WEDNESDAY, Nov. 21, 2012 – As Internet access becomes more widespread, so do related psychopathologies like Internet addiction and delusions related to the technology and virtual relationships, say Tel Aviv researchers .
In a paper published in the Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences, researchers presented three case studies linking psychotic episodes to Internet communications. In each case, a connection was found between the gradual development and exacerbation of psychotic symptoms — which include delusions, anxiety, and confusion — with increased use of online communications.
Facebook and chat groups play an important role, said Uri Nitzan, PhD, a professor at Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine, because social networking sites can attract those who are lonely or vulnerable in their daily lives, or act as a platform for cyberbullying or other predatory behavior.
The Internet may prompt these symptoms, said the researchers, due to the lack of shared physical space when communicating, the absence of non-verbal cues, and the tendency to idealize the person with whom you're communicating or becoming intimate without ever meeting face-to-face. All of these factors can contribute to a patient’s break with reality, and the development of a psychotic state, according to a release.
Dr. Nitzan and his team plan to do more in-depth research on Facebook to study the features and applications that have the potential to harm patients.
“Because social media are now such an important part of our culture, mental health professionals should not overlook their influence when speaking to patients,” he said in the release.
Another recent study found that checking the Facebook page of an ex-partner through direct contact or via friends-of-friends channels may be bad for your emotional health. Frequently keeping tabs on an ex-partner on Facebook created greater distress over the breakup and lower personal growth for study participants, and it even made them sexually desire their exes, researchers said.