A national study of more than 2,400 young adults finds that feeling emotionally supported on social media is linked to lower anxiety, especially for certain personality types. The work highlights both the promise and limits of online support for mental health.
Anxiety is often blamed on social media, but new research suggests that the same platforms may also help ease it — especially for young adults who feel genuinely supported online.
A national study conducted by researchers from the University of Arkansas and the University of Alabama found that young adults who receive emotional support on social media are significantly more likely to report reduced anxiety symptoms. The effect was strongest for people with certain personality traits and for women.
The findings arrive at a time when anxiety is one of the most pressing mental health issues worldwide. Anxiety is the second leading cause of disability and mortality globally, and about a third of U.S. adults will experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime. The median age of onset is just 17, meaning many people first struggle with anxiety in their teens and early 20s.
The study, published in the journal Psychiatry International, helps clarify how social media use and mental health are connected.
“Longitudinal studies demonstrate an association between social media use and anxiety,” the researchers write. “However, the mechanism of this association in terms of emotional support is not completely understood. This new study addressed these important research questions, finding strong and linear associations of reduced anxiety, especially among females.”
Renae Merrill, a lecturer in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas, co-authored the study with Chunhua Cao, an assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of Alabama.
The team surveyed more than 2,403 U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 30. Participants reported how much emotional support they feel they receive on popular social media platforms, such as encouragement, understanding or empathy from others online.
Anxiety symptoms were measured using a standard tool called the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System scale, which is widely used in health research. Personality was assessed with the Big Five Inventory, a common psychological measure that looks at five broad traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.
When the researchers analyzed the data, they found that emotional support from social media was linked to lower anxiety overall. But the connection was stronger for people with certain personality profiles.
Young adults who scored high in openness to experience, extraversion and agreeableness — and low in conscientiousness — were more likely to report higher levels of emotional support on social media. Those same individuals tended to report less anxiety.
The researchers suggest that positive interactions and perceptions may help explain why young adults with these traits feel more supported and less anxious. People who are more outgoing, curious and cooperative may be more likely to engage with others online, build supportive networks and interpret responses in a positive way.
The study also found gender differences in how social media emotional support is perceived and how it relates to anxiety, with stronger associations reported among women.
The work underscores how serious anxiety can be for young adults, extending far beyond occasional worry.
As the researchers put it, “The findings from this research have important social implications, given the increased prevalence of anxiety among young adults,” and “We currently know that anxiety also increases the risk of stress-induced inflammation, sleep disruption, migraine headaches, negative workplace culture, maladaptive perfectionism, low self-esteem, and negatively impacting academic performance.”
At the same time, the study has important limits. Because it is based on survey data taken at one point in time, it cannot show cause and effect. The researchers cannot say for sure whether emotional support on social media reduces anxiety, or whether people with lower anxiety are more likely to feel supported online.
The authors note that the direction of the association remains unclear. Social media emotional support may help lower anxiety, or anxiety may shape how much support people think they are getting from their online communities.
Still, the results suggest that emotional support itself — whether online or offline — is a powerful factor in mental health.
Merrill emphasized the broader lesson about how people relate to one another, both on screens and in person.
“People thrive when they feel valued, supported and part of a cohesive group,” she said in a news release. “Becoming more emotionally aware in our interactions with others is essential. This involves taking the time to really understand what others are going through and offering positive meaningful support as much as possible. Improving perception, communication, and emotional awareness both in-person and on social media platforms is integral for improving health and well-being.”
For students and young adults who spend much of their social lives online, the study offers a hopeful message: social media does not have to be a source of stress. When used to build genuine connection and offer encouragement, it may become part of a broader support system that helps protect mental health.
Source: University of Arkansas