Social Media and Mental Health

What is the workshop about? 

This workshop will focus on helping clients and professionals deal with the impact and potential of social media.

The workshop will be led by Professor Patrick McGhee. Patrick has a verified account on twitter and is a qualified CBT therapist, fully accredited by the BABCP and Associate Fellow with the BPS (British Psychological Society). His use of twitter has been highlighted in articles in magazine articles and national listings. He has lectured widely and is a TEDx speaker.

Social media use and abuse is ubquitous and is not going away. Smartphones are with us everywhere and Social media content is generated 24/7. The majority of users of psychological services use social media, and often much of the dynamics of their distress is played out online. Does social media increase depression or anxiety? What is the evidence - or is this just Luddite hysteria? If so how can we address the impact of social media on young people? Is 'addiction' to social media possible? Yet, can social media be a force for good if properly managed? In a recent 2018 study 41 per cent of young people have stated that social media platforms make them feel anxious, sad or depressed - but young people rate social media sites highly as a potential method for providing mental health support - but how effective can such approaches be?

Using case studies and validated assessment tools, this workshop will look at the practical challenges of helping those struggling with social media and consider how they can be helped in the context of professional practice in therapy, education and healthcare settings. The workshop will provide a set of practical resources and techniques for participants to use in their everyday life and professional practice.

The key questions this workshop will address are:

1. What is the impact of social media on depression and anxiety?
2. What is 'Social Media Anxiety Disorder'?
3. How can we measure 'Social Media Disorder'?
4. What can therapists do with clients bullied online?
5. How can social media be used as a therapeutic tool? What is the evidence?
6. How should therapists use social media - what are the boundaries?
7. Looking forward - what practical steps can be taken?

Activities

This will be a participatory workshop with several activities for delegates to try. This will include:

1. Kahoot! based discussion on attitudes on use of social media
2. Case Studies for discussion
3. Real time enagement with social media.
4. Examination of online resources in real time

We aim to keep numbers small to ensure full participation. Places for this event will be limited to 20.

A CPD Certificate of Attendance will be available to professional therapists and clinicians on request.