Interpersonal Emotion Regulation And Online Social Support For Depression: A Review

Online social interactions have become commonplace as social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have risen in popularity. People frequently share about life events, emotions, and even mental health concerns, and there is evidence to suggest that in many cases online sharing can be beneficial in decreasing negative emotions and widening peoples’ social support networks. Research is increasingly focused on the relationship between social media and mental health concerns like depression, but findings are often mixed, or even contradictory, and many questions remain open for future research. Understanding how people with depression use social media and interact with others online to regulate their symptoms is important in guiding future research and developing online interventions. This literature review proposes that interpersonal emotion regulation can be applied as a framework by which to better understand how people with depression interact online and seek out social support, and addresses directions for future research.