Social media and search engines as sources of psychological help for university students
Current Psychology, cilt.45, sa.19, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 45 Sayı: 19
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s12144-026-10106-8
- Dergi Adı: Current Psychology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, BIOSIS, Psycinfo, Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Business Source Ultimate (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Sociology Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Mixed methods design, Perceived social support, Psychological help-seeking, Social media, Stigmatization, University students
- Çukurova Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
University students increasingly use social media and search engines as sources of psychological help to cope with psychological distress and seek guidance. However, the specific student profiles that rely on this usage and the function it serves for them remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine the use of social media and search engines as sources of psychological help across three dimensions: descriptive, comparative, and functional. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was utilized. Data were collected in Türkiye between March and June 2024. In the quantitative phase, 778 university students completed an online survey, and the resulting data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, chi-square tests, independent-samples t tests, and multivariable binary logistic regression. In the subsequent qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 students who reported such use, and the data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to elaborate the quantitative findings. Overall, 62.3% of participants reported using social media and search engines as sources of psychological help (95% CI [58.9%, 65.7%]), with a higher proportion observed among female students. In group comparisons, users reported greater fear of stigmatization, lower perceived social support, and higher psychological distress than non-users. In the adjusted model, gender, fear of stigmatization, and psychological distress remained independently associated with usage status, whereas perceived social support did not. Qualitative findings deepened this profile, demonstrating that the turn toward social media was rooted in the relational cost of opening up to someone else, a multi-layered stigmatization operating at internalized, interpersonal, and structural levels, and the need to make sense of their experiences. Social media is experienced as an accessible and low-visibility compensatory space. While it assists in naming experiences and reducing feelings of isolation, the relief provided is often temporary; participants’ accounts more often portrayed social media as a substitute rather than a bridge to professional help. Ultimately, the study suggests that the primary challenge is not the students’ use of these digital sources, but their inability to transition to professional care due to barriers such as limited mental health literacy, confidentiality concerns, and access difficulties. The findings underscore that a significant portion of these obstacles can be mitigated through the dissemination of accurate information and the development of more accessible professional services.