Against all odds, a recent study suggests that using Instagram may aid women suffering from anxiety and eating problems.
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| Mental health impact of Instagram |
Social networks frequently receive negative news. They are accused of causing sleep difficulties, low self-esteem, eye tiredness, and even suicidal thoughts. At least on the surface. A recent study confirms that they were not entirely wrong: regular Instagram use appears to be beneficial among women suffering from mental illnesses, particularly anxiety and eating disorders.
Fanny Gravel-Patry, a Concordia PhD candidate, studied the Instagram habits of three Quebec women with mental illnesses to test this notion. One suffers from an eating disorder, another from generalized anxiety and an eating disorder, while the third suffers from anxiety, body image difficulties, and childhood trauma.
Fanny Gravel-ambition? Patry's Learn how and why candidates use the platform, what sorts of material they consume, and what they look for.
According to the study, if the candidates show a different use of the application (sharing the recovery process, finding soothing solutions, collecting good and inspirational messages, etc.), Instagram appears to have a "calming impact" on these ladies.
Yet, she thinks Instagram not "intrinsically useful". The absence of tangible answers drives patients to seek "self-care" on their own, particularly through digital media.