Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess internet, social
media, and related technology use in patients with serious mental
disorders, and to examine their relationship with disease severity and
functionality and gain insight about the thoughts of patients with severe
mental disorders on benefits and risks of social media.
Methods: The study included 150 patients with bipolar disorder and 150
patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (82 with schizophrenia,
56 with psychotic disorders not otherwise specified and 12 with
schizoaffective disorder) in remission. Information about demographics,
clinical features, the use of social media and related technologies, and
opinions on social media use were obtained via a data form prepared
by the clinicians. Severity of disease and symptoms were measured
using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the Young Mania Rating
Scale, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and, the Clinic Global Impression
Scale. The Functioning Assessment Short Test was used to evaluate
psychosocial functioning.
Results: Among the patients who participated in the current study, 65.3%
(n=196) reported internet use and, 59.7% (n=179) reported social media
use. The Functioning Assessment Short Test total scores and the Clinic
Global Impression Scale scores were significantly higher in patients who
did not use social media than in those who did. The use of social media,
mobile phones, smartphones, short message services (SMS), e-mail was
significantly higher in patients with bipolar disorder than in patients with
schizophrenia spectrum disorder.
Conclusion: The use of social media, Internet and mobile devices cannot
be underestimated among patients with serious mental disorders.
Keywords: Bipolar disorder, internet, schizoaffective disorder,
schizophrenia, social media