ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG STUDENTS OF KMU INSTITUTE OF HEALTH SCIENCES, KURRAM

Background: Social media has become an important part of daily life, particularly among university students. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and WhatsApp are widely used for communication, information sharing, and social interaction. Although social media provides several benefits, excessive or uncontrolled use may negatively affect mental health. Previous studies have shown that prolonged exposure to social media may contribute to psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, and sleep disturbances. University students, especially those in health sciences programs, may be more vulnerable due to academic workload and psychological stress. Despite increasing global attention, limited data are available from remote regions such as Kurram District. Objective: To assess the association between social media use and mental health among students of KMU Institute of Health Sciences (IHS) Kurram. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among undergraduate students of KMU Institute of Health Sciences Kurram. A total of 272 participants were selected from a population of 929 students using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of two sections: demographic information and social media usage patterns, and mental health assessment based on questions related to depression, anxiety, and stress. Participation was voluntary and informed consent was obtained from all participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24, and descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages were used to summarize the data. Results: The findings showed that the majority of participants were aged 20–22 years (53.3%), and 58.1% were male. Most students reported using social media for 1–2 hours daily (43.4%). A large proportion of participants reported checking social media during study hours and experiencing difficulty limiting their social media use. Many students also reported sleep disturbance, feelings of sadness or depression, anxiety due to negative online content, and reduced concentration associated with social media use. However, some participants also indicated that social media provides emotional support and increases social connection. Conclusion: The study concludes that social media plays an important role in students‟ daily lives and has both positive and negative effects on their mental health. Excessive or uncontrolled use of social media may contribute to psychological distress and reduced academic concentration among students. Promoting responsible and balanced social media use is essential to improve students‟ mental well-being and academic performance