Home> Archive> 2016> Volume 6 Number 12 (Dec. 2016)
IJSSH 2016 Vol.6(12): 948-951 ISSN: 2010-3646
doi: 10.18178/ijssh.2016.V6.779

Using Social Media to Improve Undergraduate Students’ Mental Health

Thapanee Seechaliao and Chanita Rungrueng

Abstract—This paper describes the use of social media to improve undergraduate students’ mental health. The research method included in-depth interview and a focus group approach. Twenty-four undergraduate students of the education faculty in Mahasarakham University participated in this study. Sixteen in-depth interviews and a focus group of eight students were conducted. Data were collected and analyzed by content analysis technique. The results showed that participants faced many mental health problems but rarely used professional mental health services at the counseling center. They deemed that social media was one of the best communication channels to reduce their problems. They could learn how to solve problems, apply and try to solve their problems by themselves based on what they learned in social media. Most students suggested that Thai government or related organizations should provide more communication channels such as social media to contact or consult with clinical psychologists. These results suggested that developing multiple communication channels in a counseling center might be needed.

Index Terms—Social media, mental health, undergraduate students, adolescents.

The authors are with the Department of Educational Technology and Communications, Faculty of Education, Mahasarakham University, Nakhonsawan Road, Muang District, Mahasarakham, 44000 Thailand (e-mail: thapanee.see@ hotmail.com, chanita.rng@gmail.com).

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Cite: Thapanee Seechaliao and Chanita Rungrueng, "Using Social Media to Improve Undergraduate Students’ Mental Health," International Journal of Social Science and Humanity vol. 6, no. 12, pp. 948-951, 2016.

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