Too Much Social Media Tied to Poor Teen Mental Health

Study found those on social media sites more than 2 hours a day were more likely to have problems

Teens who frequently use social media are more likely to say they struggle with mental health concerns that are not being addressed, new Canadian research reveals.

At issue is the amount of time adolescents spend browsing and posting on sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

"It is difficult to speculate what mechanisms may link the use of social networking sites to mental health problems," said study author Dr. Hugues Sampasa-Kanyinga, from the department of epidemiology at Ottawa Public Health in Ottawa, Canada.

While the study did not prove a cause-and-effect link, Sampasa-Kanyinga noted that the "use of social networking sites can lead to poor mental health, and poor mental health may be a reason why youth use social networking sites. That said, it could be that kids with mental health problems are seeking out interactions as they are feeling isolated and alone. Or it could be that greater time online exposes one to more opportunities for cyberbullying, for instance."

Sampasa-Kanyinga and study co-author Dr. Rosamund Lewis reported their findings online recently in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

In the study, the researchers analyzed part of a youth health survey that tallied responses from more than 750 students who were enrolled in grades 7 through 12 (average age of 14) in Ottawa.

Just over a quarter said they accessed social networking sites for more than two hours every day, while about a fifth said they never did or did so rarely. More than half (54 percent) said they surfed such sites, but for two hours or less daily.

Nearly two-thirds described their mental health status as either "excellent" or "very good." About a fifth said their mental state was "good," while about 17 percent described it as "poor."

In addition, about a quarter said they had mental health support needs that were going unmet, while the remainder said they were getting the help they felt they needed. About 13 percent said they had contemplated suicide.


Read also: Moderate Coffee Drinking and Seniors' Brain Health

Ultimately, the study authors determined that teens who accessed online sites two or more hours per day were more likely to describe their mental health as "poor" and less likely to have their own perceived needs for mental health support addressed.


High use of social networking was also linked to a higher risk for psychological distress and a higher likelihood for having had suicidal thoughts.

Sampasa-Kanyinga said some of the problem might lie in the anonymity of social networks, which boosts the risk for cyberbullying. Such sites also encourage teens to compare themselves to others, she noted, while making alcohol and cigarettes more appealing and accessible.

Nevertheless, she stressed that "everything is a matter of balance," and cautioned against drawing a direct cause-and-effect link between social networking and poor mental health among teens.

"A simple use of social networking sites cannot fully explain by itself the occurrence of mental health problems," Sampasa-Kanyinga said. "There are several factors that could interact to explain mental health outcomes," she said, including substance use, bullying, body image andweight concerns, and family history and context.

That said, she advised parents to limit their child's social networking time to under two hours a day, while remaining on the lookout for mood changes, dietary shifts, sleep issues and unusual behavior.


Scott Campbell, an associate professor of communication studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, described the study as "interesting," while suggesting that the effort "actually raises more questions than it helps answer."

Campbell, who was not involved with the study, pointed out that asking teens to quantify hours spent online is unreliable, given that Internet use -- unlike, say, movies -- is not easily measured in blocks of time. He also said that "the social implications of social network sites are highly dependent on how people use them, not just how much they use them."

"Generally speaking," Campbell said, "I would add that too much of anything is going to have negative implications, whether it be kale or social media." But he said more research would be needed to develop "a more nuanced picture of how different uses of social network sites by youth are associated with mental health indicators."

Read also: The Germiest Places in Your Community

Moderate Coffee Drinking and Seniors' Brain Health

But those who upped daily intake actually had higher odds for a precursor to dementia, researchers say

A study of more than 1,400 Italian seniors finds links between patterns of coffee consumption and their risk for "mild cognitive impairment" -- declines in memory and thinking that are often a precursor to dementia.

The study could only point to associations, not cause-and-effect, the investigators said. But prior research has suggested that caffeine might impact neurological health.

In the study, a team led by Dr. Vincenzo Solfrizzi of the University of Bari Aldo Moro, looked at the coffee consumption of 1,445 Italians aged 65 to 84. The participants' mental health was also tracked for a median of three-and-a-half years.

Reporting earlier this week in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, the research team found that people who consistently drank about one or two cups of coffee per day had a lower rate of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) than those who never or rarely drank the brew.

The beneficial association was not found among people whose habitual coffee intake exceeded two cups per day, Solfrizzi's group added.

And in what they called an "interesting" finding, the researchers found that the rate of MCI actually rose over time for seniors who bumped up their daily intake by a cup of coffee or more daily. Those participants had a rate of MCI that was about one-and-a-half times higher than that of long-term, moderate coffee drinkers (one to two cups per day) whose daily intake didn't increase.

The bottom line, according to the study authors: "Older individuals who never or rarely consumed coffee and those who increased their coffee consumption habits had a higher risk of developing MCI" compared to moderate coffee drinkers.

How might java influence brain health? According to the authors, mouse studies suggest that caffeine may have a "neuroprotective" effect in minimizing damage from the buildup of amyloid protein plaques -- long linked to Alzheimer's disease. And while "moderate" levels of caffeine have seemed to boost memory in rodents, higher doses may hinder it, Solfrizzi's team said.

Moderate caffeine intake might also help the aging brain by boostinginsulin sensitivity, cutting the odds for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes has long been linked to a higher risk for memory woes, the researchers said.

Still, more research is needed to strengthen the notion that one of the world's favorite drinks might help ward off dementia.

"Larger studies with longer follow-up periods should be encouraged . . . so hopefully opening new ways for diet-related prevention of dementia and Alzheimer's disease," the Italian team concluded.

What Is Drooling?

What Is Drooling?

Drooling is defined as saliva flowing outside of your mouth unintentionally. It is often a result of weak or underdeveloped muscles around your mouth.

The glands that make your saliva are called the salivary glands. You have six of these glands, and they are located on the bottom of your mouth, in your cheeks, and near your front teeth. These glands typically make 2 to 4 pints of saliva a day. When these glands make too much saliva, you may experience drooling.

Drooling is normal in the first two years of life. Infants do not often develop full control of swallowing and the muscles of the mouth until they are between 18 and 24 months old. Drooling often occurs when a baby is teething. It can also occur in people who have neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy.

What Conditions Cause Drooling?

Drooling can be a symptom of a medical condition, developmental delay, or taking certain medications. Anything that leads to excessive saliva production, difficulty swallowing, or problems with muscle control may lead to drooling.

Some of the medical conditions that affect muscle control over the lips and tongue and cause drooling include:

• cerebral palsy
• multiple sclerosis
• stroke
• Parkinson’s disease

Other conditions that can lead to drooling are:

• allergies
• acid reflux or heartburn
• pregnancy
• above-the-neck infections such as strep throat, tonsil infection, or sinus infections
• Drooling Risk Factors

Age

Drooling begins after birth and peaks between 3 and 6 months as infants become more active.

Neurological Disorders

Certain medical conditions can put you at risk for drooling. If a disease that decreases control of facial muscles affects you, you are more likely to drool.

Diet

Diets high in acidic content often cause excessive saliva production.

Medical Conditions

Drooling is usually caused by excess saliva in the mouth. Medical conditions such as throat infections and pregnancy can increase saliva production. Allergies, tumors, and sinusitis can impair swallowing.

How Is Drooling Treated?

Drooling is not always treated. Treatment will not be advised for someone under the age of 4 or who drools during sleep.

Treatment is recommended when drooling is severe; for example, if saliva drips from your lip to your clothing or your drooling interferes with your daily activities and creates social problems. Excessive drooling can also lead to inhaling saliva into the lungs, which can cause pneumonia.

Therapy

Speech and occupational therapists help teach positioning and posture control to help improve lip closure and swallowing. Therapists may also suggest you see a dietitian to modify the amount of acidic foods in your diet.

Appliance/Dental Device

A special device placed in the mouth helps with lip closure during swallowing. This option works best if you have some swallowing control.

Drugs

Certain medications help reduce saliva production. Medications include:

Scopolamine: comes as a patch and is placed on your skin to deliver the medication slowly throughout the day. Each patch lasts for 72 hours.
Glycopyrrolate (Robinul): given as an injection or in the form of a pill. Robinuldecreases your saliva production but can cause dry mouth as a result.
Atropine sulfate: given as drops in the mouth; usually used for patients during end-of-life care when they are having difficulties with drooling.
These medications can have side effects such as dry mouth, irritability, skin flushing, urinary retention, constipation, headaches, and nosebleeds.

Botox Injections

Botox injections may help reduce symptoms of drooling by tightening facial muscles.

Surgical Treatment

Several procedures are approved for the treatment of drooling. The most common is a procedure that reroutes the salivary ducts to the back of the mouth to prevent drooling outside of the mouth. Another procedure removes your salivary glands completely.

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