Development, Validation, and Utilization of a Social Media Use and Mental Health Questionnaire among Middle Eastern and Western Adults: A Pilot Study from the UAE

Omar Hegazi, Samer Alalalmeh, Ahmad Alfaresi, Soheil Dashtinezhad, Ahmed Bahada, Moyad Shahwan (), Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun (), Tesleem K. Babalola and Haya Yasin
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Omar Hegazi: College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates
Samer Alalalmeh: College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates
Ahmad Alfaresi: College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates
Soheil Dashtinezhad: College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates
Ahmed Bahada: College of Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
Moyad Shahwan: College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates
Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun: Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai 67, United Arab Emirates
Tesleem K. Babalola: Program in Public Health, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
Haya Yasin: College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-18

Abstract: Objectives: We aimed to develop and validate a mental health stigma measurement tool for use within the social media context, utilizing the tool to assess whether the stigma shown in face-to-face interactions translates to social media, coupled with comparing whether social media use can cause the stigma among a sample of Middle Eastern and Western populations. Methods: The development and validation phase comprised a systematic process that was used to develop an assessment tool that could be used within the social media context and establish its validity and reliability. A 5-point Likert-type scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) was developed to assess mental health stigma. The anonymous questionnaire was distributed from June 2022 to August 2022 on various social media platforms and groups predominated by the two demographics of interest, enrolling 1328 participants (with only 1001 responses deemed valid). The utilization phase consisted of bivariate and multivariable analysis of the data. The cutoff points for low, medium, and high scores were the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentil, respectively. Results: The instrument comprised three dimensions: acceptance, intolerance, and digital care sentiment. In the Middle Eastern subset of participants, a higher score of intolerance (more stigma) toward mental illness was found in 72.4% of the participants, with a higher score of acceptance being 35.1% and of digital care sentiment being 46.4%. The mean scores for all the scales were as follows: intolerance (3.08 ± 0.64), acceptance (3.87 ± 0.71), and digital care sentiment (3.18 ± 0.69). For Westerners, a higher score of intolerance toward mental illness was found in 24.0% of the participants, with a higher score of acceptance being 56.8% and of digital care sentiment being 38.2%. The mean scores for all the scales were as follows: intolerance (2.28 ± 0.73), acceptance (4.21 ± 0.61), and digital care sentiment (3.08 ± 0.62). Various results were obtained regarding the effect of individual social media platforms on the different subscales. Conclusions: Stigma does follow people on social media, whether they are Middle Easterners or Westerners, although to varying degrees. The results of social media interaction and activity varied based on the group that used them, with some having an impact on one group but not the other. For these reasons, proper guidance is advised when utilizing and interacting with social media platforms.

Keywords: stress; social media; mental health; young adults; questionnaire; validation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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