Many studies have identified the negative impacts of social media use on well-being (e.g., Boer et al., 2020; Subramaniam et al., 2024), while others (e.g., Naslund et al., 2017, 2018) have argued that social media provides opportunities to enhance mental health and literacy. Given the early onset of mental illnesses (Solmi et al., 2022), youths’ stigma against mental health (Pang et al., 2017), and that young Singaporeans receive their first mobile device earlier than the global average (Guha Majumder, 2019), this study aims to understand how social media influences youths' mental health literacy (MHL) and access to resources.

Youths (n=397) aged 14 to 21 participated in a survey on their use of social media for mental health support and literacy, assessed using the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire (MHLQ; Dias et al., 2018).

Findings revealed that over two-thirds used social media to improve their MHL, with higher engagement observed among females and older youths. Analyses found correlations between social media use for MHL and factors such as age, gender, education level, and academic stream. T-tests showed that youths who used social media to improve their MHL had better MHLQ scores than non-users. Social media users also demonstrated a better understanding of mental health issues and held fewer misconceptions compared to non-users. Additionally, many respondents used social media to support their mental health, particularly younger teens. The primary factor influencing their platform choice was receiving input from individuals with similar experiences, with Instagram being the most popular platform for connecting with others for mental health support.

These findings deepened our understanding of MHL among Singaporean youths, highlighted the significant role social media plays in aiding youths in their mental health self-management, and identified the platform features that shape their selection of online resources to meet their mental health needs.

Many studies have identified the negative impacts of social media use on well-being (e.g., Boer et al., 2020; Subramaniam et al., 2024), while others (e.g., Naslund et al., 2017, 2018) have argued that social media provides opportunities to enhance mental health and literacy. Given the early onset of mental illnesses (Solmi et al., 2022), youths’ stigma against mental health (Pang et al., 2017), and that young Singaporeans receive their first mobile device earlier than the global average (Guha Majumder, 2019), this study aims to understand how social media influences youths' mental health literacy (MHL) and access to resources.

Youths (n=397) aged 14 to 21 participated in a survey on their use of social media for mental health support and literacy, assessed using the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire (MHLQ; Dias et al., 2018).

Findings revealed that over two-thirds used social media to improve their MHL, with higher engagement observed among females and older youths. Analyses found correlations between social media use for MHL and factors such as age, gender, education level, and academic stream. T-tests showed that youths who used social media to improve their MHL had better MHLQ scores than non-users. Social media users also demonstrated a better understanding of mental health issues and held fewer misconceptions compared to non-users. Additionally, many respondents used social media to support their mental health, particularly younger teens. The primary factor influencing their platform choice was receiving input from individuals with similar experiences, with Instagram being the most popular platform for connecting with others for mental health support.

These findings deepened our understanding of MHL among Singaporean youths, highlighted the significant role social media plays in aiding youths in their mental health self-management, and identified the platform features that shape their selection of online resources to meet their mental health needs.