Social Networking and its Influence on Mental Health in College Students: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Mental health problems and their relationship with social networks are relevant phenomena to study given their high incidence and use among university students. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the influence of social networks on the mental health of university students and to establish risk factors and possible impacts. The search was carried out following the PRISMA methodology in the Web of Science, Scopus, Pubmed, Taylor and Francis and Medline search engines, between January 2018 and December 2021, in addition the methodological quality was evaluated through the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS ). Regarding the results at the end of the search, thirteen relevant studies were identified for analysis. At the conclusion, it was possible to stipulate that the high levels of use of social networks in university students were correlated with the appearance of depression, anxiety, stress, Internet addiction, Fomo, learning problems and sleep disorders. These results should draw the attention of academic and political authorities to prevent the appearance of mental health problems in university students.