Clinical Summary
Clinical Summary: Association Between Problematic Social Media Use and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in a Sample of Lebanese Adults
Patients presenting with attentional complaints increasingly spend hours each day on social media, yet clinicians have little direct evidence on how problematic social media use relates to adult ADHD symptoms. This study addresses a practical question for outpatient psychiatry and primary care: when problematic social media use and anxiety coexist, both may be contributing to ADHD symptom burden.
Design
This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and May 2019
N
466 randomly selected citizens were enrolled from Lebanon’s governorates (mohafazat) in a proportionate rate
Population
All individuals aged > 18 years were considered eligible to participate in the study
Duration
between January and May 2019
Key Findings
- In a backward logistic regression, higher problematic social media use was significantly associated with higher odds of ADHD, with adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.065.
- When anxiety was added as an independent variable, higher anxiety was significantly associated with higher odds of ADHD, with aOR = 1.043.
- Anxiety mediated the association between problematic social media use and ADHD by 24.49%.
- The sample had a mean ± SD age of 27.29 ± 11.46 years, reported an average of 6.22 ± 4.92 hours devoted to social media, and had a mean ± SD Social Media Disorder Scale score of 8.15 ± 5.71.
Clinical Bottom Line
Problematic social media use and anxiety both track with higher odds of adult ADHD symptoms in this Lebanese sample, and anxiety explains part of that relationship. In patients with heavy or compulsive social media use, assess anxiety alongside ADHD rather than treating attentional symptoms in isolation.
Practice Implications
- When adults present with inattention or impulsivity, ask specifically about problematic social media use, not just total screen exposure, because higher problematic social media use was associated with ADHD with aOR = 1.065.
- Screen for anxiety when evaluating ADHD symptoms in patients with problematic social media use, since anxiety was independently associated with ADHD with aOR = 1.043 and mediated the association by 24.49%.
- Use brief symptom scales to identify patients needing further assessment, but follow positive screens with diagnostic clarification because ADHD, anxiety, and depression were measured by self-report questionnaires rather than clinical interview.
- Discuss behavioral targets that support executive functioning and well-being, including sleep, physical activity, and positive interactions with family and friends, in patients whose social media use appears excessive.
