletes can experience the same mental illnesses as the general population. Sports create additional circumstances that can influence the mental health of its participants. Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM) physicians are often on the front lines of providing medical assessment and treatment to athletes for a variety of presenting complaints. Enhancing the knowledge base and clinical approach of Sport and Exercise Medicine physicians for assessment and management of mental health challenges in athletes can assist in early identification, assessment, treatment initiation, or referral to a sports psychiatrist. Providing SEM trainees with formal clinical exposure to Sports Psychiatry can better equip them for their future practice. This article describes a formalized clinical rotation in Sports Psychiatry for SEM Fellows in one Canadian university. Methods: In collaboration with the SEM Fellowship program, a formal Sports Psychiatry rotation was created to ensure every Fellow had exposure to mental health assessment and management of athletes appropriate to what would be expected of SEM physicians. Results: A four-week curriculum which included direct clinical assessment, treatment initiation, follow up, and presentation of case-based mental health topics appropriate for SEM physicians. This program was reviewed during accreditation as part of the Enhanced Skills curriculum of the postgraduate Family Medicine program at McMaster University in 2023. Conclusion: An integrated Sports Psychiatry rotation during a SEM Fellowship provides an opportunity for future SEM physicians to have exposure to a clinical population of athletes with mental health concerns to develop tools for assessment, management, and collaborative care.

Using the project ECHO™ model to teach mental health topics in rural Guatemala: An implementation science-guided evaluation.

Mental health (MH) disorders are major causes of disability in Guatemala. Unfortunately, limited academic training and funding resources make MH care inaccessible to most people in rural Guatemala. These disparities leave many indigenous populations without care. Project ECHO™ is an educational model used globally to deliver virtual training for providers in rural/ underserved communities. The aim of this project was to implement and evaluate a Project ECHO™ program bridging MH training gaps for providers who serve rural communities in Guatemala. The Project ECHO™ curriculum was implemented through a partnership between educational and nonprofit institutions in Guatemala City and the United States. Participants were primary care physicians and nurses working in rural Guatemala as well as medical/nursing/psychology students. Evaluation of its implementation was guided by a RE-AIM framework. Reach, effectiveness, adoption, fidelity, sustainability, acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness were evaluated using a mixed-methods approach, using a pre-post survey and semi-structured focus groups. Forty unique participants attended the five sessions. Attitudes about mental health did not change quantitatively but self-efficacy improved in four of five modules. High quality fidelity scores were noted in two of five sessions. Sustainability scores across multiple domains were highly rated. Scores on instruments measuring acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness were high. Focus groups showed two main themes: the curriculum filled a gap in education and further adaptation of the model might help improve the experience. Implementation of the Project ECHO™ educational model appeared to have good reach/adoption, showed improvements in self-efficacy, illuminated facilitators and barriers to sustainability, and was felt to be acceptable, feasible, and appropriate. Qualitative analysis supported these conclusions. Future directions would include ongoing evaluation and monitoring of further Project ECHO™ curricular experiences through this partnership and adaptation of this project to other learners and settings in Latin America.

Feasibility and acceptability of a peer influencer delivered social media based intervention to promote mental health awareness for young Black and Latinx gay and bisexual men and transgender women

Background Young Black and Latinx Gay and Bisexual Men and Transgender Women (YBLGBMTW) face high levels of mental health related concerns. While online interventions show promise for addressing mental health conditions, few models focus on this population. Methods We used a pre-post design to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a peer delivered mental health awareness intervention for YBLGBMTW. This study was nested as the control arm from a larger study investigating if Peer Influencers (PIs) can improve HIV prevention. PIs helped develop an online outreach campaign to raise awareness of pertinent mental health topics as chosen by the PIs. PIs recruited YBLGBMTW participants from online social networks, posted contents over a six-week period, and participants completed baseline and post-intervention surveys. Results PIs successfully recruited 71 participants of whom 92% completed the six-week post-intervention survey. Participants had on average 6.7 engagements with posted contents and 82% of participants indicated being very satisfied with the intervention. Conclusion Using an intervention informed and delivered by PIs, participants were presented with information to address relevant mental health concerns. We found that such novel means of engaging this sample to raise mental health awareness is feasible, acceptable, and merits further development.

Reflecting on the use of freedom of information requests in mental health research

Freedom of information (FoI) legislation has been represented as a valuable but underused means of generating otherwise unavailable data from public authorities in health and social care research. This article complements extant literature on the use of FoI requests for research intended to inform health and social care policy and improve the quality of practice. Reflections are provided on challenges and ethical considerations, drawing on relevant literature and the authors’ experience undertaking studies addressing different topics in mental health and child welfare using FoI requests as the primary source of data collection. The recommendations are practically orientated and aimed primarily at social work and health and social care researchers who may have limited knowledge of how FoI requests might be utilised in their work but be curious about this method’s application.

Publication Trends in Research on Mental Health and Mental Illness in Orthopaedic Surgery

Background: Mental health conditions affect tens of millions of Americans. In recent years, particularly with the advent of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, there has been a burst of interest in mental health and mental illness among orthopaedic surgical patients. The mental health of orthopaedic surgeons themselves has also come into focus, with high reported rates of burnout and depression. The aim of this article was to evaluate trends in publication on mental health and mental illness in orthopaedic surgery. Methods: Web of Science and PubMed were queried to conduct a systematic review. Studies that discussed orthopaedic surgery and mental illnesses or mental health topics over 2001 to 2022 were included. Publications were analyzed by article-, author-, and topic-level characteristics. Results: A total of 416 studies were analyzed after application of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Publication volume increased dramatically, demonstrating quadratic growth over 2001 to 2022 (p < 0.001). Eighty-eight percent of studies focused on patients and 10% on surgeons, with studies about patients more likely to focus on mental illness and those about surgeons more likely to focus on mental health (p < 0.001). Twenty percent of publications had a female senior author, and 5 authors collectively accounted for 10% of all publications. Eight journals published more than 10 publications, accounting for 35% of all publications. The most productive subspecialties were arthroplasty (135, 30%), general orthopaedics (87, 21%), and spine (69, 17%). Mental illnesses that were least represented included schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and personality disorders (1% or less of total publications each). Conclusion: This analysis showed a dramatically increasing trend in publications on mental health and mental illness in orthopaedic surgery. A high concentration of publications came from a subset of journals and senior authors, and women were overrepresented as senior authors relative to their representation in the field. The results of this analysis identified gaps in the literature, including underrepresented subspecialties, understudied mental illnesses, and study of orthopaedic surgeon mental health, and thus highlighted areas for future investigation. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

County-Level Maternal Vulnerability and Preterm Birth in the US

Appreciation for the effects of neighborhood conditions and community factors on perinatal health is increasing. However, community-level indices specific to maternal health and associations with preterm birth (PTB) have not been assessed. To examine the association of the Maternal Vulnerability Index (MVI), a novel county-level index designed to quantify maternal vulnerability to adverse health outcomes, with PTB. This retrospective cohort study used US Vital Statistics data from January 1 to December 31, 2018. Participants included 3 659 099 singleton births at 22 plus 0/7 to 44 plus 6/7 weeks of gestation born in the US. Analyses were conducted from December 1, 2021, through March 31, 2023. The MVI, a composite measure of 43 area-level indicators, categorized into 6 themes reflecting physical, social, and health care landscapes. Overall MVI and theme were stratified by quintile (very low to very high) by maternal county of residence. The primary outcome was PTB (gestational age <37 weeks). Secondary outcomes were PTB categories: extreme (gestational age ≤28 weeks), very (gestational age 29-31 weeks), moderate (gestational age 32-33 weeks), and late (gestational age 34-36 weeks). Multivariable logistic regression quantified associations of MVI, overall and by theme, with PTB, overall and by PTB category. Among 3 659 099 births, 298 847 (8.2%) were preterm (male, 51.1%; female, 48.9%). Maternal race and ethnicity included 0.8% American Indian or Alaska Native, 6.8% Asian or Pacific Islander, 23.6% Hispanic, 14.5% non-Hispanic Black, 52.1% non-Hispanic White, and 2.2% with more than 1 race. Compared with full-term births, MVI was higher for PTBs across all themes. Very high MVI was associated with increased PTB in unadjusted (odds ratio [OR], 1.50 [95% CI, 1.45-1.56]) and adjusted (OR, 1.07 [95% CI, 1.01-1.13]) analyses. In adjusted analyses of PTB categories, MVI had the largest association with extreme PTB (adjusted OR, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.07-1.29]). Higher MVI in the themes of physical health, mental health and substance abuse, and general health care remained associated with PTB overall in adjusted models. While the physical health and socioeconomic determinant themes were associated with extreme PTB, physical health, mental health and substance abuse, and general health care themes were associated with late PTB. The findings of this cohort study suggest that MVI was associated with PTB even after adjustment for individual-level confounders. The MVI is a useful measure for county-level PTB risk that may have policy implications for counties working to lower preterm rates and improve perinatal outcomes.

Characterizing the Discourse of Popular Diets to Describe Information Dispersal and Identify Leading Voices, Interaction, and Themes of Mental Health: Social Network Analysis

Social media has transformed the way health messages are communicated. This has created new challenges and ethical considerations while providing a platform to share nutrition information for communities to connect and for information to spread. However, research exploring the web-based diet communities of popular diets is limited. This study aims to characterize the web-based discourse of popular diets, describe information dissemination, identify influential voices, and explore interactions between community networks and themes of mental health. This exploratory study used Twitter social media posts for an online social network analysis. Popular diet keywords were systematically developed, and data were collected and analyzed using the NodeXL metrics tool (Social Media Research Foundation) to determine the key network metrics (vertices, edges, cluster algorithms, graph visualization, centrality measures, text analysis, and time-series analytics). The vegan and ketogenic diets had the largest networks, whereas the zone diet had the smallest network. In total, 31.2% (54/173) of the top users endorsed the corresponding diet, and 11% (19/173) claimed a health or science education, which included 1.2% (2/173) of dietitians. Complete fragmentation and hub and spoke messaging were the dominant network structures. In total, 69% (11/16) of the networks interacted, where the ketogenic diet was mentioned most, with depression and anxiety and eating disorder words most prominent in the "zone diet" network and the least prominent in the "soy-free," "vegan," "dairy-free," and "gluten-free" diet networks. Social media activity reflects diet trends and provides a platform for nutrition information to spread through resharing. A longitudinal exploration of popular diet networks is needed to further understand the impact social media can have on dietary choices. Social media training is vital, and nutrition professionals must work together as a community to actively reshare evidence-based posts on the web.