Mental Health Practice and Social Media

Social media platforms are some of the most widely used technologies in the digital age. People are innately relational, and these technologies have growing relevance to mental health practice given how they can facilitate connections between clients, mental health professionals, friends, family, colleagues, and people in general. This chapter reviews some of the key clinical considerations that arise for social media and mental health practice. We review the opportunities and risks of social media peer support groups and the risks to identify authentication, privacy/confidentiality, and professional boundaries. We discuss the ways in which social media can facilitate disclosure and multiple relationships, particularly in light of social media searches of mental health providers by clients and vice versa. The chapter closes with practical guidance and clinical considerations as it relates to social media and mental health practice.