Health Scholar Showcase Poster Presentation

Today I had the pleasure of participating in Texas State’s first Health Scholar Showcase. Recently, I have joined an interdisciplinary team of Texas State faculty and clinicians who are all interested in the intersection of social media and mental health. As technology advances, people are increasingly using social media. Mental health issues are also on the rise, now affecting 1 in 5 US adults. Studies show a relationship between these two phenomena, and clinicians on our team have also reported this link. But, these observations are, of course, anecdotal, and much of the research conducted is correlational and meta-analytic. Our team is dedicated to understanding if there is a causal relationship between social media use and mental health, particularly subclinical ailments, like mild-to-moderate depression. If there is a relationship here, why? Does consuming content lead to mental health issues? Or, does creating content? We know that these are complex questions, and we have assembled a complex team to carry out this innovative research project. I’m so proud to be a part of it!

Health Scholar Showcase Poster 02.06.17