Engaging with social media for more than three hours a day puts young people at an increased risk for depression, anxiety and other mental health issues, according to reports from the U. S. Office of the Surgeon General.
Healthcare professionals see the effects every day but say it’s difficult to know exactly what their role is in addressing them.
“Increasing anxiety, we’ve seen it even go as far as suicidal ideation particularly when things are posted about youth, maybe not favorably. And their responses to that can be pretty devastating.”
Ottawa County’s Community Mental Health Program Supervisor Jenn Boerman says the department is now offering specialized training designed for social workers, nurses and professionals.
The course will share the latest research on social media’s impact, provide strategies for gathering a history about technology use, and what resources to use when negative effects are disclosed.
“How to balance that, how parents can talk wo their children about it, how we as professionals can help youth navigate the world of social media.”
Friday’s training is geared for healthcare professionals funded through a federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services grant.
Boerman says she is working on another course for specifically for families after receiving many requests.
