Engajamento digital e saúde mental: revisão integrativa sobre redes sociais e sofrimento psíquico Goiânia

Abstract

Social Media and Psychological Distress: An Integrative Review on Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults The expansion of digital technologies and the increasing use of social media have raised discussions regarding their possible impacts on mental health, especially among adolescents and young adults, populations highly engaged in digital environments. In this context, the present study aimed to analyze the scientific literature concerning the relationship between social media use and indicators of psychological distress, particularly symptoms of anxiety and depression, seeking to understand how problematic patterns of use may affect mental health. This study is an integrative literature review conducted between February and April 2026 using Google Scholar, SciELO, Virtual Health Library (VHL), and PubMed databases. Studies published between 2016 and 2025 in Portuguese and English were included, resulting in a final sample of 12 articles. The findings revealed a frequent association between problematic social media use and symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, mental fatigue, and other indicators of emotional distress. Qualitative aspects of use, such as compulsive behavior, social comparison, need for interpersonal validation, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), and online vigilance, appeared to be more relevant to psychological distress than screen time alone. It is concluded that the psychological impacts associated with social media are multifactorial and complex, highlighting the importance of understanding digital engagement patterns in promoting mental health.