From the Research
Mental Health Disorders Transmission in Social Networks
- Mental health disorders may be transmitted from one individual to another within social networks, as suggested by a study published in JAMA psychiatry 1.
- The study found a dose-response association between the number of classmates with a mental disorder diagnosis and the later risk of being diagnosed with a mental disorder, with a 5% increase in risk for more than one diagnosed classmate.
- Another study published in Social Science & Medicine found that connections to valued ties, such as friends and family, that disconfirm commonly held stereotypes about people with mental illness contribute to improved recognition of mental illness and reduce the likelihood of endorsing stigmatizing beliefs about causes of mental illness 2.
Adolescent Peer Relationships and Mental Health Disorders
- A study published in Social Science & Medicine used social network analysis to examine the social processes linking disruptive behavior disorders and anxiety disorders with adolescent friendships, finding that adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders were more popular than their peers without disruptive behavior disorders 3.
- The study also found that friendship was more likely between two adolescents both with or both without disruptive behavior disorders, demonstrating peer homophily.
- Another study published in Health Economics found no significant overall contagion of mental health, but modest evidence for anxiety and depression contagion, using exogenous variation from college roommate assignments 4.
Social Networks and Mental Health in College Students
- A study published in the Journal of American College Health examined the relationship between social network risk, perceived peer closeness, substance use, and psychiatric symptoms in college students, finding that students with risky networks were at increased risk for hazardous drinking, weekly marijuana use, and weekly tobacco use 5.
- The study also found that perceived closeness of peers was highly protective against psychiatric symptoms, but increased the risk for marijuana use.
- These findings suggest that mental health disorders may be transmitted within social networks, particularly in adolescent peer relationships and college student social networks, and that social network-oriented preventive interventions may be effective in addressing substance use and mental health issues 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.