Location
Philadelphia, PA
Start Date
17-4-2026 1:30 PM
End Date
17-4-2026 2:30 PM
Description
Prior research has linked social media use to psychological distress and shifts in help-seeking attitudes. However, the literature is limited on how social media engagement relates to motivation to seek formal psychological assessment. The current study will examine the relationships between social media use, in regard to time spent on social media, with attitudes, intentions, and motivation to seek psychological assessment among individuals aged 18 to 29. It is hypothesized that greater social media use and increased exposure to mental health-related content will be associated with more positive attitudes towards psychological support, increased intention to seek help, and higher motivation to pursue psychological assessment. Motivation to seek psychological assessment will be evaluated using self-report items assessing readiness, willingness, and intention to pursue a formal evaluation. Semi-structured qualitative interviews will be conducted with a subset of participants to evaluate subjective experiences with mental health content on social media and its perceived influence on help-seeking motivation. Using a mixed-methods research design, this study aims to address the gap by integrating quantitative survey data with qualitative interview data. Participants will include graduate students from The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) and other universities, including those in healthcare and non-healthcare-related disciplines. Participants will be recruited via social media or email. Findings from this research are expected to contribute to a deeper understanding of the motivational processes underlying help-seeking behavior and to inform ethically responsible strategies that bridge online mental health content with formal psychological assessment services.
Embargo Period
6-4-2026
Included in
The Relationship Between Social Media Use and Motivation for Psychological Services
Philadelphia, PA
Prior research has linked social media use to psychological distress and shifts in help-seeking attitudes. However, the literature is limited on how social media engagement relates to motivation to seek formal psychological assessment. The current study will examine the relationships between social media use, in regard to time spent on social media, with attitudes, intentions, and motivation to seek psychological assessment among individuals aged 18 to 29. It is hypothesized that greater social media use and increased exposure to mental health-related content will be associated with more positive attitudes towards psychological support, increased intention to seek help, and higher motivation to pursue psychological assessment. Motivation to seek psychological assessment will be evaluated using self-report items assessing readiness, willingness, and intention to pursue a formal evaluation. Semi-structured qualitative interviews will be conducted with a subset of participants to evaluate subjective experiences with mental health content on social media and its perceived influence on help-seeking motivation. Using a mixed-methods research design, this study aims to address the gap by integrating quantitative survey data with qualitative interview data. Participants will include graduate students from The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) and other universities, including those in healthcare and non-healthcare-related disciplines. Participants will be recruited via social media or email. Findings from this research are expected to contribute to a deeper understanding of the motivational processes underlying help-seeking behavior and to inform ethically responsible strategies that bridge online mental health content with formal psychological assessment services.