The Relationship of Social Media and Cyberbullying With Mental Health

Dear Colleagues,

In 2022, the WHO published the study ‘World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All’ which showed that about one in eight people in the world live with a mental disorder, showing the focus and relevance of mental health for the well-being of the world's population. As a result of these reports and scientific advances, WHO member states have adopted the Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030. In turn, in 2023, the European Commission adopted the Communication on a global approach to mental health, which will help Member States to take action to address mental health challenges. In 2023, the Eurobarometer survey on mental health revealed that 46% of Europeans have experienced emotional or psychosocial problems, such as feelings of depression or anxiety, in the last 12 months.

As a result of these initiatives, there is an interest in the prevention and detection of factors that may be related to the adequate mental health of the individual. The relationship between mental health and the use of social media is of great interest for today's society, with an open debate based on studies that advocate the negative impact of social media on mental health or other recent studies that claim not to find this relationship. Similarly, cyberbullying has become one of the major scourges to be avoided. Although it has been widely studied, it continues to maintain an alarming presence, with one in six school-aged children experiencing cyberbullying, according to the WHO in 2024.

This Special Issue is open to studies involving participants of any age and aims to highlight innovative research and reviews that align with the journal’s scope, specifically on the relationship between social media and cyberbullying with mental health. This Special Issue aims to publish original, high-quality research papers as well as systematic reviews that present innovative approaches to guide mental health research, practice, and policy in addressing this challenge collaboratively.

In this Special Issue, research areas can include (but are not limited to) the following:

- The relationship between problematic internet use and mental health.

- Psychosocial interventions to detect and prevent cyberbullying situations and mental health impact.

- The relationship between gaming disorder and mental health.

- The relationship between online aggressions and mental health.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Fernando Fajardo-Bullón
Guest Editor

Prof. Dr. Joaquim Armando Gomes Alves Ferreira
Co-Guest Editor

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• mental health
• well-being
• social media
• cyberbullying
• risk factors
• developmental and educational psychology
• problematic internet use
• internet addiction