The Relationship Between Social Media Usage and Adolescent Mental Health at Selected Schools in Adenta Municipality, In the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is a critical developmental stage marked by heightened vulnerability to peer pressure. With the rapid growth of digital technology, social media has become an integral part of adolescent life, offering both opportunities and risks. While global evidence links social media use to depression, anxiety, stress, and self-esteem, limited context-specific data exist in Ghana, particularly in semi-urban settings like Adenta Municipality. General Objective: This study sought to examine the relationship between social media usage patterns and mental health outcomes, specifically depression, anxiety, stress, and self-esteem, among adolescents in selected schools within the Adenta Municipality. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was to sample 178 adolescents aged 13–19 years from two senior high schools in Adenta Municipality. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that included the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Multi-stage sampling was employed, and data were analyzed with STATA version 18 using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression. Findings: Social media usage was nearly universal (93.8%), with WhatsApp (70.8%), TikTok (47.8%), and Snapchat (36.0%) being the most popular platforms. Over one-third (39.5%) of respondents reported spending three or more hours daily on social media, with evening (47.9%) and late-night (35.3%) use most common. Educational purposes (65.7%) and entertainment (62.9%) were the primary reasons for use. Mental health assessments revealed that 68% experienced mild-to-extremely severe depression, 66.3% reported severe-to-extremely severe anxiety, 49% reported mild-to-extremely severe stress, and 44.9% had low self-esteem. Regression analysis identified significant predictors: adolescents who regularly used TikTok had lower odds of experiencing anxiety (AOR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.29–0.93, p = 0.028), while those who spent five or more hours daily on social media were at increased odds of low self-esteem (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.08–4.92, p = 0.031). Non-use of social media was strongly associated with higher stress (AOR = 3.45, 95% CI: 1.15–10.36, p = 0.027). Conclusions: Adolescents in Adenta report high social media use alongside concerning levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem. Usage patterns, particularly duration of use and platform choice, are significantly linked to mental health outcomes. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions such as school-based digital literacy programs, parental guidance, and integration of mental health support into adolescent health services to promote safe and balanced social media use.