Social media use and associated mental health indicators among University students: a cross-sectional study

Social media has become more common in today's digital society, providing individuals with significant opportunities for social connection and information sharing. However, there are concerns about the potential effects of social media on mental health. This study aimed to assess the extent of social media use and its correlation with mental health indicators among health sciences students at Mogadishu University. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 268 participants selected using stratified random sampling. The findings revealed that 84.7% of the students spent more than three hours daily on social media. The high extent of social media use was significantly associated with sleep disturbance (AOR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.04-7.04), mental exhaustion (AOR: 4.7; 95% CI: 1.80-12.46), social isolation (AOR: 7.4; 95% CI: 1.62-33.35), and anxiety (AOR: 22.2; 95% CI: 3.73-131.70). University students heavily use social media, which negatively impacts their psychological well-being. This highlights the need for responsible usage and institutional guidelines to mitigate these effects. Educating students on managing social media time and fostering healthy habits is essential to prevent health issues. Parents and lecturers should monitor usage and create schedules for study and social media.